The Lincoln-Douglas Debates
Politics
The Debates between Lincoln-Douglas about slavery
In 1858, in Illinois, a young politician named Abraham Lincoln ran for senator. He challenged his seasoned opponent Stephen Douglas to a debate. What occurred was a series of rich and dramatic debates around the country. During that year, every time two politicians got together, they argued about slavery, and the same was true for the Lincoln Douglas debates. Douglas wanted to let the territories decide for themselves whether or not they would allow slavery. Lincoln favored limiting slavery by keeping it from spreading to the territories. This union was established on the right of each state to do as it pleased on the question of slavery and every other question. If each state will mind its own business, attend to its own affairs, then there will be peace between the north and the south throughout the whole union.
He says that he looks forward to a time when slavery shall be abolished everywhere. I look forward to a time when each state shall be allowed to do as it pleases. Has anything ever threatened the existence of this union, save and accept this very institution of slavery. How do you propose to improve the condition of things by enlarging slavery? By spreading it out and making it bigger. You may have a cancer upon your person and not be able to cut it out lest you bleed to death. But surely it is no way to cure it to engraft it and spread it over your whole body.
The Republican Party looks upon slavery as being a moral social and political role. It should be treated as a role and one of the methods of treating it as a wrong is to make provision that it shall grow no larger. Although Lincoln lost the Senate race, he gained national attention from these debates, which helped pave the road for his future leadership role.