The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-07-12
The Gettysburg Monumental Letter from
the President.
EXECUTIVE MANSION,


II WASHINGTON, D. c., July 8, 1865.
u Mr.. David Wells, chairman, &C.. Gettysburg,
III Penn:
III DEAR SRI had promised myself the
II pleasure of participating in person in the
HI proceedings at Gettysburg to morrow. That
III pleasure, owing to my indisposition, am re-
n luctantly compelled 20 forego. L should have
III been pleased, standing on that twice conse-
II Grated spot, to share with you your Joy at
II the return of peace, to greet with you the
Ri surviving heroes of the war who come back
ID with light hearts, though heavy laden with
y honors, and with you to drop grateful tears
& to the memory of those that will never re-
4 turn.
Unable to do so in person, can only send
you my greetings, and assure you of my full
sympathy with the purpose and spirit of
Il your exercises tomorrow. Of all the ami
4 versaries of the declaration of independence,
ii none has been more important and significant
than that upon which you assemble.
III Four years of struggle for our nations life
have been crowned with success armed
III treason has been swept from the land; our
ports are reopened; our relations with other
nations are of the moot satisfactory charao-
ter our internal commerce, our soldiers and
Il sailors resume the peaceful pursuits of civil
life; our flag floats in every breeze, and the
only barrier to our national progress-hum
an slavery-,is forever at an end. Let us
trust that each recurring Fourth of July
shall find our nation stronger in number
stronger In health-stronger in the harmony
of its citizens-stronger in its devotion to
nationality and freedom.
As have often said, believe that God
sent this people on a mission among the ma
tions of the earth, and that when he founded
our nation he founded it in perpetuity. That
faith sustained me through the struggle that
has passed. 1t sustains me now that new
duties are devolved upon me and new dan
aers threaten US. I feel that. whatever the
means he uses, the Almighty is determined
to preserve us as people.
And since know the love our fellow citi-
zens bear their country. and the sacrifices
they have made for it, my abiding faith has
become stronger than ever that govern
ment of the people" is the strongest as well
as the best of governments.
In your Joy tomorrow, / trust you will
not forget the thousands of whites, as we'll as
blacks, whom the war has emancipated, who
will hail this Fourth of July with delight
which no previous declaration of independ
ence ever gave them. Controlled so long by
ambitious, selfish leaders, who used them for
their own unworthy ends, they are now free
to serve and cherish the government against
whose life they, in their blindness, struck
/ am greatly mistaken if, in the states lately
in rebellion, we do not henceforth have an
exhibition of such loyalty and patriotism as
were never seen or felt there before.
When you have consecrated national
cemetery you are to lay the corner stone of a
national monument, which, in all human
probability, will rise to the full height and
proportion you design Noble as this monu-
ment of stone may be, it will be but symbol
of the grand monument, which, if we 90 our
duty, we shall raise among the nations Of
the earth upon the Foundation laid nine and
eighty years ago in Philadelphia. Time
shall wear away and crumble this monu-
ment, but that, based, as 1t IL, upon the con-
sent. virtue, patriotism and intelligence of
the people each year shall make frmer and
more imposing. hI5
s Your friend and fellow citizen,
--...-. ANDREW JOHNSON.