Read all about it! What did LINCOLN say in 1859?
Read all about it! What did Lincoln say in 1859?
What did Lincoln say? In 1859, IF one wished to find out what was going on in Janesville, WI, one could bank on reading it in the LOCAL Janesville Gazette.
On October 4, 1859, the Janesville Gazette did print a very informative feature article about the visit.
NOW TODAY – 150 years later, IF you want to find out what Abraham Lincoln said in Janesville, WI, it is natural to read the Janesville Gazette! Yes, the Gazette is still THE source for LOCAL news!
You will want to read the reprint of that 1859 article in today’s Janesville Gazette. "When Abe Lincoln Came to Janesville” starting on the front page. See the picture of Abe Lincoln - it is the one taken of Lincoln only a few days after he was in Janesville, WI in 1859 in Chicago, IL. No beard! The Lincoln display at First Congregational United Church of Christ offers important resources re. Lincoln's visit to Janesville and in general. Thanks to Janet & Jim Hay for their development of this outstanding display.
As the Gazette notes in the introduction to the reprint, tomorrow (Sunday, September 27, 2009) will be a DAY CELEBRATING the 150th anniversary of ABRAHAM LINCOLN’s visit to Janesville, WI in 1859! Join in the celebration. Click on this link for information. To find the full details about tomorrow’s celebration. JOIN us in the celebration!
ABRAHAM LINCOLN in the person of Lincoln presenter, VERNON RISTY, will be there to tell how he happened to visit Janesville on a speaking swing into WISCONSIN. Yes, Lincoln was out on the stump running for US President as a REPUBLICAN. Remember, as reported by the Wisconsin Historical Society the REPUBLICAN Party had been organized in RIPON, WI in 1854 to protest the “popular sovereignty” policy in US Senator STEPHEN DOUGLAS’ “Kansas-Nebraska” bill which would open Kansas and Nebraska to slavery.
The JANESVILLE CITY COUNCIL passed a Resolution recognizing the Lincoln 150th anniversary on August 24 and last Thursday (September 24), the ROCK COUNTY BOARD passed a Resolution. Abraham Lincoln’s 1859 visit was to BELOIT and JANESVILLE in ROCK COUNTY, WI.
STAN MILAM has had two (2) very informative and interesting segments on the STAN MILAM SHOW on WCLO (1230 AM) - you can listen to those segments using the podcasts – here are links to both segments: JIM HAY on Monday (9/21) and then PETE SKELLY on Tuesday (9/22).
“STRIKE UP THE BAND: LINCOLN IS COMING” was the title of Anna Marie Lux’s excellent “Between the Lines” column last Tuesday (9/22) featuring the involvement of the FIRST BRIGADE BAND.
Yes, it is 150 years later… reading The Janesville Gazette today one is able to read the reprint of the article published by The Janesville Gazette 150 years ago… the Gazette is still the newspaper publishing the LOCAL news… I am among those who hope that the Janesville Gazette will be reporting on LOCAL news in 2159 so that the people then will be able to read about what happened in Janesville, WI in 2009. I KNOW that local newspapers are key resources for LOCAL information as well as VERY IMPORTANT PILLARS of our republic.
I agree with Thomas Jefferson’s assertion, “"The basis of our governments being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter. But I should mean that every man should receive those papers and be capable of reading them." --Thomas Jefferson to Edward Carrington, 1787. LONG LIVE NEWSPAPERS!
TOMORROW will be one of those significant days in the history of Janesville, WI and I trust the Janesville Gazette will report on it early next week so that in 2159 it will be possible to follow up with the 300th anniversary (tercentenary) of Abraham Lincoln’s visit to Janesville, WI in 1859. JOIN in the celebration tomorrow as Janesville, WI continues making history.
Here we go…
Mr. E.
John Eyster lives in the Edgerton area. He is an adjunct professor of political science at UW-Waukesha and an advocate for democracy/civics education in Wisconsin high schools. John is a community blogger and is not a part of Janesville Gazette staff. His opinion is not necessarily that of the Janesville Gazette staff or management.
Sep 27, 2009 at 10:57 p.m.
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DiRiz
The 10th amendment gives the government the rirght to exist under the powers granted to it by the Constitution. Which is EXCACTLY (my tribute to Mr. E there) what Lincoln did. He did exactly what was right to preserve the Union from a threat of treason and a threat to the Constitution itself. To quote the Constitution:
"The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless when in cases of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it."
I think there may have been a slight case of rebellion, and an invasion of the North was waiting across the Potomac River. Bottom line here - Lincoln's actions on restriction of freedoms were justified and completly legal under the Constitution.I would also like you to explain how the nation's government needed a weaker government during the greatest Constitutional crisis we have ever seen in this country, the Civil War. We put men and women into government to represent us in our version of a republic, and hope that they act wisely. Lincoln did, and saved the Union as a result. He was trying to prevent uprisings in the midst of a rebellion and was successful in doing so, which is part of the reason that he is regarded as our greatest president. So, as we see.....your opinion of what Lincoln did seems WRONG (again, there you go Mr.E) historically. Those who judge that Lincoln took presidential power too far need to place themselves in his shoes during 1861 before they judge too harshly.
Sep 27, 2009 at 4:11 a.m.
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Clarification of history: The Gettysburg Address was delivered by Abraham Lincoln on November 19, 1863 as he dedicated the National Cemetery after the tragic Battle of Gettysburg on July 1-2-3, 1863.
It was NOT this address which Lincoln delivered in Janesville, WI in 1859. See yesterday's Gazette to read about that Presidential campaign message.
It was 1859 when Abraham Lincoln visited Janesville, WI. He was running for US President then. He was elected on November 6, 1860 and Inaugurated on March 4, 1861.
HOPE YOU ALL share the celebration of the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's visit to Janesville, WI TODAY!
Mr. E.
Sep 26, 2009 at noon
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Pay freeze, not pay cut.
Sep 26, 2009 at 10:32 a.m.
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I give credit where credit is due: Mr. E. made it through one paragraph without caps! This is an improvement. He also isn't ranting that everyone should take a pay cut either. I take this as a good sign.
Sep 26, 2009 at 9:43 a.m.
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So, equal rights for crocodiles, or what?
Sep 26, 2009 at 8:17 a.m.
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I attended Janesville public schools, so I am pretty sure that the speech went something like this: "Four SCORE and seven YEARS ago our FATHERS brought forth on this CONTINENT a new NATION, conceived in LIBERTY, and DEDICATED to the PROPOSITION that ALL MEN are CREATED equal."
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