Evening star., 1936-02-12
LOST" ADDRESS
OF LINCOLN FOUND
w. p. A. Researcher Uncov.
ers Manuscript of 1864
Speech.

Forgotten for years in a bank vault
at Dryden, N. Y, the lost" manuscript
of the address which President Lin
coin delivered at the White House Mo-
vember 10. 1864, at the celebration OF
his reelection, has been reclaimed
for the public by w. P. A. researcher.
The discovery was made by Prof
Roland p. Gray. New York State re-
search editor for the American Guide.
while seeking news of an historical
nature in the little town. A chance
word from a bank official led to It's
finding. BY permission of the trus-
tees of the Dryden Public Library,
which owns the manuscript. Prof.
Gray made photostatic copies for ex-
hibit in the Library of Congress.
According to The Evening Star of
that time, which devoted several first
page columns to the account of the
1864 celebration. the members of the
Union League formed lines in front
of the club rooms on Ninth street and
marched up Pennsylvania avenue,
] 400 or /, 400 of them. carrying torch
lights and tranSparencies. Brass bands
blared and men from the Navy Yard
discharged two howitzers at intervals.
Most of Washington turned out to
see the spectacle. Men and boys
climbed into trees and around the
sides of the White House itself. 1t
was a jubilant celebration, with fire.
works and cannon salutes, and the
crowd set up cry for the President.
Booth Rumored There.
The traditional story, not fully veri-
fed, is that John Wilkes Booth at the
time was on the White House lawn,
plotting the Presidents death. Ac-
cording to The Stars account, Mr..
Lincoln appeared at the window above
the portico and gave the speech which
he had prepared especially for the oc-
casion. 1t opened with the words:
1T has long been grave question
whether any Government. not too
strong for the liberties of the people,
can be strong enough to maintain its
own existence in great emergencies"
He concluded:
And now let me close by asking
three hearty cheers for our brave SOL
dters and seamen and their gallant
and skillful commanders"
The cheers were given with enthusi-
asm. The marchers then left to Sere-
made the members of the cabinet.
Seward Also a Speaker.
Secretary Seward, The Star relates,
was one of the speakers. He ended
with words which were in tragic con-
trast with the thoughts of Booth. if
the latter were actually in the throng:
The election has placed our Presi-
dent beyond the pale of human envy
or human harm; as, henceforth, all
men will come to see him as you and
I have seen him-a true, loyal, pa
tient, patriotic and benevolent man.
CThat's so.' some shouted and the
crowd cheered) Having no longer
any motive to malign and injure
him, detraction will cease and Abra-
ham Lincoln will take his place with
Washington and Franklin and JEFF
ferson and Adams and Jackson among
the benefactors of the country and
of the human race"
How the manuscript came into the
possession of the Dryden Public Lii
brary is told by Prof. Gray in a
report to the Works Progress Ad-
ministration, which Is compiling the
Governments forthcoming travel
handbook of the United States.
Son Sent 1t to Dwight.
The manuscript remained with the
Lincoln family until April IS, 1916,
when Robert T. Lincoln, son of the
President. sent it to Representative
John w. Dwight of Dryden. N. Y,
with the following self-explanatory
message:
You know my gratitude to you for
your effective work in the House in
the legislation providing for the erec-
ton of the Lincoln Memorial here,
which is now approaching compile
ton, but I wish you to have some
thing tangible as testimonial Of
my feeling and which may be asso-
ciated by you in your memory of
that part Of your public work.
In the book by Noah Brooks, en-
titled Washington in Lincoln's Time
you will find an account of a public
demonstration at the White House
Immediately after the presidential
election of 1864, at which my father
made speech which he had writ
ten out beforehand. I am sending
to you the original manuscript used
by him on that occasion and I beg
your acceptance of it, with the re-
newed assurance of my kindest re-
CARDS
Dryden is near Ithaca, where Prof.
Gray makes his home. Representa-
tive Dwight later gave the manu-
script to the Dryden Public Library,
but for Safekeeping 1t was deposited
in a bank vault
The paper and ink are still un-
faded and the whole manuscript of
four foolscap sheets is in perfect
condition. Prof. Gray reports. I'm
lead pencil, apparently in Lincoln's
own hand, Is written the date No
vember 10. 1854"
Prof. Gray presented a photostat
copy to the Dryden Library, which
has placed it on exhibition. DR., j.
Franklin Jameson, chief of the Man.
uscript Division of the Library of Con-
gress, as Lincoln day feature, also
exhibited copy of Prof Gray's
report of his discovery to Henry @.
Alsberg, director of the Federal
Writers Project and editor in chief
of the American Guide.