The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1860-05-10

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, of Illinois.
A SPEECH
Delivered at the Cooper Institute, N. Y.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, of Illinois.
The Hon. Abraham Lincoln of Illinois,
the prest antagonist of Senator Douglas,
gave in the Cooper Institute. lecture on
Nstioual Politics. Although there was
an admission fee for the benefit of the
Plymouth Church course of lectures, the
seats of the great hall we're nearly oil FILL
ed, and large number Of people prefer
red standing TO sitting in the rear seats.
Upon the platform were exG Gov. John A.
King, David Dudley Field, Wm. c. Bry-
ant, Gen. James w Nye. Aims. House
Governors Issac J. Oliver and Washing
ton Smith, Delafeld Smith, DR.. S. Louns-
berry, A. j. DitteDhoefTer, esq, Judge l..
d. Culver, Theodore Tilton, Thomas b.
Stilmap, Samuel Sinclair, j, S Gibbons,
in fine it was crowded with distinguish bed
Republicans. A considerable number of
ladies g:aeed the occasion by their pres
eBce.
Mr.. Lineoln was escorted into the room
by David Dudley Field and Wm. c. Bry
ant, amid loud and proIOpgued applause
Mr. FIELD said:
FsZz0a0. Republicans. = l beg leave to
nominate as Chairman Of this meeting a
Republican whom you ali know we'll
William Cullen Bryant [Chcers. Those
of you who are in favor of Mr.. Bryant
will say Aye. General and tbundrous
"aye"1 Those of you wbo are not in ia
vor will say No [Silence There is no
No Laughter and applause.
Mr. Bryant on taxing the chair, said
My friends, it is grateful Obee that |
perform in Introducing to you at this time
an eminent ctizeu Of the West whom you
know, or whom you have known hitherto
only by fame, but who has consented 10
address a New Y ork assem- blase this eve
ming. The Great West, my friends, is
potent auxiliary in the battle We are fgh-
ting for Freedom against Slavery; in be
half of civilization against barbarian; for
the occupation Of some Of the fairest re-
Rions of our continent, on which the set
tiers are now building their csbius ! say
0 higher and wiser agency than that of
usn in the causes that have filed with
hardy population the vast aud fertile re-
gion which for0s the western part of the
Valley of the Mississippi, race of men
who are not ashamed to till their acres
With their own bands, and who would be
ashamed 10 subsist by the labor Of the
slave [Cheers. These children of the
West. my friends, form living hulwark
agsinss the advances Of Slavery, and from
them is recruited the vanguard of the ar
mics of Liberty. (ApPlause.) One of
then will appear before you this evening.
l present to you gallant soldier Of the
political campaign of 1856, who then rem
dered good service to the Republican
cause, and who was since the champion
of that cause in the struggle which took
place two years later for the supremacy
in the Legislature of Illinois, who took
the field then against Douglas, and who
would have then won victory but for the
unjust spportionment law of the State,
which allowed a minority of the people TO
elect the majority of the legislature. L
have only, my friends, to pronounce the
name of Abraham Lincoln of Illinois loud
cheering)-I have cnly to prououne bis
name, to secure your profoundest atten-
tion. CONTINUED applause, and "Tbree
cheers for Abraham Lincoln r
Mr.. Lincoln then, after proloDguep sp-
plsse, said:
Mr.. President and FslJoa0. Citizens Of
Nea0 York. The facts With which | shall
deal this evening are mainly old and fa-
uilliar; nor is there anything new in the
general use shall make of them If there
shall be any novelty, it will be in the
mode of prese ntiDg the facts, and the ip-
ferences and observations following that
presentation.
in his speech last Autumn. at COlum-
bus, Ohio. as reported in tile Nca0- York
IsnaeS, Senator Douglas said
"Our fathers when they framed the
Government under which We live, under
stood this question just as we'll, and even
better than We do now"
[ fully endorse this, aud adopt it ss
text for this discourse. | SO adopt be-
cause it furnishes q precise and an agreed
starting point for discussion between
Republicans and that wing of the Dem.
ocraey headed BY Senator Douglas. 1t
simply leaves the inquiry: "What was the
understanding those fathers had of the
question mentioned I"