Site of Lincoln's First Speech in Ohio - Columbus, Ohio
Posted by: Mr. 0
N 39° 57.748 W 082° 59.923
17S E 329290 N 4425504
The coords take you to an Ohio Historic Marker located on Broad St. in downtown Columbus, Ohio. The marker is placed beside the Ohio Statehouse where Lincoln's first speech in Ohio was made. Lincoln's body also lay in state here on April 29, 1865.
Waymark Code: WM1JYN
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 05/22/2007
Views: 136
The marker reads:
"Lincoln at the Statehouse"
This slavery element is a durable element of discord among us "we shall probably not have perfect peace in this country with it until it either masters the free principle in our government, or is mastered by the free principle."
On September 16, 1859, Abraham Lincoln addressed a small crowd from the east terrace of the Statehouse. In his first Ohio speech, Lincoln repeated his conviction that "a house divided against itself cannot stand" and took issue with Democrat Stephen Douglas' concept of "popular sovereignty". Published and widely circulated as an addendum to the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, Lincoln's Columbus speech helped stake a firm position for the Republican Party in the 1860 presidential campaign that followed. Lincoln twice returned to Columbus: once on February 13, 1861 to address a joint session of the legislature prior to his inauguration, and one last time, on April 29, 1865. From 9:30 a.m. until 4 p.m., Lincoln's body lay in state in the Rotunda as 50,000 mourners filed through the Statehouse to pay their respects.
The other side of the marker also provides information about the Statehouse in general. Parking can sometimes be a little scarce downtown. There is a parking garage located directly under the Statehouse, as well as metered parking on some of the smaller streets just a few blocks away. For more information on the Statehouse you can visit their homepage