The Writings of Abraham Lincoln - Volume 3 - The Lincoln-Douglas debates

The third volume of Abraham Lincoln's writings feature his speeches and debates against his opponent Stephen A. Douglas, as they contend the Illinois seat of the United States Senate.

In this volume, we witness a mature and capable Abraham Lincoln, by now a prominent and capable politician. His ardent belief in the abolition of slavery is marked by his debating points and speeches to that effect; many of these strike a persuasive tone, with a firm grounding upon the morality and convictions which Abe Lincoln held close to heart throughout his career.  

These words were delivered entirely during 1858; the year which marked Abraham Lincoln's rise to prominence in the entire United States. Before 1858, Abe Lincoln was little known outside of his home state of Illinois. The eloquent rhetoric and capable debating skill he demonstrated catapulted him to the forefront of American politics, and he was soon tipped as a potential future U.S. President. 

In his essay introducing the first volume of this series, Carl Shurz notes that a great starting point for study of Lincoln is his personal letters, speeches and other writings. It is by reading these items sequentially that we gain an insight into the mind of a man who was to become arguably the greatest President the United States has seen to date. We come to realize that Lincoln was - contrary to his portrait as a near-infallible and towering figure - a human being with emotions, strengths and weaknesses. 

This record of Lincoln's personal correspondences is complete and unabridged, offering readers a chronologically arranged account of the a pivotal year in the great leader's life. We join Lincoln as a capable and mature politician in 1858, whose confidence and eloquence in his public addresses and private correspondences reveal a man with wisdom imbued by his innate personality and by years of experience. Perhaps his most notable trait of all is his rare and stubborn eagerness to perform as a public servant to the best of his capacity.  

Through reading and comparing his own writings, we see how Lincoln's political views and positions Lincoln evolved over his lifetime, informed by experience he steadily amassed debating and passing legislation, and examining the consequences of his prior decisions. There is also a personal side to his writings: capable of offering counsel and comfort to those he considered friends, many of Lincoln's letters concern not politics or law drafting, but matters such as contentious criminal cases which Lincoln, as a lawyer, could claim authority on. Subjects such as marriage, and friendly correspondences, are also present.