The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1895-02-22


the eastern Republicans that no might
consent to deliver an address in New
York city. If there was no great belief
on the part Of these able eastern Repub-
licans III Mr.. Lincoln's higher intellec-
tual cultivation and quality, there was
OH the other hand something of curiosi-
ty to sec and hear this man who had
overthrown Douglas, and who had crys-
tallized public opinion in the west.
The congregation that assembled in
Cooper Union on that now historic even
ing was splendid one Many of the
distinguished Republicans brought their
wives or members of their families. Ev-
arts was there, curious to see and hear
| this man of whom he had heard so much,
but for whom he had not at that time
the most admiring opinion, perhaps be-
cause of premonitions that it was Lin
coin who was to defeat the darling hope
of Evarts and of that great company Of
eastern Republicans who had cherished
for four years the desire IN see Mr.. Sew
| ard nominated for tho presidency. Gov
ernor Morgan was there, and Moses Ii.
Grinnell, who might have been govern.
or had his partner not objected, and
young Colonel Arthur, who was after
ward to be president, and Professor
Dwight, one of the profoundest lawyers
| New York has ever had, and William
Cullen Bryant, even then seeming ven
erablo in appearance, and, in fact, near
| ly all of those men who had beQn con.
spicuous in the service of the young Re-
publican party in New York city.
Mr.. Lincoln was introduced, and very
happily, by William Cullen Bryant,
and when he stepped forth upon tho
platform great throng saw man con-
spicuous above every other one in that
hall for height, with "a sort of awkward
grace suggested by his loose jointed fig
ure, "a careless indifference to nicely in
his dress, his face clean shaven, homely
| and his hair tossed about his head scent
ingly as though his fingers had been run
carelessly through it just before he arose.
| His appearance for the moment was not
such as to greatly impress those who
saw him. He spoke i'll II voice pitched
upon u high tenor key, but it was no
ticcd that his words were distinctly
enunciatcd and his voice carried easily
over that hall.
His first sentence surprised the ac
complishod orators and thinkers who
were before him. They expected to hear
q fowery, rhetorical and snowy eXor-
dium, but there was no eXordium at all.
He plunged Immediately into his sub
ject, taking as his text n paragraph
oil 20 he
before by Douglas i'll Ohio. Before he
had spoken five minutes these able men
perceived his intellectual strength and
began to understand why he had gained
the pre-eminenco which distinguished
him in the west. There were no flowers
of rhetoric in tho address. but it was
noticed that the diction was singularly
accurate, simple, appropriate, and that
it was used with such remarkable fe-
Lefty as enabled him TO express abstract
ideas SO that they were understood upon
the moment of hearing.
Hc had that great and distinguished
audience completely in his power with
in few moments after no began to
speak. Curiosity had vanished, and
there came in its place that impressive
recognition which intellect gives to in
tellect Before he was half through it
was perceived that he was setting forth
the tremendous issues of the day in such
~ manner as had never been done in
New York, and when he had finished
these able men turned to one another
and with common thought exclaimed,
THAT is % mastery address. -
The pre.eminont ability revealed by
this address caused tho profoundcst inn
preston in New York city. The speech
and the man were the chief topics of in
tercst when Republicans met Oh the fol-
lowing day and for many days there
after and when the news came three
months later from Chicago that Mr..
Lincoln had been nominated for the
presidency there was probably not one
of those who heard that address who did
not recall it and find consolation in the
recollection Of it for their disappoint-
ment over Mr.. Stewards defeat.
E. J. EDWARDS.