The Washington herald., 1914-07-03
HISTORY BUILDERS.
How Lincoln Surprised Hi, First New
York Audience.
tWntten eEpeszly for ne HeTald }
ny DR.. T.. j. EDWARDS.

Cwhtten expressly for The Healdl
ny DR.. z. J. EDWARDS.
The late cephas Bralnerd. who died in
1910, WAS 50 far as is known, the sole
survivor In the last years Of his life OF
all those who had oficial relation with
the reception OF Abraham Lincoln by the
Young Republicans OF New York City Ia
1850. Mr.. Brainerd was at that time only
thirty years OF age. but ever since the
Fremont campaign in 1856 he had been
actively associated with the Young Re-
puolicans. not only Of New York. but of
the United States.
Mr.. Brainerd was chosen chairman of
the reception committee whose duty IL
was TO make Mr.. Lincoln comfortable and
to escort him to Cooper Union. where he
was announced 10 deliver an address
upon the great questions OF the day. That
address has passed into history as the
Cooper Union address. At the time II
was delivered, no one In New York State
dreamed that Lincoln would be the Re-
publican candidate for President nomin-
ased at the Chicago convention. which
was to take place three months later
But II was thought by some OF the East
ern Republicans that he might be named
as party candidate for Vice President.
with William H. Seward at the head OF
the ticket
Many years after the Cooper Union ad-
dress was delivered had opportunity to
chat with Mr.. Brainerd and was able to
obtain from him some details OF Lin
coins appearance in New York at that
time which have not been made public
so far as I know.
Although II was known in a general
way that Lincoln's address to the young
Republicans would be chiefly confined to
some Of the historic and moral aspects
OF the slavery question:" said Mr. Brain
erd, yet none of us was told by Lin
coin anything respecting his speech. He
did inquire about the size OF Cooper
Union. asking how many that great
cavern would hold and whether IL was
good place to speak in. He wanted to
know whether IL was a good hall from
the acoustic point OF view.
After the address was finished, all OF
those with whom I talked spoke not only
with admiration. but with amazement OF
the fact that Lincoln had confined the
address TO a statement of what the un-
derstanding OF those who drafted the
Constitution was respecting the slavery
question. The address seemed 50 full Of
history, of the Constitutional conven-
tions, and every argument br line of
thought which Lincoln advanced was so
thoroughly fortified by references to the
discussion at the convention Of l7S7 that
II seemed to us that no man could have
had = more profound knowledge OF what
that convention said and did than Mr.
Lincoln Possessed.
The address was not exactly what was
expected. for we had heard much OF his
colloquial and his neighborly manner OF
speaking when addressing the citizens
Of Illinois. This Cooper Union address
we all recognized as that OF a scholar
Some years later-I think Il was short
ly after Gen. Grant became President-II
was telling a friend Of my Impressions
Of Lincoln and his address, when he told
me a remarkable thing. He said that
he had been told by David Davis who
was a Justice Of the Supreme Court at
Washington and had been an intimate
personal and political friend Of Lincoln.
that In the preparation Of this address
Lincoln consulted no other AUTHORITY and
read no other work than those which set
forth the discussions at the Constitu-
tional convention OF 17S7. / think II Is
without precedent that an epoch-mak-
ing address based upon historical state
ment was ever before made after con-
sultation with a single authority"
tCoryriEht. 1915. By p. J. EdWaris An rizhta re-