and formed and fought the battle through, under the constant hot fire of a disciplined, proud, and pampered enemy.  Did we brave all then, to falter now?—­now, when that same enemy is wavering, dissevered, and belligerent!  The result is not doubtful.  We shall not fail—­if we stand firm, we shall not fail.  Wise counsels may accelerate, or mistakes delay it; but, sooner or later, the victory is sure to come.

STEPHEN ARNOLD DOUGLAS,

OF ILLINOIS. (BORN 1813, DIED 1861.)

IN REPLY TO MR. LINCOLN;

FREEPORT, ILLS., AUGUST 27, 1858.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: 

I am glad that at last I have brought Mr. Lincoln to the conclusion that he had better define his position on certain political questions to which I called his attention at Ottawa. * * * In a few moments I will proceed to review the answers which he has given to these interrogatories; but, in order to relieve his anxiety, I will first respond to those which he has presented to me.  Mark you, he has not presented interrogatories which have ever received the sanction of the party with which I am acting, and hence he has no other foundation for them than his own curiosity.

First he desires to know, if the people of Kansas shall form a constitution by means entirely proper and unobjectionable, and ask admission as a State, before they have the requisite population for a member of Congress, whether I will vote for that admission.  Well, now, I regret exceedingly that he did not answer that interrogatory himself before he put it to me, in order that we might understand, and not be left to infer, on which side he is.  Mr. Trumbull, during the last session of Congress, voted from the beginning to the end against the admission of Oregon, although a free State, because she had not the requisite population for a member of Congress.  Mr. Trumbull would not consent, under any circumstances, to let a State, free or slave, come into the Union until it had the requisite population.  As Mr. Trumbull is in the field fighting for Mr. Lincoln, I would like to have Mr. Lincoln answer his own question and tell me whether he is fighting Trumbull on that issue or not.  But I will answer his question. * * * Either Kansas must come in as a free State, with whatever population she may have, or the rule must be applied to all the other Territories alike.  I therefore answer at once that, it having been decided that Kansas has people enough for a slave State, I hold that she has enough for a free State.  I hope Mr. Lincoln is satisfied with my answer; and now I would like to get his answer to his own interrogatory—­whether or not he will vote to admit Kansas before she has the requisite population.  I want to know whether he will vote to admit Oregon before that Territory has the requisite population.  Mr. Trumbull will not, and the same reason that commits Mr. Trumbull