Introduction
The Lincoln-Douglas debates are a series of debates between Stephen Douglas and Abraham Lincoln in the mid-19th century. The essence of this debate was a discussion about the life of American society and the spread of slavery to the West. Thus, the themes of black Americans and their rights were raised, highlighting the heavy social and political divisions on these issues.
Stephen Douglas’ Views
Douglas believes each state has its right to autonomy in dealing with slavery (Tober 5). He argues that a people must have sovereignty that allows people to decide for themselves whether to permit or prohibit slavery in a territory. Douglas’s position was to reject the idea of granting American citizenship to black people. He defended his idea by arguing that the basis of government is “white,” so public servants should act based on the interests of white people (Tober 5). This position is a clear indication of how much tension exists in society, especially between South and North America.
Abraham Lincoln’s Views
About Abraham Lincoln’s position, the politician argued that society should counter the spread of slavery as much as possible. He was convinced that slavery was unjust and deprived man of the fundamental principles of freedom. Lincoln writes that black people, like any other American, should have the natural rights that the Declaration of Independence (Tober 5) entitles to human beings. The politician believed that the nature of slavery was unnatural, so provided that people stopped spreading it, it had the prospect of disappearing altogether.
Conclusion
Both opinions indicate the debate’s intention to prevent a national crisis. However, while Lincoln argued that the nationalization of slavery would lead to a definitive rupture in the country, Douglas feared that the polarization of the South and the North would have the same devastating effect. These two candidates had opposite ideological ideas, contributing to the American Civil War, a significant conflict within America. The debate is evidence that addressing the issues of slavery and nationalization is urgent, as it will determine the future of the country and the direction that the Government will take in the future.
Work Cited
Tober, Robert A. “Lincoln-Douglas Debates: The Continuation of the American Revolution”. Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History, vol. 5, no. 2, 2023, p. 5. Web.