The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-14

TCopyrighted, 1885, by S. S. Mcclure Coz
There is not in the history Of state po-
dticaI conventions one of more dramatic
interest than that at which on May %,
1856, the Republican party was born in
Illinois. In this convention Abraham
Lincoln delivered the greatest speech in
his career, that known as his Lost
Speech" Other states We're earlier in
organizing a branch of the new party de-
voted to preventing the extension of
slavery, but in no state had there been
more earnest anti Nebraska agitation, in
none was there a more determined set
Of men ready for resistance when the
moment came These men We're the hard
headed, honest-hearted, great-SouIed
members of all existing parties. These
were abolitionistS like Owen LoNeJoy,
Democrats like John M. Palmer, Wings
Ike David Davis. In their own counties
they had openly declared that they would
bolt their respective parties rather than
accept the Nebraska bill letting slavery
into free soil, and when a lew OF their
number called a convention on May 70,
1856, at Bloomington, H., for the express
purpose OF organizing a new party they
went there in a body ready for action.
''LINCOLN-LINCOLN Us LIN
COLIN"
The events of the days just before the
convention had steeled the weakest of
them. Kansas was in the hands CT a
pro-Slavery mob, her governor a prisoner,
her capitol in ruins, her voters intimi-
dated. The newspapers they were read
ing daily were filled with accounts of
The attack on Sumner in the senate by
Brooks. One of the very men whom
they had expected to be leader in their
own convention was lying at home pros
trated by a cowardly blow from a poll
teal opponent Little wonder then that
they came resolved upon actions which
CT s1az rls0rl1 Of NT die
organization which they saw threatening
the land. The convention was opened
with Senator J. NJ. Palmer in its chair.
Its work OF organizing and nominating
was carried through harmoniously but
the members felt the need of some power
full amalgamating force which would
yield into one their diScordant elements
In spite of their best intentions and their
most manly efforts they knew in their
hearts that The conventions were still
made up of political enemies, that the
Wing was still a Wing, the Democrat
Democrat, the Abolitionist Aboiitionist
Man after man was called to the platform
10 speak and many noble speeches were
made but none yet had touched their
hearts and converted them to pure Re
pubiicanism. Then suddenly there was 4
call raised of a name not on the pro-
gramme- Lincoln-Lincoln-Giv us Lin
coin" The crowd took it up and made
the hall ring until a tall figure rose in
the back OF the audience and slowly STROBE
down the aisle. an indulgent smile on his
lips. AS he turned to his audience there
came gradually a great change upon his
face. There was an expression of in
tense emotion" says one of his hearers,
who is still living. 1T was the emotion
OF great soul. Even in stature he
seemed greater. He seemed to realize it
was a crisis in his life" Lincoln's ex-
traordinary human insight and sympathy
told him as he looked al his audience that
what-this body of splendid. earnest, but
cropping men needed was tc feel that they
ha6 n
ent value that beside it all previous al
liances, ambitions and duties We're rs
nothing. If he could make them see
the triviality of their differences IS COM
pared with the tremendous principle of
the new party. he was certain they would
go forth Republicans in spirit as well as
in name.
A GIANT INSPIRED.
He began his speech. then, deeply NOV
ed, and with a profound sense of the i'm
portance OF the moment. At first he
spoke slowly and haatingly. but gradually
he grew in force and intensity until his
hearers thrilled, rose unconsciously from
their chairs and with pale faces and Quiv-
from the back of the broad platform or
which he stood, his hands on his hips
he slowly advanced towards the front. his
eyes blazing, his face white with passion
his voice resonant with the force of his
conviction. As he advanced he seemed to
his audience fairly to grow, and wher
st the end Of a period he stood at the
front line of the stage. hands still or
the hips head back, raised on his tiT
toes, he seemed like a giant inspired. ''At
that moment he was the handsomest mar
! ever saw" says one of his hearers.
So powerful was his effect on his au.
dience that men and women wept as they
cheered and that children there thai
night still remember the scene though a.
the time they understood nothing of it:
meaning. AS he went on there came
upon the convention the very emotion he
sought 10 arouse. Every one in that be
fore homogeneous assembly came to feel as
one man, to think as one man and tt
purpose and resolve as one man." say:
one of his auditors. He had made every
man of them pure Republican. He die
something more. The indignation which
the outrages in Kansas and Throughout;
the country had aroused was uncontrolled
Men talked passionately of war. It wa.
at this meeting that Lincoln, after firing
his hearers by an expression which be
came a watchword of the campaign
I'VE won't go out of the Union and yol
shan't," poured oil on the wrath Of tll'
Illinois opponents of the Nebraska bill
by advising ''ballets not bullets
THE REPORTERS FORGOT TO RE
PORT.
Nothing illustrates better the extraor
binary power of Lincoln at Bloomington
than the way he stirred up the newspa