From: cowan@ssrl01.slac.stanford.edu (P.L. Cowan)
Newsgroups: alt.war.civil.usa
Subject: Re: "Lincoln" TV special
Date: 30 Dec 92 13:08:56 -0800
Organization: SSRL, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lab
NNTP-Posting-Host: ssrl01.slac.stanford.edu

In article <51430003@hpwrce.mayfield.hp.com>, tonyz@hpwrce.mayfield.hp.com (Tony Zugates) writes:
> 
> Would someone be so kind as to post Lincoln's Gettysburg address?
> I just saw the TV special "Lincoln" and listened in awe to the 
> words of a man I consider great.  I know its a lot of typing but 
> I dont have a copy of it and it was very inspiring.

This is from an article by Garry Wills (who has a book on the same
subject) that appeared in the June 1992 issue of _The_Atlantic_. (If
the group ever has a FAQ, perhaps... well, forget I opened my mouth)
8^)

      Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this
    continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to
    the proposition that all men are created equal.
      Now we are engaged in a great Civil War, testing whether that
    nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long
    endure.
      We are met on a great battle-field of that War.
      We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final
    resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation
    might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do
    this.
      But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate - we can not
    consecrate - we can not hallow - this ground.
      The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have
    consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The
    world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it
    can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living,
    rather, to to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they
    who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for
    us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -
    that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that
    cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -
      that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died
    in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of
    freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for
    the people, shall not perish from the earth.

> 
> The TV special was pretty good for commercial television...although
> I dont think they were trying to compete with Burns's PBS Civil War
> series they did pretty well, and I feel the country owes a lot
> to this man whether Northerner or Southerner.   
> 

I basically agree. Before PBS became wide spread (it used to be the
NET) commercial TV used to have some pretty good documentaries. One
could raise some legitimate criticisms, but the fact is undeniable
that this was the best documentary on the big three networks for a
decade, possibly two decades.

> I hope they continue to provide this type of television....
> I'd like to see something more on the other great men of that time..
> Robert E. Lee, Grant etc..  

Based on the ratings, I'm afraid you are more likely to see more on such
characters from American history as Amy Fisher. 8^(

-- 
Paul Cowan     
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