how did abraham lincoln and stephen douglas differ in their views on slavery?

Answer 1

Perhaps the clearest 'head-to-head' on this question was in the Sixth Lincoln-Douglas debate (at Quincy, Illinois, October 13, 1858)

Lincoln
"I suggest that the difference of opinion, reduced to its lowest terms, is no other than the difference between the men who think slavery a wrong and those who do not think it wrong. THE REPUBLICAN PARTY THINK IT WRONG-WE THINK IT IS A MORAL, A SOCIAL AND A POLITICAL WRONG. We think it as a wrong not confining itself merely to the persons or the States where it exists, but that it is a wrong in its tendency, to say the least, that extends itself to the existence of the whole nation. Because we think it wrong, we propose a course of policy that shall deal with it as a wrong. We deal with it as with any other wrong, in so far as we can prevent its growing any larger, and so deal with it that in the run of time there may be some promise of an end to it"

Douglas's response:
"He tells you that I will not argue the question whether slavery is right or wrong. I tell you why I will not do it. I hold that under the Constitution of the United States, each State of this Union has a right to do as it pleases on the subject of slavery. In Illinois we have exercised that sovereign right by prohibiting slavery within our own limits. I approve of that line of policy. We have performed our whole duty in Illinois. We have gone as far as we have a right to go under the Constitution of our common country. It is none of our business whether slavery exists in Missouri or not. Missouri is a sovereign State of this Union, and has the same right to decide the slavery question for herself that Illinois has to decide it for herself."

http://www.nps.gov/archive/liho/debate6.htm

In other words Lincoln says it is a WRONG to be contained with the object of its dying out. Douglas says it's up to each state to decide for itself whether the practice is right or wrong
(Elsewhere Lincoln presses him on this, arguing that, IF it is indeed a wrong one CANNOT adopt Douglas's approach.)

Some say Douglas was "personally opposed" to slavery. The statement above seems to be the closest he comes to saying so, though he does not exactly -- "I approve of that line of policy [that of Illinois to prohibit slavery]". Tepid at best -- and in fact there were MANY who preferred not to have slavery in their own states but did NOT think it was morally wrong (some were just racists wishing to keep blacks out of their states completely!). So I'm not sure he EVER says even that HE personally thinks it "wrong".

All that Douglas is doing is arguing for the policy of "popular sovereignty" --that it ought to be up to each state, actually every TERRITORY, before it became a state, to decide for itself whether to allow slavery or not. (Lincoln's position, and that of his party, was that the federal government could and SHOULD prevent the admission of ANY more slave states, though the Constitution itself prevented them from outlawing it in states that already allowed it.)

Answer 2

Lincoln-against slavery Douglas-for slavery pretty simple

Answer 3

well i know lincoln was agianst slavery so douglas was probably pro. dop some research,

Answer 4

The former was against it while the latter was in favor of it. The great thing is that they were able to see eye to eye on one thing. They were both rascists.

Answer 5

I take that very offensive and im African American

Answer 6

They disagreed on how bad things would be in 2007.

Answer 7

SlAvErY iS cOoL.