Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1865-07-20
The Gettysburg CelcbrattOn-Aet-
ter from President Johnson.

Washington, July D.
D. Nsllis, Chairman Of the Committee OF
Arrangemcnts, Gettysburg Monument As
sociation: y..-. ..s,,
Dear Sir had promised myself the pleas
ure of participating in person in the proceed
ines of tomorrow, That pleasure ! am, by
ipdispositon, compelled to forego. ! should
have been pleased, standing on that twice con-
secrated spot, to share with you your Joy ut
the return Of peace; to greet with you the sur
yiying heroes of the war, who come back with
| light hearts, though heavy laden with honors;
and with you to drop grateful tears to the mem. n
| ory of those that will never return; unaole 10
do so in person, can only send you mygre!e,tt-
ings, and assure you Of my full sympathy with
the purpose and spirit Of your exercises = TO-
morrow. OF all the anniversaries OF the
Declaration Of Independence, none has been
more important and significant than that up
| n which YOU assemble. Four years OF strug
ole for our nations life has been crowned
with success; armed treason is swept from the
land our ports are reopened; our relation
with other nations are Of the most satlstacto
~ character; our internal commerce Is Tree
our soldiers and sailors resume the peaceful
y pursuits of civil life; our flag floats in ever
breeze, and the only barrier to our natlona
nropress-human slavrry-is forever at al
end Let us trust that each recurring fourt
of ,July shall find our nation strongerln nun
hers. stronger in wealth. stronger in the han
! mony Of the citizen; stronger in ITS devotlo
: 10 nationality and freedom. AS l have otte
said I believe that God has sent this peopl
on a mission among the nations of the cart
+ and that when He founded our nation ii
y founded it in perpctuity. That faith sustalne
y ! me through the struggle that is past--t sp
: tains me now that new duties are devolcc
upon me and new dangers threaten u.s. re-
that whatever the means Houses, the AlmiS
ty' is determined to preserve us as peoPl
s And since have seen the love our teilo
citizens bear their country, and the sacrihH
y thev have made for it, my abiding faith d
N become stronge than ever that governme
I Of the people is the strongest as well as u
hest of Governments In your Joy tomorre
C. I trust YOU will not forget the thousands
lc whites as we'll as blacks whom the war h
:. emascipated, who will hail this Fourth OF
IN " with q delight which no previous anniV
re sarv of the Declaration of Independence
or gave them. Controlled 80 long by am
n, tious, selfish leaders, who used them for tn
nd own unworthy ends, they are now free to sci
ed and cherish the Government against wht
lie life they in their blindness struck;
. greatly mistaken if in the States lately in
~ bellion we do not heneeforward have an eS
en- bition Of such loyalty and patriotism as WI
re, never seen or felt there before When
to have concentrated national cemetery you
" to to lay the corner stone of national mo
,ut ment which, in, all human probability, Will
1T, to the full height. and proportion OF your
Id sign. Noble as this monument OF stone
ap- be-, it will be but faint symbol OF the gr,,
lGa,d monument which, if we do our duty, we 81
np, raise among the nations oftie earth upon
nd foundation laid nine and eighty years age
the Philadelphia. ~ Time shall wear away
to crumble this monument, but that, based
the is upon the consent, virtue and intelligence
gy, the people, each year shall make "hrmer
ap- more imposing. m..mlgs.. 1E
the Your friend and fellow citizen, q g..
'''' g.. .l,,r ANDREW JoHNsol