Speakingofslaverytoafellowlawyer，hesaid：“Itisthemostglittering，ostentatious，anddisplayingpropertyintheworld；andnow，ifayoungmangoescourting，theonlyinquiryishowmanynegroesheorhisladyloveowns。Theloveofslavepropertyisswallowingupeveryothermercenarypossession。Itsownershipbetokenednotonlythepossessionofwealth，butindicatedthegentlemanofleisurewhowasaboveandscornedlabor。“[5]
　　Itwasbecauseoftheseviews，becausehesawslaveryallyingitselfwiththespreadofplutocraticideals，thatLincolnenteredthebattletopreventitsextension。Hedidsoinhisusualcool，determinedway。
　　ThoughhisfirstreplytoDouglaswasnotrecorded，hissecond，madeatPeoriatwelvedayslater，stillexists。[6]Itisalandmarkinhiscareer。Itsumsupallhislong，slowdevelopmentinpoliticalscience，laystheabidingfoundationofeverythinghethoughtthereafter。Inthisgreatspeech，theendofhisnovitiate，heringsthechangesonthewhiteman’scharteroffreedom。Hearguesthattheextensionofslaverytendstodiscreditrepublicaninstitutions，andtodisappoint“theLiberalpartythroughouttheworld。“Theheartofhisargumentis：
　　“WhetherslaveryshallgointoNebraskaorothernewTerritoriesisnotamatterofexclusiveconcerntothepeoplewhomaygothere。ThewholenationisinterestedthatthebestuseshallbemadeoftheseTerritories。Wewantthemforhomesforfreewhitepeople。Thistheycannotbetoanyconsiderableextent，ifslaveryshallbeplantedwithinthem。
　　SlaveStatesareplacesforpoorwhitepeopletoremovefrom，notremoveto。NewFreeStatesaretheplacesforpoorpeopletogotoandbettertheircondition。ForthisusethenationneedstheseTerritories。“
　　Thespeechwasamasterpieceofsimplicity，oflucidity。Itshowedthegreatjury；lawyerathisbest。Itstemperwasasadmirableasitslogic；notatouchofangernorofvituperation。
　　“IhavenoprejudiceagainsttheSouthernpeople，“saidhe。
　　“Theyarejustwhatwewouldbeintheirsituation。Ifslaverydidnotexistamongthem，theywouldnotintroduceit。Ifitdidnowexistamongus，weshouldnotinstantlygiveitup。
　　ThisIbelieveofthemassesNorthandSouth。
　　“WhenSouthernpeopletellusthattheyarenomoreresponsiblefortheoriginofslaverythanweare，Iacknowledgethefact。
　　Whenitissaidthattheinstitutionexistsandthatitisverydifficulttogetridofinanysatisfactoryway，Icanunderstandandappreciatethesaying。IsurelywillnotblamethemfornotdoingwhatIshouldnotknowhowtodomyself。Ifallearthlypowerweregivenme，Ishouldnotknowwhattodoastotheexistinginstitution。“
　　Hisinstinctiveaversiontofanaticismfoundexpressioninapleaforthegoldenmeaninpolitics。
　　“Somemen，mostlyWhigs，whocondemntherepealoftheMissouriCompromise，neverthelesshesitatetogoforitsrestorationlesttheybethrownincompanywiththeAbolitionists。WilltheyallowmeasanoldWhig，totellthemgood-humoredlythatIthinkthisisverysilly。Standwithanybodythatstandsright。
　　Standwithhimwhileheisrightandpartwithhimwhenhegoeswrong。StandwiththeAbolitionistinrestoringtheMissouriCompromise，andstandagainsthimwhenheattemptstorepealtheFugitiveSlaveLaw。InthelattercaseyoustandwiththeSoutherndis-unionist。Whatofthat？Youarestillright。Inbothcasesyouareright。Inbothcasesyouexposethedangerousextremes。Inbothyoustandonmiddlegroundandholdtheshiplevelandsteady。Inbothyouarenational，andnothinglessthannational。ThisisthegoodoldWhigground。TodesertsuchgroundbecauseofanycompanyistobelessthanaWhig-lessthanaman-lessthananAmerican。“
　　ThesetwospeechesagainstDouglasmadeanimmenseimpressionByron-like，Lincolnwakedupandfoundhimselffamous。
　　Thereupon，hisambitionrevived。ASenatorwastobechosenthatautumn。WhymightnotthisbetheopportunitytoretrievehisfailureinCongress？ShortlyafterthePeoriaspeech，hewassendingoutnoteslikethistoprominentpoliticians：
　　“DearSir：Youusedtoexpressagooddealofpartialityforme，andifyouarestillso，nowisthetime。SomefriendsherearereallyformefortheUnitedStatesSenate，andI
　　shouldbeverygratefulifyoucouldmakeamarkformeamongyourmembers[oftheLegislature]。“[7]
　　WhentheLegislatureassembled，itwasfoundtocomprisefourgroups：theout-and-outDemocratswhowouldstandbyDouglasthroughthickandthin，andvoteonlyforhisnominee；theboltingDemocratswhowouldnotvoteforaDouglasman，butwhosepartyrancorwassogreatthattheywouldthrowtheirvotesawayratherthangivethemtoaWhig；suchenemiesofDouglasaswerewillingtovoteforaWhig；theremainder。
　　TheDemocratssupportedGovernorMatteson；thecandidateofthesecondgroupwasLymanTrumbull；theWhigssupportedLincoln。
　　Afternineexcitingballots，Mattesonhadforty-sevenvotes，Trumbullthirty-five，Lincolnfifteen。AstheboltingDemocratswerebeyondcompromise，LincolndeterminedtosacrificehimselfinordertodefeatMatteson。Thoughthefifteenprotestedagainstdesertinghim，herequiredthemtodoso。Onthetenthballot，theytransferredtheirvotestoTrumbullandhewaselected。[8]
　　Douglashadmethisfirstimportantdefeat。HispolicyhadbeenrepudiatedinhisownState。AnditwasLincolnwhohadformulatedtheargumentagainsthim，whohadheldthebalanceofpower，andhadturnedthescale。
　　Lincolnhadfoundatlastamodeandanopportunityforconcentratingallhispowersinawaythatcouldhaveresults。
　　Hehaddiscoveredhimselfasamanofletters。Thegreatspeechesof1854werenotdifferentinawayfromthepreviousspeechesthatwerewithoutresults。Andyettheywerewhollydifferent。JustasLincoln’sversionofanoldtalemadeofthattaleanewthing，soLincoln’sversionofanargumentmadeofitadifferentthingfromothermen’sversions。Theoratoryof1854wasnotstate-craftinanyordinarysense。ItwasartLincolntheartist，whohadslowlydevelopedagreatliteraryfaculty，hadchancedaftersomanyrebuffsongoodfortune。Hiscausestoodinurgentneedofjustwhathecouldgive。Itwasoneofthosemomentswhenanewpoliticalforce，havingnotasyetanyopeningforaction，findssalvationinthephrase-maker，intheliteraryartistwhocanembodyitinwords。
　　Duringthenextfiveyearsandmore，LincolnwastherecognizedoffsettoDouglas。HisfamespreadfromIllinoisinbothdirections。HewascalledtoIowaandtoOhioastheadvocateofalladvocateswhocouldundotheeffectofDouglas。Hisfametraveledeastward。TheculminationoftheperiodofliteraryleadershipwashisfamousspeechatCooperUnioninFebruary，1860。
　　ItwasinevitablethatheshouldgoalongwiththeantislaverycoalitionwhichadoptedthenameoftheRepublicanparty。Buthisnaturaldeliberationkepthimfrombeingoneofitsfounders。AnattemptofitsfounderstoappropriatehimafterthetriumphatSpringfield，inOctober，1854，metwitharebuff。[1]Nearlyayearandahalfwentbybeforeheaffiliatedhimselfwiththenewparty。Butoncehavingmadeuphismind，hewentforwardwholeheartedly。AttheStateConventionofIllinoisRepublicansin1856hemadeaspeechthathasnotbeenrecordedbutwhichisatraditionformovingoratory。ThatsameyearaconsiderablenumberofvoteswerecastforLincolnforVice-PresidentintheRepublicanNationalConvention。
　　Butalltheseweremeredetails。Thegreateventoftheyearsbetween1854and1860washiscontestwithDouglas。Itwasabattleofwits，agreatliteraryduel。FortunatelyforLincoln，hispartwasplayedaltogetheronhisownsoil，underconditionsinwhichhewasentirelyathisease，wherenothingconspiredwithhisenemytoembarrasshim。
　　Douglashadafarmoredifficulttask。Unforeseencomplicationsrapidlyforcedhimtochangehispolicy，tomeetdesertionandbetrayalinhisownranks。Thesewereterribleyearswhenfierceeventsfollowedoneanotherinquicksuccession——therushofbothslave-holdersandabolitionistsintoKansas；thecruelwaralongtheWakarusaRiver；thesackofLawrencebythepro-slaveryparty；themassacrebyJohnBrownatPottawatomie；thediatribesofSumnerintheSenate；
　　theassaultonSumnerbyBrooks。InthemidstofthiscarnivalofferocitycametheDredScottdecision，cuttingundertheKansas-NebraskaBill，denyingtothepeopleofaTerritorytherighttolegislateonslavery，andgivingtoallslave-holderstherighttosettlewiththeirslavesanywheretheypleasedoutsideaFreeState。ThisfamousdecisionrepudiatedDouglas’spolicyofleavingallsuchquestionstolocalautonomyandtoprivateenterprise。ForatimeDouglasmadenomovetosavehispolicy。ButwhenPresidentBuchanandecidedtothrowtheinfluenceoftheAdministrationonthesideofthepro-slaverypartyinKansas，Douglaswasupinarms。WhenitwasproposedtoadmitKansaswithaconstitutionfavoringslavery，butwhichhadnotreceivedthevotesofamajorityoftheinhabitants，DouglasvotedwiththeRepublicanstodefeatadmission。WhereupontheDemocraticpartymachineandtheAdministrationturneduponhimwithoutmercy。Hestoodaloneinacircleofenemies。Atnoothertimedidheshowsomanyofthequalitiesofagreatleader。BattlingwithLincolninthepopularforumontheonehand，hewasmeetingdailyontheotherassaultsbyacrowdofbrilliantopponentsinCongress。
　　Atthesametimehewasplayingaconsummategameofpoliticalstrategy，strugglingagainstimmenseoddstorecoverhisholdonIllinois。Thecrisiswouldcomein1858whenhewouldhavetogobeforetheLegislatureforreelection。Heknewwellenoughwhohisopponentwouldbe。Ateveryturntherefellacrosshispaththeshadowofacoolsinisterfigure，hisrelentlessenemy。ItwasLincoln。OnthestrugglewithLincolnhiswholebattleturned。
　　Abandonedbyhisformerallies，hisonehopewastheretentionofhisconstituency。TodiscreditLincoln，totwistanddiscreditallhisarguments，wasforDouglasamatteroflifeanddeath。Hestruckfrequentlywithgreatforce，butsometimeswithmorefurythanwisdom。ManyatimetheunruffledcoolnessofLincolnbroughttonothingwhatwasmeantforadeadlythrust。DouglastookcounselofdespairandtriedtoshowthatLincolnwaspreachingtheamalgamationofthewhiteandblackraces。“Iprotest，“Lincolnreplied，“againstthecounterfeitlogicwhichsaysthatbecauseIdonotwantablackwomanforaslave，Imustnecessarilywantherforawife。Ineednothaveherforeither。Icanjustleaveheralone。Insomerespectsshecertainlyisnotmyequal；butinhernaturalrighttoeatthebreadsheearnswith，herownhandswithoutaskingleaveofanyoneelse，sheismyequalandtheequalofallothers。“[2]AnyfalsemovemadebyDouglas，anyrashassertion，wassuretobeseizeduponbythatwatchfulenemyinIllinois。Inattemptingtodefendhimselfontwofrontsatonce，defyingboththeRepublicansandtheDemocraticmachine，DouglasmadehisrecklessdeclarationthatallhewantedwasafairvotebythepeopleofKansas；thatforhimselfhedidnotcarehowtheysettledthematter，whetherslaverywasvoteduporvoteddown。Withrelentlessskill，Lincolndevelopedtheimplicationsofthisadmission，drawingforthfromitsconfessedindifferencetotheexistenceofslavery，achainofconclusionsthatextendedlinkbylinktoabeliefinreopeningtheAfricanslavetrade。ThiswasdoneinhisspeechacceptingtheRepublicannominationfortheSenate。InthesamespeechherestatedhisgeneralpositioninhalfadozensentencesthatbecameatonceaclassicstatementforthewholeRepublicanparty：“Ahousedividedagainstitselfcannotstand。I
　　believethisgovernmentcannotendurepermanentlyhalfslaveandhalffree。IdonotexpecttheUniontobedissolved。I
　　donotexpectthehousetofall，butIdoexpectitwillceasetobedivided。Itwillbecomeallonethingoralltheother。
　　Eithertheopponentsofslaverywillarrestthefurtherspreadofitandplaceitwherethepublicmindshallrestinthebeliefthatitisinthecourseofultimateextinction；oritsadvocateswillpushitforwardtillitshallbecomealikelawfulinalltheStates，oldaswellasnew，NorthaswellasSouth。“[3]
　　Thegreatduelwasrapidlyapproachingitsclimax。WhatwasinrealitynomorethanthelastroundhasappropriatedalabelthatoughttohaveawidermeaningandisknownastheLincoln-DouglasDebates。ThetwocandidatesmadeajointtouroftheState，debatingtheirpoliciesinpublicatvariousplacesduringthesummerandautumnof1858。
　　Properlyconsidered，thesefamousspeechesclosedLincoln’slifeasanorator。TheCooperUnionspeechwasanisolatedaftermathinalienconditions，asetperformancenotquiteinhistruevein。Hisbriefaddressesofthelateryearswereincidental；theyhadnocombativeelement。Neveragainwashetoattempttoswayanaudienceforanimmediatestakethroughtheuseofthespokenword。“AbriefdescriptionofMr。