Stephen Douglas- Stephen Douglas was a northern politician and supporter of popular sovereignty that was a leading voice in the Compromise of 1850. He and Lincoln debated in the famous Lincoln-Douglas Debates in the election for an Illinois senate seat in 1858, which he won. Comment by Erin Bohn: PLEASE start numbering these! I have put this comment on your papers nearly every time. Abraham Lincoln- At this time, Abraham Lincoln was a rising star in the Republican Party and was emerging on the national stage. As a result of his famous campaign against Douglas and his public adversity to slavery, he quickly became a contentious public figure that gained no support amongst southerners who saw him and his party as threatening their very livelihoods.