Partisan Supremacy in the Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Abstract

The Lincoln-Douglas debates were between a representative of the Democratic Party and a representative of the Republican Party. Stephen A. Douglas began his presentation in the fi rst debate by declaring, “ We are present here to-day for the purpose of having a joint discussion as the representatives of the two great political parties of the State and Union, upon the principles in issue between these parties and this vast concourse of people ” (Lincoln 1953, 3:1). Lincoln stood before the voters as a representative of the Republican Party. He began his presentation in the second debate by stating, “ I have supposed myself, since the organization of the Republican party at Bloomington, in May 1856, bound as a party man by the platforms of the party ” (3:39). He continued, “ if any one expects me — in the case of my elec[tion] — that I will do anything not signi fi ed by our Republican platform . . . , I tell you very frank that person will be deceived ” (3:71 – 72). What the Republican and Democratic Parties stood for and which party was more faithful to the Constitution of the United States were the central issues in the Lincoln-Douglas debates.