of the Missouri Compromise Lincoln had, as already related, discussed
Douglas with great plainness of speech. This had been twice repeated in
this year. But these were, comparatively speaking, mere incidents. The
great contest was to be in the debates.

In the outset, Douglas had the advantage of prestige. Nothing succeeds
like success. Douglas had all his life had nothing but success. He
twice had missed the nomination for presidency, but he was still the
most formidable man in the senate. He was very popular in his own
state. He was everywhere greeted by large crowds, with bands of music
and other demonstrations. He always traveled in a special car and often
in a special train, which was freely placed at his disposal by the
Illinois Central Railway. Lincoln traveled by accommodation train,
freight train, or wagon, as best he could. As both the men were
everyday speaking independently between the debates, this question of
transportation was serious. The inconveniences of travel made a great
drain upon the nervous force and the health. One day when the freight
train bearing Lincoln was side-tracked to let his rival's special train
roll by, he good-humoredly remarked that Douglas "did not smell any
royalty in this car."

Another fact which gave Douglas the advantage was the friendship and
sympathy of Horace Greeley and others, who had much influence with the
party of Lincoln. Douglas had broken with Buchanan's administration on
a question relating to Kansas. The iniquity of the powers at Washington
went so far that even Douglas rebelled. This led Greeley and others to
think that Douglas had in him the making of a good republican if he was
only treated with sufficient consideration. Accordingly, all of that
influence was bitterly thrown in opposition to Lincoln.