Articles ยท Abraham Lincoln
On February 27, 1860, the Illinois lawyer Abraham Lincoln delivered an address at the Cooper Union in New York City. Speaking before a skeptical eastern audience, he set out to prove himself a serious national candidate.
Lincoln devoted the heart of the speech to a careful historical study of the founders' views on slavery in the territories, arguing that a majority of them believed the federal government could and should restrict its spread.
He closed with a ringing appeal to principle: 'Let us have faith that right makes might, and in that faith let us, to the end, dare to do our duty as we understand it.' The address, widely reprinted, lifted Lincoln to the front rank of Republican contenders for the presidency.