Customer Reviews

The Complete Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858

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It is always instructive to go to original sources. These debates set Lincoln solidly on the way to the presidency. It was the first time that national newspaper coverage of a "local contest" had a role in defining national difficulties. Lincoln comes across as a passive opponent of slavery, nothing of an abolishonist. Douglas unabasedly draws distictions between the "superior" White race and all other "inferior" races, which GOT CHEERS from the crowd. This is the actual history not some sanitized version of events.

Lincoln and Douglas really stood before people and said the things documented in this book. Lincoln changed his interpretation of black-white relations to suit his target audience. With no national press available to put his feet to the fire, any candidate could change his opinions at any time to seek votes.

Douglas, although he was the same man throughout the campaign, had distasteful views to our modern perspective. Only white Christian men had anything worthwhile to offer society. Everyone else was an unpleasant burden for them to suffer with (noblesse oblige).

When I started to read the speeches, I expected Lincoln to be the obvious winner in the debates. He's a winner to me, but by a much smaller margin than anticipated. Anyone who wants to know history from the mouths of the actual players should read this book.