Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1867-08-28

his LECTURE At COOPER INSTITUTE IN iShu-
ON ORCHARD (Saco), Me, Aug. Is, 1867
Ia tie Efitors Of the Erening Post:
In October 1889, Messrs. Joseph III.
Richards. J. NJ Pettingill and 5. W. Tubbs
called on me at the office of the Ohio State
Agency. - William street and requested
me to write to the Hon. Thomas Corwin, OF
Ohio. and the Hon Abraham Lincoln, OF
Illinois, and invite them to lecture IN a
course Of lectures these young gentlemen
proposed for the winter IN Plymouth
Church. Brooklyn. | wrote the letters as
requested. and offered as compensation for
each lecture. as | was authorized. the sum
of two hundred dollars. The proposition
to lecture was accepted by Messrs. Corwin
and Lincoln Mr. Corwn delivered his
lecture in Plymouth Church as he was on
his way to Washington TO attend Congress.
Mr.. Lincoln could not lecture until late in
the season, and proposition was agreed to
bv the gentlemen named, and accepted by
Mr. Lincoln, as the following letter will
show:
"DANvILLE H., Nov. 13, 1889.
"JAMEs \. Briggs, Esq.-Dear Sir
Yours of the lst. closing with my propo-
Sitlon for compromise, was duly received
| will be on hand; and in due time will
notify YOU of the exact day. | believe
after all, shall make political speech OF
it. You have no objection?
Il would like to know, in advance
whether | am also to speak or lecture in
New York
Very, very glad your election went
right,
Yours, truly, y. LINCOLN.
"P. ST am here at court, but my
address is at Springfield Ill"
In due time Mr. Lincoln wrote me thai
he would deliver the lecture, a politica
one, on the evening of the 9th of February
$50. This was rather late in the season
for a lecture, and the young gentlemen who
were responsible were doubtful about Its
success, as the expenses were large. Ii
was stipulated that the lecture to be
in Plymouth Church, Brooklyn; | request
cd and urged that the lecture should be de-
livered at the Cooper Institute. They
were fearful it would not pay expenses
three hundred and fifty dollars; | thought
it would.
Pettingill and Tubbs of all responsibility
[ called upon some of the officers of the
g Young Mems Republican Union" ane
proposed that they should take Mr.. Lincoln
and that the lecture should be delivered
under their auspices. They respectfully
declined.
| next called upon Mr. Simeon Draper
then presid ent of 1.-The Draper Republical
Union Club of New York" and proposes
to him that his " Union take Mr.. Lincol
and the lecture, and assume the responsi
bility of the expenses. Mr.. Draper ant
his friends declined, and Mr.. Lincoln wa
left in the hands of the " original Jacobs.
After considerable discussion, it wa
agreed on the part of the young gentlemen
that the lecture should be delivered at tn
Cooper Institute, if would agree to shar
the expenses, if the sale of tickets (twenty
five cents each) for the lecture did no
meet the outlay To this assented-an
the lecture was advertised to be Delivers
in the Cooper Institute on the evening O
the 9th of February
Mr.. Lincoln read the notice of the lee
ture in the papers, and without an
knowledge of the arrangement, was some
what surprised to learn that he was first t
make MS appearance before New Yorl
instead of Plymouth Church audi
ence. A notice of the proposed lectur
appeared in the New York papers, and tn,
Times spoke of him & as a lawyer who ha
some local reputation in Illinois"
At my personal solicitation MIR. Williar