The Douglas-Lincoln Debates of 1858
In 1858, Abraham Lincoln challenged incumbent Stephen Douglas in the Illinois race for US Senator. The seven debates focused the larger national debate on the slavery issue.
posted by Jay Cline at 4:39 PM
An examination of past and present public debates and their impact on American Society.
In 1858, Abraham Lincoln challenged incumbent Stephen Douglas in the Illinois race for US Senator. The seven debates focused the larger national debate on the slavery issue.
posted by Jay Cline at 4:39 PM
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The first mention of Lincoln's views towards the "institution of slavery" in the Collected Works is a record published in the Illinois House Journals of March 3, 1837. Lincoln and Dan Stone protested resolutions passed on January 20 that year that not only supported the status quo on slavery on legalistic grounds, but stongly implied support in principle.
Lincoln and Stone steered clear of taking an abolitionist stance, but made it clear they support the laws only in that they were the laws of the land.
The House resolutions:
Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of Illinois, That we highly disapprove of the formation of abolition societies, and of the doctrines promulgated by them.
Resolved, That the right of property in slaves, is sacred to the slave-holding States by the Federal Constitution, and that they cannot be deprived of that right without their consent.
Resolved, That the General Government cannot abolish slavery in the District of Columbia, against the consent of the citizens of said District without a manifest breach of good faith.
As protested and modified by Lincoln and Stone (note: these were a dissenting viewpoint. The House resolutions stood)
The following protest was presented to the House, which was read and ordered to be spread on the journals, to wit:
Resolutions upon the subject of domestic slavery having passed
both branches of the General Assembly at its present session, the undersigned hereby protest against the passage of the same. [2]
They believe that the institution of slavery is founded on both injustice and bad policy; but that the promulgation of abolition doctrines tends rather to increase than to abate its evils.
They believe that the Congress of the United States has no power, under the constitution, to interfere with the institution of slavery in the different States.
They believe that the Congress of the United States has the power, under the constitution, to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia; but that that power ought not to be exercised unless at the request of the people of said District.
The difference between these opinions and those contained in the said resolutions, is their reason for entering this protest.''
DAN STONE, [3]
A. LINCOLN,
Representatives from the county of Sangamon.
5:08 PM
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