Verified answer

Stephen Douglas did not propose an Amendment to guarantee slavery. However he did support the Union and argued that it should be preserved. After Lincoln was elected states began to secede. A "Committee of Thirteen" met to try to save the Union. Senator John Crittenden of Kentucky proposed The Crittenden Compromise that included an Amendment to guarantee and protect slavery. Douglas supported the Compromise including the amendment. However, Abraham Lincoln opposed the Crittenden Compromise and because of that it lacked Republican support and it was defeated.

That was not in response to John Brown's Raid but an effort to save the Union.

As far as I know Stephen Douglas never spoke specifically about John Brown although he gave a great many speeches and he could have. He certainly opposed John Brown's actions and thinking. Brown was a abolitionist who was willing to use violent means to fight slavery.

Douglas believed in Popular Sovereignty, the right of the citizens of a territory to decide for themselves whether to be slave or free. He was totally opposed to viewing slavery as a moral issue because he thought that could only lead to civil war. He proposed to solve slavery as an issue of public policy and the way to do it was by a democratic vote in the area where it was to be decided. He called that method Popular Sovereignty.

However, Popular Sovereignty did not work as he hoped. In Kansas pro slavery people had stolen the election and presented the LeCompton Constitution which approved of slavery. Douglas was outraged at the election fraud. Then President Buchanan supported LeCompton and Douglas went to the Whitehouse to discuss it with him. Buchanan pointed out he, as President, was the leader of the party and no Senator had ever successfully opposed the President. Douglas responded "And may I remind you that General Jackson is dead, Sir." With that he turned and walked out of the room. Opposing Buchanan Douglas fought LeCompton in the Senate but lost. Then he moved to the House and led the Republican Representatives in the fight against LeCompton. He lost the vote but the measures had to go to a joint committee to work out differences. LeComptom had asked for much more Federal land than a state usually was given. The joint committee denied the request and offered a smaller amount. The Constitution had to go back to Kansas and be revoted. The Kansas voters rejected it. Thus Douglas won against Buchanan and was the most powerful man in Government.

In retaliation after the election of 1858 Buchanan denied him reappointment as chairman of the Committee on the Territories, at that time the most important committee in the Senate. Douglas refused any other assignment. He and Buchanan remained bitter enemies throughout Buchanan's term.

Douglas had by then totally alienate southern Democrats. In 1860 they left the Democratic Convention and had a Convention of their own and nominated Henry Breckinridge. Northern Democrats nominated Douglas. The Constitutional Union Party nominated John Bell and Republicans nominated Abe Lincoln. Lincoln won with 40 per cent of the vote. When Lincoln was inaugurated Douglas was on the platform and held his hat for him.