Books and Manuscripts

Columbus: Follett, Foster and Company, 1860. First edition, first issue (no rule above publisher's imprint on copyright page; signature "2" at bottom p. 17). 8vo. iv, (iv), 268 pp. Original brown cloth-covered boards, stamped in blind and in gilt, gilt faded, head of spine chipped, corners rubbed; all edges trimmed; foxing to prelims; scattered light foxing to text leaves; contemporary ownership signature in pencil on front paste-down; in slip case and chemise. Howes L 388; Sabin 41156

First edition of Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas's famed debates, held during the 1858 Illinois senatorial campaign. Between August and October 1858, Democratic senator and incumbent Stephen Douglas, and rising Republican party star Abraham Lincoln held seven debates in the seven congressional districts of Illinois. The debates centered on the major issue of the extension of slavery into the western territories, and helped shape the national discussion over the fraught and increasingly violent issue. Thanks to technological advances like the telegraph and the expansion of the railroad, they were viewed by thousands of spectators and reported nationally. Although Lincoln lost the election to Douglas, these debates burnished Lincoln's reputation and contributed to the rise of the Republican Party. They were collected and printed in 1860 to support Lincoln's campaign for president, and became a best-seller, to the chagrin of Douglas who thought his speeches were improperly edited.

A near-fine copy.