By the 1850s, the two parties system was in crisis because moderate compromises such as the Missouri Compromise in 1820s by the “great pacificator,” Henry Clay of Kentucky could no longer appease both sides’ extreme radicals, as the territories kept getting westward expanded and ordained by the doctrine of Manifest Destiny. (Brands, p.295) The next generation of Congressmen such as Wilmot Proviso’s argument and Lewis Cass’s “Popular Sovereignty” failed to forge compromises over the Republican’s “slave–power conspiracy” and the Democrat’s “southern rights” as the Mexican War drew to a close. (Brands, p. 313) Especially, in January 1854, Senator Stephen Douglas’ introduction of the Kansas-Nebraska Act on the base of “Popular Sovereignty” to repeal the Missouri Compromise of 1820 in order to bring about the railroad to go through his home state in support of expansion and commerce was a major disaster. Accordingly, Douglas’ bill further worsened on the irreconcilable sectional division in his own Democratic Party, gave birth to the new Republican
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Their heated debates were primarily focusing on the issue of slavery and states’ rights. The format of the debate was the first speaker spoke for sixty minutes; the other speaker spoke for ninety minutes, and then the first speaker returned for a thirty-minute “rejoinder.” Although the senators were elected by the congress in the 19th century, Douglas and Lincoln took their debates to the public was mainly for their party’s broader election interests of aiming to become the majority in the Illinois legislature. Similar to the political rhetoric in today’s elections, Douglas tried to label Lincoln as the extreme Abolitionists to instill fear in the local suffrage; partisan politicians’ mud slinging, crushing opponents’ moral conscience or patriotism were common practices even before the two-parties
Their heated debates were primarily focusing on the issue of slavery and states’ rights. The format of the debate was the first speaker spoke for sixty minutes; the other speaker spoke for ninety minutes, and then the first speaker returned for a thirty-minute “rejoinder.” Although the senators were elected by the congress in the 19th century, Douglas and Lincoln took their debates to the public was mainly for their party’s broader election interests of aiming to become the majority in the Illinois legislature. Similar to the political rhetoric in today’s elections, Douglas tried to label Lincoln as the extreme Abolitionists to instill fear in the local suffrage; partisan politicians’ mud slinging, crushing opponents’ moral conscience or patriotism were common practices even before the two-parties