The best and most correct answer among the choices provided by your question is the third choice or letter C "<span>Stephen Douglas' position that slavery could be excluded from a territory if officials did not pass laws to protect it"
</span>On August 27, 1858, Freeport was the site of the second Lincoln-Douglas debate, during which Stephen A. Douglas formulated the “ Freeport Doctrine,” in which he argued that a territory had the right to exclude slavery<span> despite contrary U.S. Supreme Court decisions.</span><span>
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