Question

What is the purpose of the following paragraph?

I think, and shall try to show, that it is wrong; wrong in its direct effect, letting slavery into Kansas and Nebraska—and wrong in its prospective principle, allowing it to spread to every other part of the wide world, where men can be found inclined to take it.

Introduction
Claim
Counterclaim
Rebuttal

Answer 1

The purpose of the following paragraph is:

Claim

In this paragraph, the writer makes a claim and expresses their viewpoint regarding the issue at hand. The claim is that the subject being discussed (which is not explicitly mentioned in the provided text) is wrong for two main reasons: (1) it allows slavery into Kansas and Nebraska, and (2) it establishes a principle that could potentially lead to the spread of slavery to other parts of the world. The writer indicates that they will attempt to demonstrate why this claim is valid and that the subject they are opposing is fundamentally incorrect.