Lincoln’s nomination for a US Senate seat by the Republican Party was set for June 1858, and in the weeks leading up to the event, he worked on his acceptance speech. Lincoln tested out a phrase with those whose advice he trusted, and that phrase would live forever in US History - a “House divided against itself shall not stand”. Lincoln commented that he would rather say the phrase and be defeated than not say it and win. On 16 June 1858, Lincoln was unanimously nominated as the Republican candidate for the US Senate, and shortly thereafter he
delivered his speech. Lincoln followed up his “House Divided” line with “I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free”, and then “I do no expect the Union to be dissolved - I do not expect the house to fall - but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other”. In other words, liberty or slavery must become the law of the land.
By 1858, Douglas was perhaps the most famous individual politician in all of Congress, and he was ready with his response - he was anything but subtle: “Do you desire to turn this beautiful state into a free Negro Colony?” he cried out while campaigning. Douglas kept repeating that the government was made by white men and was only for white men. Lincoln’s strategy was to fight the campaign on principle only, yet the Republican Party in Illinois worried that Douglas’ showmanship was already deciding the election.
delivered his speech. Lincoln followed up his “House Divided” line with “I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free”, and then “I do no expect the Union to be dissolved - I do not expect the house to fall - but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing, or all the other”. In other words, liberty or slavery must become the law of the land.
By 1858, Douglas was perhaps the most famous individual politician in all of Congress, and he was ready with his response - he was anything but subtle: “Do you desire to turn this beautiful state into a free Negro Colony?” he cried out while campaigning. Douglas kept repeating that the government was made by white men and was only for white men. Lincoln’s strategy was to fight the campaign on principle only, yet the Republican Party in Illinois worried that Douglas’ showmanship was already deciding the election.
Lincoln decided to challenge Douglas to a series of debates, feeling that he could hold his own against the “Little Giant” in front of a crowd, as long as he had equal time. Douglas agreed and proposed seven debates, one in each of the state’s Congressional districts. For four of the venues, Douglas would speak first for one hour, then Lincoln would respond for and hour-and-a-half, then Douglas would have half an hour to close; the order would be reversed for the other three debates. Lincoln understood that words mattered, and he needed to build public sentiment, not only to win the “selection” in the state legislature, but also to be successful in DC if he prevailed.
Lincoln feared that Douglas’ words would create an atmosphere where slavery would not just continue to exist, but to thrive. Douglas’ view of African slaves was the same as the South’s, in that he viewed slaves as property; Lincoln was determined to humanize those in slavery during the debates. In the debates, Lincoln was consistent in his moral objections to slavery, but he stopped short of saying freed slaves should become citizens. Lincoln knew that if he was going to build public sentiment against slavery, he couldn’t be too far ahead of the voters. Lincoln’s challenge was how to appeal to anti-slavery Republicans while also appealing to moderates, of whom many viewed Lincoln as a radical.
Lincoln feared that Douglas’ words would create an atmosphere where slavery would not just continue to exist, but to thrive. Douglas’ view of African slaves was the same as the South’s, in that he viewed slaves as property; Lincoln was determined to humanize those in slavery during the debates. In the debates, Lincoln was consistent in his moral objections to slavery, but he stopped short of saying freed slaves should become citizens. Lincoln knew that if he was going to build public sentiment against slavery, he couldn’t be too far ahead of the voters. Lincoln’s challenge was how to appeal to anti-slavery Republicans while also appealing to moderates, of whom many viewed Lincoln as a radical.
The lines between the two US Senatorial candidates were clearly drawn. Voting for Douglas was a vote for the expansion and permanence of slavery, while a vote for Lincoln was a vote against slavery’s expansion, and for its eventual demise. A vote for Douglas was a vote for white supremacy, while a vote for Lincoln was for a future that threatened white supremacy. Both Lincoln and Douglas were fully aware that their debates were in effect a try out for their party’s Presidential nomination in 1860.
During the first debate, the main theme for Douglas was race, and he repeatedly used the word “inferior”. In all seven debates, Lincoln made it clear he was against racial equality as embraced by such Abolitionists as Garrison and Douglass. In a roundabout way, Lincoln agreed that whites had the "superior position", and he predicted that it would be pretty much impossible for total equality to occur in the future (which makes for some difficult reading for Lincoln’s admirers today).
Lincoln’s actions in his life were egalitarian, but he was politically pessimistic about being successful in combating racism in the US. The practical politician in Lincoln told him to acknowledge racism, and to even accommodate it, for example, voluntary colonization after emancipation. At the same time, Lincoln argued that slavery ran counter to the principles of the Declaration of Independence. So on one hand, Lincoln stated that the white race was in a “superior position”, and on the other hand he argued that slaves were entitled to all the rights listed in the Declaration of Independence.
During the first debate, the main theme for Douglas was race, and he repeatedly used the word “inferior”. In all seven debates, Lincoln made it clear he was against racial equality as embraced by such Abolitionists as Garrison and Douglass. In a roundabout way, Lincoln agreed that whites had the "superior position", and he predicted that it would be pretty much impossible for total equality to occur in the future (which makes for some difficult reading for Lincoln’s admirers today).
Lincoln’s actions in his life were egalitarian, but he was politically pessimistic about being successful in combating racism in the US. The practical politician in Lincoln told him to acknowledge racism, and to even accommodate it, for example, voluntary colonization after emancipation. At the same time, Lincoln argued that slavery ran counter to the principles of the Declaration of Independence. So on one hand, Lincoln stated that the white race was in a “superior position”, and on the other hand he argued that slaves were entitled to all the rights listed in the Declaration of Independence.
During the other six debates, Lincoln never changed his moral stance against slavery, but he also expressed a willingness to leave white-dominated society alone. Lincoln argued that the expansion of slavery would allow a sort of Aristocratic Tyranny by Southern plantation owners, which should be a huge concern for the majority of the nation. Lincoln was attempting to connect the moral arguments against slavery to white self-interest, which made sense for a Republican pursuing major office in a Northern state in 1858. Lincoln viewed Douglas’ attempt to connect popular sovereignty to public sentiment as potentially damaging and dangerous. Lincoln countered that argument with how most Southern whites (only 12% of the population in the South were the Planter Class) would benefit in that they could own land in a western territory, something that most were unable to do in the South.
Lincoln even went so far as to argue (addressing poor whites in the South and the North) that if the expansion of slavery occurred in the territories, the plantation aristocracy would need to expand WHO would be slaves - and first up on the depth chart would be poor whites. During these debates, it became clear that Lincoln was opposed to the expansion of slavery, and was morally against slavery where it already existed. Lincoln was in favor of basic freedoms for slaves, but he was also in favor of racial separatism, which to Lincoln meant colonization. In 1858, Lincoln was within what was deemed acceptable to many, not only to the American Colonization Society, which had been in existence for at least four decades, but also to some Black Abolitionists as well.
Lincoln even went so far as to argue (addressing poor whites in the South and the North) that if the expansion of slavery occurred in the territories, the plantation aristocracy would need to expand WHO would be slaves - and first up on the depth chart would be poor whites. During these debates, it became clear that Lincoln was opposed to the expansion of slavery, and was morally against slavery where it already existed. Lincoln was in favor of basic freedoms for slaves, but he was also in favor of racial separatism, which to Lincoln meant colonization. In 1858, Lincoln was within what was deemed acceptable to many, not only to the American Colonization Society, which had been in existence for at least four decades, but also to some Black Abolitionists as well.
All that being said, Lincoln was very clear in this: the white man was the superior position, but that didn’t mean that the Negro should be denied everything. That argument was seen as progressive, even radical, in that era, which was evidence of the embedded racism woven into the fabric of the nation. In the Charleston debate, when Lincoln brought up that the Negro should be be denied everything, the crowd erupted in cruel laughter. Lincoln went on to say that he would not be in favor of citizenship for Negroes in Illinois, which was a commonly held view in 1858. Lincoln went on to say that due to the Dred Scott Decision (1857), the federal government could not get involved in the process of granting citizenship to Negroes. Lincoln was arguing that the states were the political entity that had the power to grant citizenship, not the federal government, which was true until the ratification of the 14th Amendment in 1868.
On Election Day, 2 November 1858, Illinois voters selected their preferred candidate in their district for state legislature, and then that new state legislature would select either Douglas or Lincoln as US Senator, much in the way British voters do, and then Parliament figures out who is Prime Minister. Although the Republican Party prevailed in the overall popular vote by 4000 or so, the way the districts were set up favored the Democrats in the state legislature, where Douglas defeated Lincoln 54 - 46. Lincoln’s view was that he would be forgotten and would sink out of view, but maybe he had “made some marks” on the way to obscurity. Lincoln believed that in the long run, his views would prevail, and another “blow up” was coming, and that the fight must continue . . .
On Election Day, 2 November 1858, Illinois voters selected their preferred candidate in their district for state legislature, and then that new state legislature would select either Douglas or Lincoln as US Senator, much in the way British voters do, and then Parliament figures out who is Prime Minister. Although the Republican Party prevailed in the overall popular vote by 4000 or so, the way the districts were set up favored the Democrats in the state legislature, where Douglas defeated Lincoln 54 - 46. Lincoln’s view was that he would be forgotten and would sink out of view, but maybe he had “made some marks” on the way to obscurity. Lincoln believed that in the long run, his views would prevail, and another “blow up” was coming, and that the fight must continue . . .