New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-07-02
CETTYSBURG.

Six years ago the soldiers OF the Union, on the
nights of Gettysburg, beat of the Confederate
host, in its last desperate effort to invade the
North, and won the critical victory OF
the war Yesterday tho survivors OF the
desperate struggle, with thousands OF the
grateful people who recognize IN that
heroic battle the triumph OF American lib
erty, met TO dedicate a monument TO the men
whose blood purchased our yictory-the heroes
whose names will live for generations IN the
poces of our history. and the nine hundred I'M
distinguished dead whose memories are cher
ishcd only by the tears of the widow and the
fatherless No solcmnity can be too impressive
TO bcft this anniversary. At Gettysburg we
fought for nothing less than our countlys CA
istcnce. Had the gallant dead whose graves we
have inst honored wavcrcd in their patriotic
devotion. the Union would have been HIeihodi-
ably destroyed, and our future history record
of continual subdivision aud secession. Freedom,
overthrow in America, would have felt the dis
astcr in every country of the world. so, Tor
many q year to come, we trust the first days OF
this month which witnessed the beginning OF
American Independence. aud its final triumph
after eighty-seven years trial, will be piously
remembered wherever political freedom Is APP
preciated.
II will be long, however before July rcculs
without bringing back the remembrance OF
those few eloquent words which Abraham Lin
coin spoke on this historic field only few
months after the battle, and which orator and
poet alike accepted yesterday as their text and
inspiration. 1--WE cannot cOnsccrato, we can
"nOt halow this ground. The brave men
living and dead who strugglcdIhcro have con-
"secratcd it far above four power to add or
" detract. II is for us, the living, rather to be
" dedicated here to the unfinished work that
q they have thus far so noblY carried on. Ii
" is rather for us to be here dedicated to the
81 great task remaining before us-that from
" these honOred dead we take increased devo-
" ton to the cause for which they here gave
" the last full measure of deyOtOn-that we
" here highly resolve that tho dead shall not
"have died in vain, that the nation shall,
under God, have o new birth Of freedom,
"and that the government Of the people, by
" tho people, and for the people, shall not
"Derish from the eaIth.p Thank God We have
thus far been faithful TO this high resolve.
Thousands more wcro to fall for it upon the
field Lincoln was TO give his life for it the
nation was to fight and struggle for it with
open enemies and false frendl but the new
freedom has steadily advanced; and the
dead so far have not died in vain.
Having chosen our course, without guile
:" and with pure purpose, let US renew our trust
ain God, and go forward without fear and
with manly hearts" There is something yet
TO do, and from celebrations like that OF yes
terday we may gather courage for the onward
march and resolution to take no step back
wards. From the lowly graves too, OF the
Confederate dead, who sleep in tho valley be-
fore our lines, victims of an honest faith in
bad cause, shall there not come up on our an
niversaries Of mingled sadness and triumph, n
reminder Of that Christian counsel which bids
us pursue our healing and restoring work with
malice towards none, with charity for all, until
at no distant day "the mystic chords OF mem
I" ory stretching from every battle field and
"patriot grave to every livingIheart and hearth
"stone all over this broad land shall swell
"the chorus of the Union, when again touched,
Gas surely they will be, by the better angels of
"our naturep