Short Answer I: Question 1 Douglas’s Indifference on Slavery Douglas takes an amoral stance upon the question of slavery within the union and is indifferent to the spread of it. He invokes a principle of popular sovereignty, allowing the American people to vote upon slavery. Popular sovereignty embraces a state of indifference, which does not spread nor exclude slavery within the union, but rather allows the people to decide and form laws upon it. Lincoln argued,
The doctrine of self-government is right—but has no just application, as here attempted. Or perhaps I should rather say that whether it has such application depends upon whether a negro is not or is a man. If he is not a man, why in that case, he who is a man may, as a matter of self-government, do just as he pleases with him. But if the negro is a man, is it not to that extent a total of destruction of self-government, to say that he too shall not govern himself? When the white man governs himself that is self-government; but when he governs himself, and also governs another man, that is more than self-government—that is despotism. Lincoln believes you cannot vote upon a moral issue such as enslaving another human being. Douglas, however, argued the principle of popular sovereignty is in accordance with the foundation of the union and its founders. He believed it to be just to it up to the people to vote on the issue of slavery. Lincoln argues, “If the negro is a man, why then my ancient faith teaches me that
Even with their different reasons, “by 1858 Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were saying the same thing, preaching the same antislavery politics. Liberty or Slavery must become law of the Land” (Ibid., p.5)
Frederick Douglass the most successful abolitionist who changed America’s views of slavery through his writings and actions. Frederick Douglass had many achievements throughout his life. His Life as a slave had a great impact on his writings. His great oratory skills left the largest impact on Civil War time period literature. All in all he was the best black speaker and writer ever.
On the other hand, Lincoln thought that while there has been no slavery desirable, he felt should not think that extends to several other new districts, and this should avoid legally. And this should be avoided in a legal manner, with tenacity he had found the solution for this, however, was the right to property enshrined in the U.S. Constitution Even so, the war powers of the President Lincoln, he made a call to get an emancipation during the civil war, in order to enable it to seize the properties of hard workers in order to free them from the legal means
In sequence with these events, Abraham Lincoln returned to politics in 1854 because of the success of Douglas’ Kansas-Nebraska act, and he quickly became the voice of the newly formed Republican Party. Shortly after he accepted the nomination from his party he said, “A housed divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free.” This quote is very important because Americans became aware that they would soon have to choose either to favor or oppose slavery, there was no middle ground. In Abraham Lincoln’s eyes, freedom meant the opposition to slavery. Unfortunately for the Republican party, Lincoln lost the election of 1858 and Douglas was reelected, but Lincoln would soon be back.
In conclusion the question “why...can we not withdraw this vexed question [of slavery in the US] from politics”posed by Stephen Douglas can be answered in this way. The reason why the US could not just forget about the slavery issue and let people decide for themselves if they wanted slaves
At this time it seemed that the issue of slavery was the only problem in the United States, almost as if a slave was being forced down the throats of the freesoilers (Document F). Stephen Douglas drafted the Kansas-Nebraska Acts in hopes of adding two new states: Kansas and Nebraska. Although it seemed that one would be a slave state, and the other a free state, the slavery issue would be decided by popular sovereignty. Many opposed this decision but did not know how to deal with it. The reason they did not know was because the Constitution did not mention it. William Lloyd Garrison said “the Constitution which subjects them to hopeless bondage is one that we cannot swear to support” (Document E). He was trying to say that the constitution can’t answer the question of slavery because the words “slave” and “slavery” are not in the constitution.
“’One section of our country believes slavery is right, and ought to be extended, while the other believes it is wrong, and ought to be restricted. That,’ he said with a touch of irony, ‘is the only substantial dispute’” (Oakes 140). People bickered whether or not Lincoln was doing the right thing by signing the Emancipation
“I will say, then, that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races; that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people. And while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and
Although many people say Abraham Lincoln?s ideals concerning slavery are superior than Stephen Douglass?, others argue that it?s the other way around. They say that Douglass? idea of individual states choosing to be for or against slavery is better than Lincoln?s ideas. A good example of how this would not work is what many call ?Bleeding Kansas? where the people were left to choose between being a slave state or
Stephen Douglass was not right to claim that limiting the majority’s power violates principles of self-government. His democratic mindset insists that the will of the majority is infallible, and it enables a majority to oppress a minority. This response will explore the drastic difference between Stephen Douglass’ and Abraham Lincoln’s understandings of self-government.
Douglas supported popular sovereignty because it would promote democracy in the region. It allowed the people to decide whether or not it would be a free or slave state, but often caused arguments between northerners and southern slave owners both in the same area, causing it to be unworkable because an agreement could not be made.
Frederick Douglass’ narrative introduces a view of slavery from the eyes of a slave. He uses his ability to write to communicate the political issue of injustice. Douglass knew after he heard his master speaking about giving a slave the opportunity to read and write, and though that learned that education or knowledge is power. Slavery is immoral and at a very young age, Douglass discovered that which drove his want for freedom. Politically, Frederick Douglass knew that society strives to be immoral but slavery itself is immoral.
Prompt: Douglass maintains that slavery dehumanized both the slave and the slaveholder. Quoting specific passages in the Narrative support this thesis with examples.
Lincoln suggests that the institution of slavery be contained by preventing the spread of it to the new territories and Free states, although he had no interest in interfering with the already entitled slave states. He agrees that it was the right of the state to make its own decisions, not the federal government. Although Lincoln did not favor getting involved with abolishing slavery in the already declared slave states, he did favor total abolition in the distant future. He was first worried about stopping the expansion of slavery and then the next step to be taken would have been the "ultimate extinction" of it throughout the states. Lincoln did believe that every white man had no more equality than another. For this is one of the main reasons why at this time a resolution needed to be found in order to keep this equality in the new territories. Lincoln made a valid point in his speech that if slave holders were to settle in a new territory along with people opposed to slavery, which party has the right to decide what type of territory and future state it will be declared as? As for the rights of slaves, Lincoln agreed with Douglas that slaves did not have the same individual rights as everyone else, but he did believe that the liberties given under the Declaration of Independence involved such slaves. It is obvious that the Republicans of this time find slavery as being a "moral, social, and political wrong",
Frederick Douglas in his discourse, "What to the Slaves, Is the Fourth of July", expressively sets up the deceptions predominant in American culture amid the 1800 's. He was made a request to give a discourse at an abolitionist servitude meeting amid a Fourth of July festivity, and he accepted that open door to dishearten the foundation of subjection. He esteemed it double-dealing for the abolitionist subjugation constituents to request that he convey such a discourse. Considering he was, a dark man and got away slave it appeared to Douglas a little oxymoronic to talk on this specific occasion. Nonetheless, the occasion made the ideal kairos for him to present his contention: why ought to Dark Americans, free or other savvy, praise the