The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-08-19
REbfTNISCENCE OF ABRAHAM
LINCOLN
HIS Lecture at the Cooper Institute
1850.

tns Lecture at the Cooper Institute
in 1850.
OLD ORCHARD (socol, Maine. August 49, 1867.
TO ne EdftorsoJthe ", y Bvenb'g Post
In October 1859, M,ssrs. Joseph II. Richards, ].
M Pettingeii and s. w. Tubbs called on me at
9le office OF the Ohio State Agency, No. 25 Will
lam street. and requested nIe 10 write TO tho
Hon. Thomas Corwin, of Ohio, and the
Hon Abraham, Lincoln, OF Illinois, and
nvi them 10 lecture ia ia course OF
or the winter IN Plymouth Church, Brook
iyn. l wrote the letters as s,I dSqp1esited, ana
was authorized, the sum OF Two hundred dol.
lars The proposition TO lecture was accepted
by Messrs Corwin and Lincoln; MT Corwln
vSs,ivered mis- lecture in Plymouth ChuTch, 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
10 bv the gentlemen named, ana accepted Oy
"DhNytrLE, ILL.,. November 18, 1859. u James A.
Briggs Esq-Dear Sr:YOur5 of the lst, closing with
ny yf be on hand; and In due time will notify you OF
the exact day. / believe, after all shall make
vi would like TO know, in advance, whether am
also TO speak or lecture in New ork.
every very glad your election went right -.
"P s1i Hm here at court but my address IS still at
Springfield ILL.,"
In due time Mr.. Lincoln wrote me that he
would deliver the lecture, political one, on
the evening OF the 27tn of February, 1860. 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
was to be in Plymouth Church, Brooklyn;
requested and urged that the lecture should be
delivered at the Cooper Institute, They were
fearful IL would not pay expenses-three hun
dred and fifty dollars; thought " would
In order TO relieve Messrs Richards Pet
tingill. and Tubbs of all responsibility, 1 called
upon some of the officers OF the Young Mems
should take Mr., Lincoln, and that the lecture
should be delivered under their auspices. They
respectively declined.
President of "The Draper Republican Union
Club of New York" and proposed 10 him that
his "Uniou" take Mr.. Lincoln and the lecture,
and assume the responsibility of the expenses.
Mr.. Draper and his friends declined, ana Mr..
Lincoln was left in the hands of "the original
After considerable discussion it was agreed
on the part OF The young gentlemen that the
lecture should be delivered in the Cooper Instl-
Lute, If ! would agree to snare the expenses, II
the sale OF tickets Uwenty.cents eachl for the
lecture did not meet the outlay. To this
nssented; and the lecture was advertised to be
delivered in tue Cooper Institute on the even
ing of the 9th of February.
MIR Lincoln read the notice of the lecture in
the papers, and, without any knowledge of the
arrangement, was somewhat surprised TO learn
that he was first TO make his appearance before
New York instead of a plymouth Church
audience A notice of the proposed lecture APP
peared in the New York papers, and the Times
spoke of him "as lawyer who had some local
reputation in Illinois,"
At my personal solicitation Mr.. William
Cullen Bryant presided chairman of the
meeting, and introduced Mr.. Lincoln for the
first time to a New York audience
The lecture was a wonderful success. 1t has
become part of the history of the country. Its
remarkable ability was everywhere acknow-
of Mr.. Lincoln was a familiar one to the people
of tue East After Mr.. Lincoln closed his lee
Nye, Mr.. Horace Greeley, and myself were
called out by the audience, and made snort
short speeches. | remember saying then:-
zone of three gentlemen will be our standard
bearer in the Presidential contest of this year;
the distinguished Senator of New York, Mr.
Seward; the late able and accomplished cover
nor of Ohio, Mr.. Chase; or the unknown knight
who entered the political lists against the Bois
the prairies of Illinois in 1858, and immersed
h1m-Abraham Lincoln"
not being ''good prophet" The lecture was
over; all the expenses were paid; was handed
by tie gentlemen interested the sum OF "a 70 as
my share of the profits, as they would have
called on me If there had been deficiency in
the receipts tomeet expenses.
lmmediat ely after the lecture Mr.. Lincoln
went to Exeter, N. H, to visit his son Robert,
then at school there, and sent him check for
$500. Mr. Tubbs informed "a me lew wee weeks Is ago
he tore it up, but that he would give SIO for the
check if it could be restored, with the endorse
ment on it of "a. Lincoln, as IL was made
payable TO the order of Mr.. Lincoln.
After the return of Mr.. Lincoln to New York
1peeches, he said to me:-''I have seen what all
Ihe New York papers said about that thing OF
nine IA the Go9PeE F;o6 pos %a'a an Sde Wo1
like to know what Mr.. Bryant thought OF IT.;
and he then added-'.Lt is worth vlsiC from on
ncuu afntance Of such a man as William Cutler
Bryant" At Mr.. Lincoln's request sent him
copy of the FUe1liRg Post with a notice of hi
lecture.
on returning from Mr.. Beecher's church on q
Sunday in company with Mr.. Lincoln, as WI
were passing the Post Office, remarked to him
"Mr. Lincoln, wish you would take parttcula
notice of what a dark and dismal place we hav
here for Post Office, and do IT for this reason
think your chance for being the next Presl
dent is equal to that of any man In the country
When you are President, will you recommen
an appropriation OF a million OF dollars for
suitable location Tor a Post Office in this city
With a significant gesture. MIR. Lincoln re
marked, "I will make note of that"
on going up Broadway with him In the ever
Ing from the Astor House, TO hear the Rev, ID
Chapin, Mr.. Lincoln saiO to me:-"When wa
East, sew eraI gentlemen made about The sam
remark to me that you did to-day about III
Presidency; they tbongnt my chances wei
about equal to the best" j. A. H.
history OF the Turner Organization.
The Boston Journal gives the following IL
teTesting history OF the Turner organization l