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。