A writer who heard Mr. Lincoln’s famous speech delivered in New York
after his nomination for President has left this record of the event:
“When Lincoln rose to speak, I was greatly disappointed. He was tall,
tall, oh, so tall, and so angular and awkward that I had for an instant
a feeling of pity for so ungainly a man. He began in a low tone of
voice, as if he were used to speaking out of doors and was afraid of
speaking too loud.
“He said ‘Mr. Cheerman,’ instead of ‘Mr. Chairman,’ and employed many
other words with an old-fashioned pronunciation. I said to myself, ‘Old
fellow, you won’t do; it is all very well for the Wild West, but this
will never go down in New York.’ But pretty soon he began to get into
the subject; he straightened up, made regular and graceful gestures; his
face lighted as with an inward fire; the whole man was transfigured.
“I forgot the clothing, his personal appearance, and his individual
peculiarities. Presently, forgetting myself, I was on my feet with the
rest, yelling like a wild Indian, cheering the wonderful man. In the
close parts of his argument you could hear the gentle sizzling of the
gas burners.
“When he reached a climax the thunders of applause were terrific. It
was a great speech. When I came out of the hall my face was glowing with
excitement and my frame all a-quiver. A friend, with his eyes aglow,
asked me what I thought of ‘Abe’ Lincoln, the rail-splitter. I said,
‘He’s the greatest man since St. Paul.’ And I think so yet.”