Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1895-02-09
As A STUMP SPEAKER
LincoIn's Famous Grafton In Cooper Un-
ion, New York.

t0Ng NUN tVEA'
Mr.. Lincoln was the only man who
ever Went directly from the stump to
the presidency and was, In fact, the
only man ever chosen to that office
who did not at the time OF such
choice or within a very near period
of time hold public Office or stand
conspicuous before the nation for
military achievement.
Mr.. Lincoln was nominated for the
presidency within few weeks after
he had finished the last and one of
the most important stumping tours
which he ever made. 1t is one about
which less has been written than has
been told of any of his other exper-
fences upon the hastings, and yet it
was one which had almost as impor-
tant influence in rcconciling the lead
ing men of bis party to his nomina-
tion as even that more conspicuous
and brilliant succession of debates
which he held two years before with
Stephen A. Douglas.
1t was doubtless with view Of
revealing to the able men of the east
that Mr.. Lincoln was as logical, lu-
cid, terse, impressive and cultivated
an orator as any man that the east
possessed that the suggestion was
delicately conveyed to the eastern
Republicans that he might consent
to deliver an address in New York
city. If there was no great belief
on the part of these able eastern Re-
publicans in Mr.. Lincoln's higher ln-
tellectual cultivation and quality,
there was on the other hand some
thing of curiosity to see and hear
this man who had oyerthrown Doug
las, and who had crystallized public
opinion in the west.
The congregation that assembled
in Cooper Union on that now his
toric evening was splendid one.
Many Of the distinguished Republi-
cans brought their wives or members
of their families. Evarts was there.
curious TO see and hear this man Of
whom he had heard so much, hut for
whom he had not at that time the
most admiring opinion, perhaps be.
cause of premonitions that it was
Lincoln who was to defeat the darl-
ing hope of Evarts and OF that great
company OF eastern Republicans who
had cherished for years the desire to
see Mr.. Seward nominated for the
presidency. Governor Morgan was
there, and Moses II. Grinnell, who
might have been governor had his
partner not objected, and young Col.
Arthur, who was afterward to be
president, and Professor Dwight ne
of the profoundest lawyers New
York has ever had, and WilliamCul-
len Bryant, even then seeming VEN
cradle in appearance, and, in fact,
nearly al of those men who had been
conspicuous in the service of the
young Republican party in New
York city.
Mr.. Lincoln was introduced, and
very happily, by William Cullen
Bryant, and when he stepped forth
upon the platform great throng
saw a man conspicuous above every
other one in that hall for height, with
a sort Of awkward grace suggested
by his loose jointed figure, careless
indifference to nicely in his dress,
his face clean shaver, homely and his
hair tossed about his head seemingly
as though his fingers had been run
carelessly through it just before he
arose. His appearance for the mo-
ment was not such as 20 greatly i'm
press those who saw him. He spoke
in a voice pitched upon high tenor
key, but it was noticed that his
words were distinctly enunciated,
and his voice carried easily ov,r that
hall.
His first sentence surprised the ac-
complished orators and thinkers who
were before him. They expected to
hear fowery, rhetorical and snowy
exordium, but there was no exor-
dunn at all. He plunged immediate
ly into his subject, taking as his text
a paragraph from speech delivered
a few months before by Douglas in
Ohio. Before be had spoken five
minutes these able men perceived
his intellectual strength and began
to understand why he had gained the
pre- eminence which distinguished
him in the west There was no flow
ers of rhetoric in the address, but it
was noticed that the diction was sin
gularly accurate, simple, appropriate
| and that it was used with such re-
markable felicity as enabled him to
| express abstract ideas SO that they
we're understood upon the moment
of hearing.
He had that great and distinguish
ed audience completely in his power