Lincoln's Carthage Speech - Carthage, Illinois
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 40° 24.769 W 091° 08.125
15T E 658201 N 4475246
Historical marker with information about Lincoln speech conducted here October 22, 1858, on the grounds of the Hancock County Courthouse in Carthage, Illinois.
Waymark Code: WMF8MK
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 09/10/2012
Views: 3
Text of marker:
Lincoln's Carthage Speech
Abraham Lincoln defended himself against political attackduring much of the speech he delivered here on the courthouse grounds on October 22, 1858. Stephen A. Douglas, who had spoken here eleven days earlier, had accused Lincoln of being too cozy with big railroad companies and of helping them to avoid paying taxes--a charge Douglas had never made to Lincoln's face in their joint debate. Lincoln explained his fee arrangement for railroad legal services and proclaimed that railroads "shall not be released from their obligations to pay money into the State Treasury." Despite the necessity of responding to attacks, Lincoln seemed to be "in admirable spirits and voice and gave use the best speech ever made in Hancock County," reported Republican newspapers. apparently, there were many more women at Lincoln's speech than at Douglas'. The local Democratic newspaperexcused this embarrassment by blaming a heavy rain the night before Douglas spoke that turned Carthage into a sea of mud, and boasting that more "real" voters (men) had attended Douglas's speech.
Over five thousand people heard Lincoln speak. "Each delegation had its flags and appropriate designs... two or thee hudred of these flags, great and small, floating inthe breeze." Joseph Smith III wrote, "I went to hear Judge douglas gretly prejudiced in his favor because of his straightforward, honorable action in his treatment of my father... the next week on Friday I drove out to hear Mr. Lincoln... For the first five or ten minutes I... thought if that was the best of party cold do, it was in an awful bad condition. Hoever, by the time Mr. Lincoln was fully engaged in his subject, I forgot that he was homely, lank, angular, long armed, long legged and long necked and much pleased with his style and manner of speaking."
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