Just about everyone who has been through the American school system has heard of President Abraham Lincoln, the liberator of the slaves, the African Americans advocate. You might also have heard of Stephen A. Douglas ,an American politician who debated the abolition of slavery with Lincoln in 1858. While learning about these debates most people have been taught that Lincoln was the "good guy" who supported equal rights and freedom for the slaves and Douglas was the bad white supremacist who wanted to keep slavery. But, life isn't always so cut and dry, so instead of just telling you my opinion on the whole matter I think you should come to your own decision by playing a game called 'Guess Who Said This.' Below I will list several quotes and you will guess who said them, Lincoln or Douglas.
1. "We have settled the slavery question as far as we are concerned; we have prohibited it in Illinois forever; and in doing so, I think we have done wisely, and there is no man in the State who would be more strenuous in his opposition to the introduction of slavery than I would."
2. "If there is any one principle dearer and more sacred than all others in free governments, it is that which asserts the exclusive right of a free people to form and adopt their own fundamental law, and to manage and regulate their own internal affairs and domestic institutions."
3. “I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races – that I am not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And inasmuch as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race."
4. "If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it."
5. "There is a natural disgust in the minds of nearly all white people to the idea of indiscriminate amalgamation (uniting into one) of the white and black races."
The first two quotes were from Douglas and the last three were from Lincoln. If you missed three or more quotes you should most probably begin to ask why your textbook left out these parts of Lincoln's and Douglas's political view. Sometimes we are too quick to accept society's assignation of 'good guy' and 'bad guy' but one thing we learn as we look at history for ourselves, not through a textbook, is that the lines for good and bad aren't always as clear as our textbooks teach. Lincoln, the liberator of slaves, was a white supremacist. Douglas, who staunchly opposed federal law on slavery, was just as staunch in his support of state laws on slavery.
History is always written by the victor. Knowing this, we should make a point of hearing the loser's side of the story before we accept what the victor says as truth.
