While the debates between Abraham Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas
are undoubtedly the most celebrated in American history, they may
also be the most consequential as well. For the issues so fiercely
debated in 1858 were about various interrelated aspects of one
momentous, nation-threatening issue: slavery. The contest between
Lincoln and Douglas became a testing ground for the viability of
conflicting ideals in a nation deeply divided. One of the most
colorful and engaging episodes in American history, this series of
debates is of enduring interest as an illuminating instance of the
ever-recurring dilemma of self-government: what happens when the
guiding principle of democracy, "popular sovereignty," confronts a
principled stand against a "moral, social, and political evil"? The
tragic answer in this case came three years later: civil war.
Important as they are, the Lincoln-Douglas debates have long
since ceased to be self-explanatory. This edition is the first to
provide a text founded on all known records, rather than following
one or another of the partisan and sometimes widely-varying
newspaper accounts. Meticulously edited and annotated, it provides
numerous aids to help the modern reader understand the debates,
including extensive introductory material, commentary, and a
glossary. The fullest and most dependable edition of the
Lincoln-Douglas debates ever prepared, this edition brings readers
as close as possible to the original words of these two remarkable
men.
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