Anniversary celebrated with timely return

Norwich — Presidential candidate Abraham Lincoln took a strong stance against the spread of slavery and challenged his Democratic and southern opponents to give up their "assumed" Constitutional rights to bring slaves into the western territories and "hold them there as property."

It essentially was a speech Lincoln gave two weeks earlier in 1860 to a raucous New York City audience. So powerful his argument that supporters in Connecticut urged the candidate in the newly formed Republican Party to tour this state and repeat it.

Lincoln's train rolled into Norwich on March 9, 1860, exactly 150 years ago from Tuesday night's re-enactment by Lincoln scholar Howard Wright. The crowd was not as large, nor as emotionally charged as the original contingent that greeted Lincoln, but outside City Hall dozens of Lincoln supporters carried signs and shouted support for their candidate in a torch-lit march from City Hall to the Wauregan Hotel for a reception, more speeches and campaign songs.

One parade participant carried a sign also urging residents to vote for "Our Buckingham for Governor." Lincoln's visit to Norwich had a dual purpose to boost Norwich resident Gov. William A. Buckingham's upcoming campaign.

In introducing Lincoln to the packed Council Chambers at City Hall, Buckingham - portrayed by Richard Silocka - told the audience that Lincoln deserved their support.

"His speeches were clear, logical, powerful and exhaustive," the governor said.

Wright, with an authentic Kentucky drawl and characteristic black suit and top hat, gave excerpts from the speech Lincoln had given in 1860, noting that the original version was two hours long. Lincoln made a Constitutional case for stopping the spread of slavery and accusing the southern states of trying to "rule or ruin" the Union.

Norwich Free Academy students Stephanie Burke, Victoria Dearborn and Stephen Piotrkowski placed the event in historical context for the modern audience of about 150 people, describing the bitter struggle over slavery and Norwich's own position of wealth in the booming Industrial Revolution.

Lincoln himself noted that wealth, expressing surprise that this poor New England soil that won't even grow black-eyed peas, but "never have I seen men so wealthy and poor people so scarce."

Following Lincoln's speech, Piotrkowski was tasked with explaining what happened after the election.

"Mr. Lincoln, I'm afraid I have bad news," Piotrowski said before summarizing the five-year bloody Civil War, the presidential assassination and the withering of Lincoln's goal of rebuilding the South following the war.

Tuesday's event, organized by the Norwich 150th Civil War Anniversary Event Committee, was the first in a planned five-year commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. Sponsors covered the cost to allow the group to print and distribute free tickets for both the speeches at City Hall and the reception that followed at the Wauregan.

Although much the same crowd, the Wauregan Ballroom participants clapped and joined in songs performed by Norwich resident and former state Troubadour Tom Callinan, sporting a Union infantry musician's uniform with accompanying musician's sword.

When Lincoln recited the Gettysburg Address from the November 1863 dedication of a burial ground at the battlefield site, the crowd rose in a spontaneous standing ovation. Some rose fists for emphasis when Callinan sang "The Union forever, hurrah boys hurrah. Down with the traitors and up with the stars."

The second standing ovation followed the NFA Ambassadors singing group's rendition of "Battle Hymn of the Republic."

Norwich Mayor Peter Nystrom, who arrived late after work, thanked organizers of Tuesday's "festive event," and gave his own Lincoln story. Nystrom recalled writing an essay about Lincoln in sixth grade.

"Perhaps that stuck with me," he said. "I'm one of the few Republicans in Norwich," Nystrom said.

c.bessette@theday.com