Speech at Shelbyville, Illinois1Jump to section
August 9, 1856
Lincoln then took the stand and made a three hours speech. It was prosy and dull in the extreme---all about ``freedom,'' ``liberty'' and niggers. He answered nothing that had been said by Mr. Moulton, and dodged every issue in the present canvass, and attempted to make small side issues of no importance. He ridiculed the idea of disunion, and used a great many sophisms to divert the public mind from the true issue of the day.
Annotation
[1] Illinois State Register, August 19, 1856. Although other papers mention the meeting and Lincoln's speech, no other report has been located which gives any indication of the content. The occasion was a Democratic rally addressed by Samuel W. Moulton, Shelbyville attorney and leading Democrat.