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Lincoln steps upon the national stage... The Cooper Union speech...



Item # 713872

February 28, 1860

NEW YORK SEMI-WEEKLY TRIBUNE, Feb. 28, 1860  The front page has over five columns devoted to coverage of this famous speech which is headed: "NATIONAL POLITICS" "A Speech Delivered at the Cooper Institute Last Evening, by Abraham Lincoln, of Illinois".
At this point Lincoln had not declared himself a presidential candidate, and this was his first opportunity to establish his platform before an eastern audience, to strike a blow against slavery and for his own political future. The significance of this speech is such that a book recently written was titled " Lincoln at Cooper Union: The Speech That Made Abraham Lincoln President", by Harold Holzer.
This issue not only gives the complete, lengthy text of this significant speech but has prefacing comments & also reports on the events following Lincoln completing his speech, which notes: "...Mr. Lincoln's speech excited frequent & irrepressible applause. His occasional repetition of his text never failed to provoke a burst of cheers & audible smiles..." with more. 
An extremely significant newspaper reporting this signal event in the life of Abraham Lincoln, cementing his ties to the Oval Office and the fate of the country during the tumultuous Civil War.
Eight pages, light foxing, archival strengthening at the blank spine, some rubbing at the central vertical fold causes two tiny holes affecting 5 words in the Lincoln speech (see photos).

Of special note: this is the semi-weekly edition or this paper, although the daily edition had the identical content with the same date. But the Lincoln speech was on page 6 of the daily edition.

 

Item from our most recent catalog - #365 - released for April, 2026

Category: Pre-Civil War