SPRINGFIELD, Ill. -- Most Lincoln historians know about the famous Lincoln-Douglas debates of 1858, but historian William P. MacKinnon focused on the little-known first Lincoln-Douglas debate in Springfield in June 1857. It specifically addresses "what was then called 'The Mormon Problem.'"

MacKinnon, using his paper titled "Stephen A. Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, and the Mormon Problem: The 1857 Debate" gave the Mormon History Association Conference Annual Membership Luncheon presentation May 23.

Why did Lincoln and Douglas debate about Mormonism?

A little background is needed. Soon after James Buchanan became the 15th president in 1857, the Utah territory became a hot political topic. MacKinnon explained that "by the end of March 1857, Buchanan had resolved to replace (Brigham) Young as governor and to provide his as yet unnamed successor with a substantial army escort." Also Douglas, as the senator from Illinois, was the representative of those Mormons who remained in Illinois. MacKinnon remarked that "LDS leaders saw Douglas as a 'thin reed,' rather than a 'fearless champion of Mormon rights.'"

So on June 12, 1857, with an invitation to "entertain them with the most important issues of the day," Stephen A. Douglas stood up to address the House chamber in the Old Springfield Capital. He hoped to bolster his upcoming re-election campaign with a well-received speech on three different subjects including "the condition of things in Utah and the appropriate remedies for existing evils."

Trying hard not to mention polygamy since he had just minutes before advocated for popular sovereignty, Douglas instead focused on "Mormon disloyalty and other unacceptable behaviors based on 'rumors and reports.'" Douglas had three main inflammatory accusations: First, the Utah inhabitants refuse to take an oath of allegiance or otherwise recognize the United States government; second, the Mormons are "bound" to only recognize Brigham Young as their authority and will "use all means in their power to subvert the power of the United States and resist its authority;" and third, the Mormons were forming alliances with the Indian tribes and "stimulating the hostility."

So what was Douglas' "remedy" for this "Mormon Problem?" Douglas said, "I think the duty of the President ... to remove Brigham Young and all his followers from office and to fill their places with bold, able and true men, and to cause a thorough and searching investigation into all the crimes and enormities that are alleged to be perpetrated in that territory daily ... and to use all the military force necessary to protect the officers in the discharge of their duties and to enforce the laws of the land."

MacKinnon believed that what Douglas said next "was enough to spawn 150 years of Mormon enmity." Douglas vividly described, "When the authentic evidence shall arrive, if it shall establish the facts that believe to exist, it will be the duty of Congress to apply the knife and cut out this loathsome and disgusting ulcer."

Abraham Lincoln, an attorney in Springfield, sat in the audience. MacKinnon explained that "there were few signs that (Lincoln) had strong feelings one way or the other about Mormons." His law firm had occasionally represented Mormons in Illinois, and yet had also worked for "plaintiffs bringing legal action against Latter-day Saints." A few days after Douglas' speech, Lincoln's law partner advertised that Lincoln would give a rebuttal; he said, "Lincoln is a gentleman, Douglas is an unscrupulous dog."

On June 26, Lincoln stood in the House chamber of the Old Springfield Capital to give his answer. MacKinnon explained that "without defending the Mormons or Utah's territorial integrity, Lincoln pressed hard on Douglas' harsh remedy of the 'Mormon Problem,'" trying to find holes in Douglas' argument.

Lincoln concluded that "If the people of Utah shall peacefully form a state constitution tolerating polygamy, will the democracy admit them into the Union? These questions, so far as I know, (Douglas) never answers. It might require democracy to answer them either way."

So how did Mormons react to this debate?

MacKinnon explained that the "Utah leaders were scathing in their condemnation of Douglas, whose remarks ... were viewed as a gross betrayal of their past support for him in Illinois." MacKinnon could find no reference to Lincoln in the Mormon reaction. But MacKinnon found an interesting parallel to the LDS leaders drafting both a Deseret News editorial, which was a "point-by-point demolition of Douglas' speech" alongside "the text of an even more momentous document: the governor's extraordinary proclamation of martial law" leading up to the Utah War.

The editorial also reminded the readers of a prophecy by Joseph Smith, given to Douglas in person in 1843, which said "Judge, you will aspire to the presidency of the United States and if you ever turn your hand against me, or the Latter-day Saints, you will feel the weight of the hand of the Almighty upon you."

Douglas went on to win the debates of 1858 and kept his Senate seat that year; however, as history played out, in 1860 Abraham Lincoln would win the presidential seat.

Later, as the president dealing with the national crisis of the Civil War, Lincoln would summarize his Mormon policy to a visiting Mormon newspaper editor: In effect, he would leave Brigham Young alone if Brigham Young would leave Lincoln alone.