The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-09-01

to have done in a way that stirred MP
that convention. Happily there was
a levelheaded dispassionate lawyer
present at the convention, who practic-
| ed in the same circuit with Lincoln.
! and who made full notes Of the speech.
That fact lately being ascertained. Nc
Clure prevailed upon him TO transcribe
| them, The speech as written out from
| these notes were submitted TO Medili,
who says it is complete. Judge Emery
who still lives in Lawrence, was asked
by the Journal Of that city TO give his
recollections of the historical occasion.
which he does in last Saturdays issue.
and which reads as follows:
In response TO your request for me
to give you my recollections and i'm
pressions of Lincoln's Lost Speech
which appears in the September num-
Der of McClure's magazine, as spoken
May %, 1854, at Bloomington. Illinois,
have to say that it was my own good
fortune TO have heard Mr.. Lincoln on
that, now. historic occasion. L had
been east telling the story of bleeding
Kansas as the saying was in those
stirring days, beginning at Quincy, H.,
and rounding up in Old Fanueil hall,
Boston. l was hearing much of what
was taking place in Kansas, especially
the burning of the hotel and the sack
ing of Lawrence, so l greatly wished
to get back home. Leaving New York
shortly after the Lawrence news reach
ed me. arrived in Chicago May q and
there learned that the Missouri river
was shut off from free state travel and
that it was not likely that ] could get
through at all. But ! resolved TO try
and took train the next morning for
St Louis AT Bloomington met Gov
ernor Reeder fleeing from Kansas and
he told me 10 go no further as il would
be both dangerous and an idle trip.
Besides there was at the time a great
gathering, made up of men of all par
ties who were opposed to any more
slave states, to come off the next day,
May 90 Such meetings in those days
we're always composed Of those friend
" to Kansas. The outpouring was
tremendous, I think / never attended
political meeting which seemed TO
mean so much as did that one. Men of
all parties were there to hear and to
decide what they should do. 1t was
time Of breaking old party ties and
forming new ones. Mr.. Lincoln was an
old whig and that day he became a new
Republican, and this was an entirely
new name. / took a seat in the back
part Of the hall as the crowd surged in
when the meeting was called to order.
I was there to listen for what might
be said about Kansas.
O. III. Browning presided and made
conservative talk saying that slavery
was sacredly protected by the supreme
law
''He was followed by Owen Loyejoy
in an address full of fire and hot logic.
"Just at this time a young man came
back from the reporters table and adj
dressing me, said:"Fm going to call You
put for speech while the committee on
is out You talk till they
come in and then Abe Lincoln OF
Springfield is to speak. the best stump
speaker we have This young man
was Joe Medill, the present proprietor
of the Chicago Tribune. had plenty
of Kansas talk on hand and SO / could
talk ON short notice. But was watch
ing all the time for the committee to
come in and waned to get sigh of Mr..
Lincoln, the great stump speaker of
Illinois, as he was then coming to be
known. He was even then passing
Douglas. AS L stepped aside Mr.. Lin
colin was called for from all sides.
az then, for the first and last time, |
fixed my eyes upon the great president. |
thought he was not dressed very neat |
and that his gait in walking up TO the |
platform was sort of swinging. His |
lair was sort of rough and his stoep Of
shoulders was noticeable.
'.But what took me most was his in
epse serious look He at once held
his big audience and handled it like the
master he was then when before the
,eople pleading in a great and just
:ause.
To-day that '1ost speech" looks quite
His chief contention all
through it was that Kansas must come
q free, not slave. He said he did not
want to NEEDLE with slavery where il
.xisted and that he was in favor Of o
and efficient fugitive slave
aw.'
al do not now recall how long he
poke, None of us did judge. He was
t his best and the mad inSolence Of the
lave power, as at that time exhibited,
'efore the country. furnished plenty
f material for his unspsring logic 10
ffectively deal with before Il popular
Men that day hardly were able to
axe the true gusge OF Mr.. Lincoln He
lad not yet been recognized as
reat man, and 50 we were not little
uzzled to know where his power came
rom. lie was not eloquent like Phil
ps. nor could be electrify an audience
Ike Lovetoy, but he could beat them
9th in the deep and lasting conviction
g left on the minds OF all who chanc-
q, as / did. to listen to him In those
avs, now fast receding into the mystic
aSt