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Rh LINCOLN AND DOUGLAS

[Peoria, Ill, Daily Transcript, July 29, 1858]

LINCOLN CHALLENGES DOUGLAS TO STUMP THE STATE WITH HIM

After waiting several weeks hoping that Judge Douglas would, according to the western custom, challenge him to stump the state, Honorable Abram Lincoln sent a note to Judge D. the other day inviting him to make an arrangement to divide time and address the same audiences. The Judge has returned a lengthy reply, excusing himself from accepting such a challenge. His excuse is that he has placed his time at the disposal of the Democratic State Committee, who have made appointments for him which will consume his time until about the middle of October. The excuse will hardly relieve Mr. Douglas from the suspicion that he fears to meet so powerful opponent as Mr. Lincoln in argument before the people. He intimates, in his note, that it was well known that his recent journey to Springfield was made for the purpose of consulting with the state committee, and that if Mr. Lincoln desired to canvass the state with him he should have made the fact known before that consultation was had. How the fact should be well known that Judge Douglas' journey to Springfield was