The Freeport Lincoln-Douglas Debate

The Freeport Lincoln-Douglas Debate. Lincoln-Douglas Debate Square. , In an era before television, radio and the Internet, political rallies were both public entertainment and a necessary element to the exercise of democracy. The prospect of having both candidates on the same stage at the same time arguing a hotly discussed issue was guaranteed to produce a large audience. , So it was that August 27, 1858, some 15,000 people crowded into Freeport to listen to the second in the series of debates between Lincoln and Douglas. While the political race was for a seat in the United States Senate, the issues were at the very heart of the growing national struggle over slavery. , On a wooden platform located to the north and east of where the Statue stands, the throng gathered to listen for three hours as Lincoln and Douglas verbally assailed each other. Like the other seven debates, the Freeport debate covered much of the same ground as the candidates detailed their positions before an audience that lacked TV and radio. , Having been asked a series of questions at Ottawa during the first debate, Lincoln answered those questions and then asked Douglas some questions of his own. Known as the "Freeport Question," the third of Lincoln's questions caused a response from Douglas that became known as the "Freeport Doctrine." , Reports of the day do not expound on the audience's reaction to what Douglas said in his answer, but the "Freeport Doctrine" echoed in the 1860 presidential election two years later, forever giving Freeport and the response Douglas gave here a place in our nation's history. , One of the political facts of life in the 19th century was that newspapers openly backed one party or the other. The reader will note that the front page of the Freeport Weekly Journal (reproduced to the right) shows all of Lincoln's remarks at the Freeport debate, while Douglas' speech was reported elsewhere in the same issue. As a result, the text box highlighting the Freeport Doctrine comes from inside the issue reproduced here. , The “Freeport Question”. Can the people of a United States Territory, in any lawful way, against the wish of any citizen of the United States, exclude slavery from its limits prior to the formation of a State Constitution? , Please press button to hear a , re-enactment of the Freeport , Lincoln-Douglas Debate , Performed by George Buss, as Abraham Lincoln, , and Richard Sokup, as Stephen A. Douglas.. , The “Freeport Doctrine”. I answer emphatically, as Mr. Lincoln has heard me answer a hundred times from every stump in Illinois, that in my opinion the people of a Territory can, by lawful means, exclude slavery from their limits prior to the formation of a State Constitution. This statement, part of Douglas' speech, was printed separately from Lincoln's speech..