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Re: Free States Were Allowed....

No, I have no definitive answer to the real cause of the split. There's two much intrigue in that convention to not believe there were conspiracies pulling the strings. The news of the day in the Bell and Douglas papers accused the Breckinridge Democrats of purposely throwing the election to Lincoln in order to have an excuse by the fire-eaters to secede. They believed the arguement over the territories was weak and without basis. I've been studing Unionist John W. Wood's writings on "Union and Secession in Mississippi", Memphis, 1863 ; he refused to vote for or sign that states secession ordinance; and he also believed the cause was only to secede, slavery was a wedge issue and gave me the information on the desires of some of the secessionist in allowing Illinois into the Confederacy.

I do not associate the debate of "Popular Sovereignty" with any state admittance into the United States; only with the governance of a territory. I strongly disagree that the issue was over the admission of any free or slave States.

Douglas platform- "Inasmuch as differences of opinion exist in the Democratic party as to the nature and extent of the Powers of a Territorial Legislature, and as to the powers and duties of Congress, under the Constitution of the United States, over the institution of Slavery within the Territories: '

Breckinridge platform- "That when the settlers in a Territory, having an adequate population, form a State Constitution, the RIGHT OF SOVEREIGNTY commences, and being consummated by admission into the Union, they stand on an equal footing with the people of other States, and the State thus organized ought to be admitted into the Federal Union, whether its constitution prohibits or recognizes the institution of slavery."

David

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Free States Were Allowed....
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