Speakingofslaverytoafellowlawyer，hesaid：“Itisthemostglittering，ostentatious，anddisplayingpropertyintheworld；andnow，ifayoungmangoescourting，theonlyinquiryishowmanynegroesheorhisladyloveowns。Theloveofslavepropertyisswallowingupeveryothermercenarypossession。Itsownershipbetokenednotonlythepossessionofwealth，butindicatedthegentlemanofleisurewhowasaboveandscornedlabor。“[5]
Itwasbecauseoftheseviews，becausehesawslaveryallyingitselfwiththespreadofplutocraticideals，thatLincolnenteredthebattletopreventitsextension。Hedidsoinhisusualcool，determinedway。
ThoughhisfirstreplytoDouglaswasnotrecorded，hissecond，madeatPeoriatwelvedayslater，stillexists。[6]Itisalandmarkinhiscareer。Itsumsupallhislong，slowdevelopmentinpoliticalscience，laystheabidingfoundationofeverythinghethoughtthereafter。Inthisgreatspeech，theendofhisnovitiate，heringsthechangesonthewhiteman’scharteroffreedom。Hearguesthattheextensionofslaverytendstodiscreditrepublicaninstitutions，andtodisappoint“theLiberalpartythroughouttheworld。“Theheartofhisargumentis：
“WhetherslaveryshallgointoNebraskaorothernewTerritoriesisnotamatterofexclusiveconcerntothepeoplewhomaygothere。ThewholenationisinterestedthatthebestuseshallbemadeoftheseTerritories。Wewantthemforhomesforfreewhitepeople。Thistheycannotbetoanyconsiderableextent，ifslaveryshallbeplantedwithinthem。
SlaveStatesareplacesforpoorwhitepeopletoremovefrom，notremoveto。NewFreeStatesaretheplacesforpoorpeopletogotoandbettertheircondition。ForthisusethenationneedstheseTerritories。“