Morning journal and courier., 1892-02-15
TIT WAS A GREAT CRISIS.

n Days During the Final Struggle Between Grant and Lee Before Richmond-Abraham Lincoln's Re- nomination-A Striking Chapter of National History as Related From the Personal Knowledge of Post master sperry, Then a Member of the National Republican Committee Abraham L1ncoln's Visit and Speech at New Haven.
 Hon. N. D. Sperry's masterly speech at he Lincoln birthday anniversary at the league Friday night last, was, from beginning to end, replete with inter esting and striking facts graphically told, and absunded with vigorous, eloquent pas sages deeply impressive, and though deal l ing with many facts, was wholly extem- | poraneous, no notes used The large of it as 8 speech of rare interest and most befitting the occasion, and, its interest was heightened all the mofe from the fact that much of what was related concerning Abraham Lincoln and the momentous events referred to were told from the personal knowledge of the speaker, who, in his capacity as member of the national republican committee and secretary of that body, was personally cog nizant of much of the inner history of the war of the rebellion, and the pivots on which great events turned in the adminis- tration of Abraham Lincoln.
 The most impressive and striking DOT tion of MT. Spezry's address was in the closing portion, when he gave 8 bit of un- written history, which, said the speaker, was for the first time made public on this occasion It ia as follows:
 The Baltimore convention had renomi- mated Abraham Lincoln, renomination eminently nomination made because de- manded by the voice of the people, fol, ,re- marked MT. Sperry, only twelve members, 8 very meager portion, of the members of congress, favored the renomination. The voice of the people, like vast tidal wave, swept everything before it, drowned all po- great leader and statesman and Christian hero. But the nation was engulfed in gloom in the days immediately following the renomination. The war dragged along for three years and the end seemed as far distant as ever. Sherman had not yet made his brilliant victory, and the nation feared that he would be overwhelmed in the heart of the confederacy. The Petersburg mine had exploded with dismal results. Grant, the si lent, grand hero, was pounding away with his army before Richmond in the wilder ness, without any apparent substantial progress and the nation feared that even he, the hero of Shiloh, Corinth, overmatched, overwhelmed by Lee be- fore Richmond. It was time of deep gloom. Grant had lost tens of thousands of men in the wilder ness. A call came for 700, 900 more men. The price of substitutes ran up to $700 8 man then to $1,0OO. A war tax of five per cent. was laid. The crops were ungar- nered. There seemed to be not men enough for the purpose. Rebel sympathizers at the north again became bold and defiant, and rebel flags were raised and Haunted were depressed and looking with bated breath and anxious eyes for news of vic- tory for our flag. It was at this critical period that the Saratoga convention came, at which the national repub- ioan committee met for the purpose of laying plans for action in the political campaign pending. Understand. The Bal timore convention had renominated Lin coln, and it was in the interval between this and the Saratoga convention of the con- mittee that the dark and gloomy period for the Union cause occurred. The Baltimore convention had endorsed Abraham Lin coln's plan of action. In opposition to the | theory held by many leading republicans, Lincoln stoutly stood for the preservation | of the integrity of the conquered states and in opposition to the plan for placing them under territorial governments. Abraham Lincoln said firmly, Nol The conquered states must not be. considered as ter ritories. Lincoln's voice was also unwsvering for vigorous prose eution of the law. The national com, mittee appointed an executive committee. They met at the old Union hall, Saratoga, | which stood on the site where the Grand Union hotel now stands. MT. Sperry was | tee In the face of peace cries, the dreary waiting for union victories, the per cent war tax, the flying of peace flags in all directions by copperheads, and the urgency of calls for peace address made also al this time, the committee, after a moment ous discussion decided that Abraham Lin. coln's plan, the plan adopted at the Balti | more convention, was the only sound platform. The committee adjourned to meet again at the Astor house, New York to await the issuance of McClellan's letter of acceptance. Mcclellan had been nomi mated at Chicago on peace cry platform
 But, gentlemen, what had happened 1T the last few dayss
 The tide had turned. Instead of defea victory had come. Sherman had con quered and Atlanta was ours. The hear of the confederacy had been pierced ant rebel power broken in the heart of thu south by that ever famous march to the sea. Grant had captured Ream's Statio1 and cut off the source of supply for Lee' army. He had been gradually tightening his coil about the great rebel army and incl by inch was gaining supremacy. Victorie I 1ol $bo oc %Io and the navy had added new victories alst to thrill the union.
 l The clouds had rolled away and the sta spangled banner was still there, and glori ously triumphant.
 What happened now!
 The peace flags all over the country wer
 suddenly hauled down.
 Gre eeley. Jake Thompson, Saunders
 Co.,, who had been at Niagara trying to gs up scheme for patching up an ingloriou
 peace, retreated under cover of the Unio1
 victories and were no longer heard.
 What did Mcclellan do!
 The tide had turned and instead of pro
 claiming in his letter of acceptance tn
 platform of his party at his nomination
 he turned around and now came out for
 vigorous prosecution of the war.
 What a change.
 The national committee had jubilee a | the AstOr house. The crisis was passed
 The nation was breaking off it's shackles
 A glorious triumph for the policy of Abrs
 ham Lincoln and his triumphant reelection
 were now assured.
 It was indeed an hour for rejoicing.
 One of the most interesting features o
 Mir. Sperry's speech was his reference t,
 the visit of Abraham Lincoln to Ne1
 Haven in 1860.
 MT. Sperry was then chairman of tn
 state republican committee. When Lin coln made his Cooper Institute speech MT
 Sperry bethought him to get MT. Lincoll
 here. Unable to go personally to Nev
 York to induce him to speak here, he sen to see him John D. Csndee then lawye
 in New Haven, who had his office in tn
 Lyon building, and who was afterward fo
 years editor and proprietor of the Bridge
 port Standard, paper founded and bull
 up to it's present stability and influence b.
 exertions. Mr. Candee's mission wa
 successful. MT. Sperry met Mir
 Lincoln at the old depot, ow the cit, market. On inquiring as to where h
 would prefer to stop MT. Lincoln replied
 that he was in MT. Sperry's hands. MT
 Sperry thereupon arranged for his becom ing the guest of our lamented townsman the late James F. Babcock. The address delivered by MT. Lincoln in New Have,
 was at the old Union hall, over what wa
 then the Jocelyn stables, now Aurora hall The gist of MT. Sperry's remarks upo1 MT. Lincoln's address was given in Satur
 days COURIER. MT. Lincoln's remark
 were upon how to treat the subject of sla l x1if ,so t1 ifo {rin