Describe the difference between Lincoln's and Douglas's views on slavery

They differed in the ways they wanted to use in order to contain the spread of slavery to the territories. Douglas wanted to use the principle of popular sovereignty (i. e., the settlers in the territories would vote slavery out) and clung to that policy even after the Supreme Court's Dred Scott decision cut the ground under him. Lincoln wanted to ignore the Dred Scott decision and simply forbid slavery in the territories by federal authority. Notice that by the time of the Lincoln-Douglas debates, Douglas's proposal had already proved its uselessness in Kansas.