e sat in the Bowen
pew, just back of the Beecher pew, in the morning; in the evening he
arrived very late, and sat in a front pew, in the gallery, with Mr.
Bowen and a friend who had waited in the hall for Mr. Lincoln's arrival.
Lincoln spent the afternoon at the Sunday-school mission, over in Five
Points. As the superintendent of the mission was always casting about
for somebody to talk to his ragamuffins, he asked the tall stranger if
he would say a few words. When they reached the platform, the
superintendent asked Lincoln by what name he should introduce him, to
which Lincoln gave the answer, "Tell them Abraham Lincoln of Illinois,"
which was answer enough. The meeting the next day in Cooper Institute
was perhaps the most memorable assembly ever held in New York. William
Cullen Bryant presided, Horace Greeley sat on Lincoln's right, Peter
Cooper close by. "No man," said the _Tribune_, "since the days of Clay
and Webster, spoke to a larger assemblage of the intellect and mental
culture of our city. The speech was packed with reason, facts, but
stripped bare of rhetorical flourish. Its keynote was, '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.'" Four morning newspapers reported
the speech in full, and Greeley called him the Great Convincer, saying
no man ever before made such an impression in his first appeal to a New
York audience. That speech probably made Lincoln President.

By universal consent, Lincoln's nomination in 1860 is one of the
mysteries of politics. Every man of light and leading conceded Seward's
nomination in advance, and two-thirds of the delegates went to the
convention pledged, while eight of the Illinois delegates were against
Lincoln in his own State. The East could not believe that the sceptre
could pass from their hands. Special trains from New York carried
brilliant banners, and New York bands and drilled clubs marched and
countermarched up and down the streets of Chicago. A great wooden wigwam
set up for the occasion held 10,000 spectators. The placing of Seward in
nomination was wildly applauded. But, to the surprise of everybody, the
naming of Lincoln was the signal of an outburst of such enthusiasm as
had never been known. Men held their breath as the votes were
registered. Seward had 1731/2 against Lincoln's 102. As noted in a
former chapter, it has been thought that Horace Greeley's standing out
for Governor Bates