The Alaska daily empire., 1923-02-21
JINCOLN'S HOST SPEECH"

This year. as frequently has been the case about the time of Lneon's Birthday. there has been good deal written and said about "Lncoln's Lost Speech Every and again someone claims 10 nave or to have seen a copy of it. However the best authority seems to be that the speech indeed lost but that it's cense has been preserved.
 The Host speech delivered at Bloomington Ill., May 29, 1856. the time of the organization of the Republican party in Illinois, and accounts agree that it created such profound impression that even reporters forget their tasks and failed to take it down. The searching investigations and study of every scrap paper that Lincoln left has failed 10 disclose manuscript of the speech, and it is orally accepted fact that the speech extem- poraneous.
 1incolns Peoria speech made in the course of his campaign against Douglas for the Senate than two years after utterance the Host speech" is fuppcsod to have contained the substance of the Bloomington deliyerance Whitney's account of the lost speech" written from memory but which, it is admitted contained its substance and of it's rhraseology to jus.ify this contention.
 However Dr. William E. Barton. of the country's accepted Lincoln authorities, is probably correct in contending that the speech delivered Springfield october 30 1858 the nearogt duplication ot the "lot speech" of any subsequent deliverance Dr. Barton the Springfield speech was made to only two persons, Lincon's law partner W H. Hern- cen, and John Pain, friend otherwise un- distinguished. Under the circumstance it is not strange that the speech lacked much Of the quality
  ington. The "lcgt speech Bloomington presented Encoln's conception Of what the Republican Party should stand for on the slavery question. His Spring. field speech, delivered to two friends but really n- tended for the papers, stated his position on that question at the clo9e Of the campaign against Douglas IL was the same as before
 Oliver R. Barrett of Chicago recently gave out what he said the Test speech" He claimed to have in his possession the original manuscript but it has, apparently, been thoroughly established that his very valuable manuscript is that of the speech delivered at Springfield Herndon and Pain Tor the papers just before the election of that year The speech makes clear, did the Peoria speech mat Lincoln was not at that time in favor of the abolition of slavery but opposed it's extension He even admitted that the Fugitive Slave Law inter- pfetod In the famous Dred Decision was in ac- 7 dahee with the rights of the slave owners If >ws that he and Douglas were not very far apart - the saVcry question. Douglas was opposed to the eAtehsicn CT slavery unless the people of Territory 'Sheu 'o pe admitted with it. He favored Popular Sovereignty" And that point Lincoln had gone so Tar as to say that if tho people of Territory asked Tor admission a slave State if the other qualhcations as to population, were met he sup way 'i''''" that
 Linoolns Springfield speech, tho manuscript of which is in the hands Oliver E. Barrett of Chicago was follows:
 My friends, today closes the discussion of
 tnis canvass The planting and the culture
 are ever, and there remains but the prepara-
 ucn and the harvest. As 1 stand here sur rounded by fr1ends-some political, all per
 Sohal friends, l trust-may l be ndulged in thls closing scene to say a few words of
 myteH? have borne laborious and in
 some reSpecte to myself, painful part in the contest Through all have neither assailed nft nor Wrcsted with any part the Constitu-
 uon. The legal right of the Southern people to reclaim tbeir fugitves 1 have constantly
 admitted; tho legal right of Congress to n- :e teriefe with their institutions in the States 6ania
 In resisting the spread of slavery to new
 territory, and with that what appears to me ssaa. Vo De d tendency to subvert the first prn-
 cIple ol Tree government itself, my whole l. choIi mas consisted To the best of my iudp- ineho nave labored for and not against the
 ohlon As have felt so 1 have not ex pressed any harsh sentiment towards our southern bretheren l have constantly de-
 ciareo' as really believed. the only differ ehce between them and us is the difference of
 Circumstances
 have meant te assail the motives of no party, individual; and if l have in any I instance (of which l conscious de- . parted from my purpose, regret it. have said that in respects the ccntest has been painful to me. Myself and those with whom act, have been constantly 2 accused of purpose to destroy the Union; and begpattered with every imaginable odious
 epithet, and scme who friends as it
 were, but yesterday have made themselves