Photograph by Christopher Heather
The statues form a gateway to the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum,
dedicated in September 2001 to mark the 143rd anniversary of
the Charleston debate.McClarey Statue
in Charleston, Illinois
These life-size bronze figures depict the fourth debate between Abraham Lincoln
and Stephen Douglas held September 18, 1858. Illinois sculptor John McClarey
arranged the figures to face each other across a metaphorical divide. He says they
represent the chasm of the "House Divided," with both men
considering the country's split over slavery and its extension.
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