In 1830, the Lincoln family migrated 200 miles to Illinois. They cleared and settled on land along the Sangamon River. It was here that Lincoln made his first political speech which was aimed at promoting the improvement of navigation on the Sangamon River. Four years later, at the age of 24, Abe was elected to the Illinois General Assembly as a member of the Whig party. He then began to study law. At this time he met Stephen Douglas who was 21 years old at the time and a Democrat. Sixteen years later, as Illinois Senator, Lincoln would face Douglas . .
In August of 1834, Lincoln was re-elected to General Assembly and had become the leader of the Whig Party. The following month, he was granted his license to practice law. Making his mark in politics, Lincoln helped to get the state capital of Illinois moved from Vandalia to Springfield.
By 1836, Lincoln had again been re-elected to the Assembly and was now the Whig floor leader. The following year, he would heavily engage in the practice of law and in December, 1839, he was admitted to practice in the United States Circuit Court. Lincoln argued his first case before the Illinois Supreme Court and again was re-elected to the Illinois General Assembly.
In 1843, Lincoln tried, unsuccessfully, to gain the Whig party nomination for the United States Congress. On August 3, 1846, as a Whig member, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives.
After leaving politics in 1849 for 5 years to practice law, Lincoln re-enters politics, apposing the Kansas-Nebraska Act. He was elected to the Illinois legislature but declined in order to pursue the office of United States Senator. He did not however, win the election.
In May of 1856, Lincoln helps to organize the new Republican party of Illinois. The first Republican convention was held in May and Lincoln received 110 votes in support of his nomination to run for Vice-President of the United States. From this, he gained significant national attention.
On June 26, in Springfield, Lincoln gives a speech in opposition to the Dred Scott Supreme Court decision which denied freedom to a slave, Dred Scott who had sued for his freedom based on the contention that he earned his freedom by residing in a free state and could not be returned to slavery. The decision of Supreme Court Judge, Chief Justice Roger Taney was based in summary on three points. The first stated that Scott was black and therefore had no right to sue in Federal court, secondly that the Missouri Compromise (prohibiting slavery north of 36* 30') was unconstitutional and third, that Scott's residence in a slave state determined that he was bound by those laws which did not recognize him as ever having obtained his freedom. The decision created enormous controversy among politicians. If the court could deny constitutionality of one anti-slave law, it was believed that it would also rule others unconstitutional. The decision also meant that slave owners could take their slaves into free territories and maintain their ownership of them.
The following year, on June 16, Lincoln was nominated to be the Republican senator from Illinois, running against the Democratic nominee, Stephen A. Douglas. At this time, Lincoln delivered his acceptance speech to the State Republican convention. This speech is now known as the "House Divided" speech.
In his significantly influential "House Divided" speech, Lincoln addresses the nation's ongoing issue of conflict regarding slavery agitation and the failure of a 5 year old policy designed to eliminate it. Lincoln focuses on the theory that a government so divided on the issue of slavery can not continue to survive.
Lincoln noted that over half of the states excluded slavery by State Constitutions, and in addition to those states which endorsed slavery, the national territory was now opened to slavery due to the repeal of the Congressional prohibition which had excluded slavery in the new territories. Lincoln defines the argument of used in the repeal of the congressional prohibition; "'squatter sovereignty,' otherwise called 'sacred right of self-government.'" (p 1)
Lincoln criticized the use of the "squatter sovereignty" argument, and contended that "though expressive of the only rightful basis of any government, was [so] perverted in this attempted use of it.." (p 1) He summarized the argument to conclude that any man who choose to enslave another could not be prevented from doing so by a third person. This argument was then placed in the content of the Nebraska bill as follows, "It being the true intent and meaning of this act is not to legislate slavery into any Territory or State, nor to exclude it therefrom; but to leave the people thereof perfectly free to form and regulate their domestic institutions in their own way, subject only to the Constitution of the United States." From that point, there occurred an overwhelming support for "sacred right of self-government." The opposition proposed to amend the bill ensuring that the people of the Territory had the option of excluding slavery. Those in support of the measure would not agree to the amendment and it was voted it down.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Reid, Ronald F. American Rhetorical Discourse. Waveland press, Illinois, 1995.
The History Place, "House Divided." http://www.history place.com/lincoln/divided.htm
Heath3560@uncwil.edu