The Life and Public Service of General Zachary Taylor: An Address | Page 2

weeks later, and just before the address itself was
delivered. The occasion for the delay would appear to have been that
the Common Council of the City of Chicago had started independently
a movement for a Memorial Service, and that the two committees after
some conference had agreed to combine in one service to be held in the
City Hall. The following correspondence was published on Wednesday
evening, July 24:
EULOGY UPON THE LATE PRESIDENT
The following is a copy of the correspondence between the Hon. A.
Lincoln and the Committee of Arrangements, for paying a suitable
tribute of respect to the late President of the United States:
A. LINCOLN, Esq.

Sir:--We, the undersigned Committee, appointed at a meeting of our
fellow citizens, to act in conjunction with the Committee appointed by
the Common Council of this city, to select a suitable person to deliver
an address to our citizens at the City Hall upon the life of Z. Taylor,
deceased, late President of the United States of America.
We have, with great unanimity of feeling and sentiment of both
Committees, selected yourself for the purpose named--and desire that
you will be kind enough to accept thereof and to name the time when
you will perform that duty, of addressing your fellow-citizens of
Chicago, at the place named.
With sentiments of high esteem Your fellow-citizens
L. C. KERCHEVAL B. S. MORRIS G. W. DOLE J. H. KINZIE W. L.
NEWBERRY
CHICAGO, ILL., July 24, 1850
GENTLEMEN:--
Yours of the 22nd inviting me to deliver an address to the citizens of
this city upon the life of Z. Taylor, deceased, late President of the
United States, was duly received. The want of time for preparation will
make the task, for me, a very difficult one to perform, in any degree
satisfactory to others or to myself. Still I do not feel at liberty to decline
the invitation; and therefore I will fix to-morrow as the time. The hour
may be any you think proper, after 12 o'clock M.
Your Ob't. Serv't A. LINCOLN
Messrs. L. C. KERCHEVAL B. S. MORRIS GEO. W. DOLE JOHN H.
KINZIE W. L. NEWBERRY
Formal announcement of the time and place appeared in the papers of
Thursday, July 25.
EULOGY

The Eulogy upon General Taylor will be delivered at 4 o'clock this
afternoon at the City Hall, by A. Lincoln, Esq., in obedience to the
request of the Council, and of citizens.
The Committee of Arrangements took action immediately following
the address and on the same day made formal request of Mr. Lincoln
for a copy of the address for publication. The committee's letter and
Lincoln's reply were both printed in full:
CHICAGO, July 25, 1850
DEAR SIR:--
Having listened with great satisfaction to the chaste and beautiful
eulogism on the character and services of Zachary Taylor, late
President of the United States, pronounced by you before the citizens of
Chicago, and desirous that the public at large may participate in the
pleasure enjoyed by those who had the good fortune to be present on
the occasion, we respectfully request that you will furnish a copy of
your address for publication.
With great regard Your obedient servants L. C. KERCHEVAL, City
Committee RICHARD J. HAMILTON, For the Committee Common
Council City of Chicago.
To HON. A. LINCOLN
CHICAGO, July 26, 1850
GENTLEMEN:--
Your polite note of yesterday, requesting for publication a copy of the
address on the life and public services of Gen. Taylor, is received; and I
comply with the request very cheerfully. Accompanying this I send you
the original manuscript.
Your ob't serv't A. LINCOLN
Messrs. L. C. KERCHEVAL R. J. HAMILTON

As was fitting, the committee turned over the manuscript to "The
Journal," a Whig paper, and "The Journal" undertook to furnish the
address to its readers on Saturday, July 27. It found itself under the
necessity however, of printing only part of the address in that issue, and
apologized with a statement that postponement of the remainder was
due to illness among its workmen. On Monday the address was printed
complete. The type used in the Saturday issue remained standing and
the remainder of the Eulogy was set up, and joined to it.
My attention was called to this report by Hon. Edward W. Baker, of
Barry, Illinois, who having undertaken to discover in the Chicago
Historical Society another matter relating to Lincoln, in which we were
both interested, found this address and reported it to me, with an
inquiry whether I had knowledge of it. I made search of the daily
papers of the period and found not only the address, but the
correspondence and notable items as here given.
Lincoln must have been glad of this opportunity to speak out of his
heart his words of sincere admiration for a man whom he