The Freeport Debate
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Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Master's Theses Theses and Dissertations 1957 The Freeport Debate Ernest S. Sweeney Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Sweeney, Ernest S., "The Freeport Debate" (1957). Master's Theses. 1712. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_theses/1712 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 1957 Ernest S. Sweeney TU rREEPOR'l' DEBATE b7 Ern•• t S. S.e.ney. S. J. A The.ia Submitted to the Faoulty or the Graduate Sohool of Loyola Univeraity in Partial Pulrillment ot the Requlre.enta tor the Decre. ot ...ter or Art. June 1957 VI'!'A AUCTORIS EPn ••, 8. Sween.,. was bom on November 8, 1939 1n New York City. Upon graduating from Fordham Preparatory School In 19&0, he entered the Soclety of Jesus at Salnt-Andr.... on-Budaon. Poughkeepate. Ie. York. There he began hi. work tor the A. B. Degree in Latln tram. Pordhul Univeratty. In 1954 he enrolled In the Oollege ot Art. aad Sclence. ot Loyola Universtty at Weat. Baden Oollege. Indiana. He was a'tfaJ'ded the Bachelor' 8 Degr•• In t.tln 11'1 June ot 1955. In June, 1956, he enrolled 1n the M.stert • Gour •• in history at Loyola Untveratty, Chicago, Ill1- noia. Se .a. IW'arded the Licentiat., -Degree in Philo8ophy in June ot 1967. At preaent he i. teaohing Latin 1n junlol" year, and American History in Junior and .enior years at Canisius H 19b. School 1n SUftalo, He. York. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. THE SETTING OF THE DEBATE • • • • • • • • • • • • • 1 Slgnl.flcance of the Freeport Debat.-.Background.-' Slavery the central la8ue--Development 01' the prob- 18.--Baslc attaok on Southern Instltutions--Attempt. at campromiae--Abollt1onism--New territories opened. IllInois oampaigno.f l854--Dred Soott deoi81on--Doug la. in rebelllon.-Oampalgn of 1858--Debate. arranged. II. POPULAR SOVEREIGN'l'Y VB. CONTAINMENT AND ABOLITION •• 16 Linooln's question--Douglas on popular sovereignty- The concept 01' sovereignty--Douglas. development and use or popular 80verelgnty--Confuslon of 18sue--Other applications 01' popular sovereignty--Thls theory In trinsically contradictory--Republican attack--Linoolnfs political emergence--Linooln's plan--Tw~ty years ex perience--Hls attaoks on popular sovereignty-.Spl'lng .field convention 01' lBS8--0pening of the oampaign-- The major apeeches berore Freeport. III. THE OPENING OF THE DEBATE • • • • • • • • • • • • •• 44 Freeport, August 27, l858--Prepara.tions for the ~ebate- Linooln tormulates his quest!ons--Split in Democratic party--Evaluations of Freeport--Lincoln answers Douglas' aeven questions--Linoolnfs interrogations-- The seoond question--Expansionists--The Ottawa resolutions--Counter blows at Douglas_ IV. DOUGLAS' REPLY AND LINCOLN'S REJOINDER •••••••• 69 Douglas and Lincoln oompared.... Douglas answers Lincoln's quest10ns--The middle-of-the-middle-of-th.... road--Reply to the second question--The third question ann the Union --Additional territory?--Douglas' visIon of the future- Hia prejudioe against the negro--Lincoln'8 view of the negro's status--Douglas on the Republioan plat.form- Conspira.oy oharge.-nemands commitment .from Lincoln- Rhetorical power of the Little Giant--The Union charge --Douglas as spokesman of popular sovereignty--Linooln replies--The Republioan platform--CloBe of the debate. 11 v. "THE DEATH KNELL OF POPULAR SOVEREIGNTY" •••••••93 Newspaper acoounts of Freeport--L1ncolnt spotit1on af"ter the debate--Debates after Fr.eport-... L1nooln~. attaoks Freeport Dootr1ne--Elect1ons and Dougl••• ' ,viotory in the 1egls1ature--Douglas returns to Wa.,~ ington--The Ohio oampaign of 1859--John Brown at Harper'. Ferry--Lincoln" 8 power grow.-... Preeport Doe trine attaoked by Davis and the Demooratio party- Failure at Charleston--Baltimore breakup--Republioan nomination to Lincoln--Victory of 1880.-Douglas t sup port of Linooln--Death on June 3, 1861. 81 Btl OGRAPTl'Y •• .. • .. .. .. • • • • • • •• ... • '. 111 CHAPTER ! THE SETTING OF THE DEBATE The Freeport Debate i. one of the outstanding eventa in the career of Abraham Lincoln, for it was at Freeport, Illin018, that be forced Stephen A. Douglaa to a critical re-assertion of hi. position on popular sovereignty--an a •• ertion ao olear and forcib14 aa eventually to split the Democratic party.l As President Theo dore Roosevelt declared at Freeport in 190~: "Here was sounded the keynote of a struggle which after convulsing the nation, made it united and free."R The debate was a focus of national interest because it brought to a crucial test the strength of the new Re publican party of Il11nois in its struggle with the entrenohed Democratic party over the slavery problem. The issues ot the Freeport Debate were ten years in the making, so that their politieal signifioance can be appreciated only by a review of the polit1cal developments over the slavery problem in which Senator Douglas, L1ncoln t • great opponent, had a leading role. Slavery was the central issue 1n politics for many year. lAlbert J. Beveridge, Abrabam L1nooln, 1809-1858 (New York, 1928)( IV, 143. Allen Nevins, 'he lm;Fgence 01 tlncoln, 1857- l!!!Ue. York, 1950), I, 380t wnrstorloally,~hls was the most momentous of all the debates." Swilliam Rawleigh, publisher, Freeport's Lincoln (Freeport, 1930), p. 74. 1 prior to the Illinoi. .enatorial oapalgn ot 18SS. At time. the problem would flare up to suoh heights aa to embrol1 the natlon In polltioal furor whlch could be .ettled only by comproml ..,! whIle at other perIods tbe slavery problem would reoede slightly Into the baokground or the poll tical arena to glve way temporarily to other claah•• brought on by oontt'adiotory intere.t. of the .ort! and the South such aa the tarift dlspute. and the bul1ding ot rail- roads. The slavery dispute began 1n earne.t in 1818 when Tallmadge o! Hew York propo.ed the tol10.1ng ...ndment to the enabling aot tor admitting Mi ••ouri into the Union •• a State. "~RroYlde~. That the farther introduction ot alavery or involuntary .ervitude be prohibited. except tor the punisbaent ot orim•• , whereof the papty .hall bave been fully convicted, and that all cbildren ot .lav•• , born within tbeaald State. ~rt.r the admi •• ion thereof Into the Union, .hall be tree at the age of t.ent,-tlve ,.ear •• "4 There tollo.ed lively debate. In Congre •• trom whioh inten.e bit- terne •• re.ulted between the North and the South over alavery. 5 Sectlonal oonfliot .aa plaoated, but not eradicated, by tbe 3J .... Pord Rhode., Hi.tOJl of the UnIted Stat•• , 1850-18" (1Ie. York. 1910). I, Chapter..iif Yr, 1-19dt A oomprehiiii1ii"Out line of the developaent ot the .lavery problem up to 1850. "Annala ot ConE•••• 18th Oong_, IDd S...... p. 11'10. Quoted In Bl11lngton;-tOe.enberg and Brockunler eda •• The Maklna ot A•• r loan Demooracy. Readlna.a ~ DoOUJDent. (Re. York,1§14), p-:-sbi. s..r1on Mill. Ml11er, Gre.t Debat •• in A.erioan Hl.t0I8-(Ve. ~ork, 1913), entire fourth volume gIven to-aX.vaEl from l' l!!!. Mi ••ouri Comproml.e 01: 1810 whioh provided tor alavery 1n Ui ••ourl though it prohibited it 1n the re.t of the Loui.iana Purchase whlo~ lay north of tbe thirty-aix thirty line, Mia.ourl'a .outhern bound~ ary, and Maine was admitted free. '!'hough the South was further placated by the Thoma. A•• ndaent ooncerning tugitive ala"••• -Pro."ided al.aY8, That any perSOn e. oaplng into the aame, from whom labor or servIce 1s lawtully olaimed In any State or Territory of the United Stat•• , such tugl ti"e may be lawtully reclal•• d, and oonveyed to the person olal. ins hia or her labor or servlce aa aroreaald,-a the whola oontro vep.y initiated a bas10 attaok on the Southern labop sy.t~ and a ohallenge to her ethioal standarda. The Wilmot Pro"iao, an ..end ment to a bIll appropriating funds tor the Mexican War, rekindled the tlr•• ot a.otlonal .tr!!:. over .lavery, tor the al. ot tn. prov180 was to prohibit 81avery in a~y n •• territory whioh the United Stat•• migbt acqulr. trom -.xioo a. a re.ult of tb~ war.' Slavery qu1ckly bec... a pollt1cal tootball. Southern poll- 6 Billington, DoCUtllent8, p. 104, tro. the Annal• .2!. OONE•••• 16th Oong., 1at S•••• , p. 363. 7Bllllngton, Documenta, p. 299, trom the OO~.810nal Globe, 29th ConK •• l.t S••••• pp. 1213-1217. "P~ovldea, t, aa an ex pre.s and tund.. ental condition to tho acquI.Itlon ot &ft7 ter ritory fro. the Republic ot Maxlco by the United Stat•• , by virtue ot any treat,. which may be negotiated bet.e.n th.. , and to the u •• the exeoutlve ot the aone,.. herein appropriated, neither .laver, heaxisenaion of whioh Into the ne. land. was d •• ired by the Sout ~ i r 1nvoluntary .ervitud. ahalleve... xist In any part ot .ald . territory, exoept tor crima, whereot the party ahall fir.t be due~ oonvicted.- tlcians .a. not only a challenge to thel~ labor syatam and a throa to thalr .oclal atructure, but a danger in the polltical arena ot being completely outnumbered by tree atatea'1n the een.tral goyern .ent. Aa the number of a.natera and repre.entatlve. tromthe tr•• • tat •• gr.w, the power and pre.tlge of the Soutb would diminish 1t the South could not ke.p apace by the adml •• ion ot new slave .tate•• Attemptlng a oompromise on alavery, Sepator Henry Clay ot Kentucky and Senator Dougla.