A farkon shekarun 1850, Lincoln ya goyi bayan sassan sassan, kuma jawabinsa na 1852 ga Clay ya mayar da hankali kan goyon bayan wannan na ƙarshe don samun 'yanci a hankali da kuma adawa da "duka tsattsauran ra'ayi" a kan batun bautar. Yayin da shekarun 1850 suka ci gaba, muhawara game da bautar a cikin yankin Nebraska da Kansas Territory ya zama mai tsanani, kuma Sanata Douglas ya ba da shawara ga mulkin mallaka na jama'a a matsayin sulhu; wannan tsari zai ba da damar zaɓaɓɓen zaɓaɓɓen mulkin mallaka na kowane yanki don yanke shawara game da matsayin bautar.
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