New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-10
LINCOLN AT GETTYSBURG.
w. II. Lannon's MEMORY OF A GREAT
SPEECH
RECOIL,ECTIONs OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN. lss,.
iss5 Nv Ward Hill Lamon Edited BY Dorothy
Iamon- Pr. xvi. 276. A. c. McClurg CO.

pEcorJ.EcrIONs OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN, 1851
1880 BY Ward Hi als L4%oG M Edlssa %
This volume contains a chapter OF some length
on Iincon's speech at Gettys burg. Marsnai
ramon who was present. testihes that 1t was re-
ceived by the people in silence Ihey sree'eu '"e
President with natural enthusiasm wheh ne io'o
to speak But apparently they faiIed 70 calc" inc
snirit Of hls remarks There Is practically UNI
v.rsal agreement now that the speech Is perfect
Tradition has IL that Edwar, Everett the orator
NJ IN. day grasped Mr.. Lircolns hand. with con
gratulatlons, adding that he would g'ady give '"e
hundred pages OF his Grafton to be the author Oh '
Presidents twenty lines But Marshal Lamoh III
these biographical fragments edited by MS uaus"
ter denies that Everett, could have said anything OF
the kind He was on the platform near enough
70 hear Everett and Secretary Seworl discuss the
speech the moment that 1t was delivered. In repP
to 4 question from the Secretary, nc heard E'r'e''
say 1T Is not what expected OF him. am us
appointed" Seward in his turn exclaimed. ne mas
made 4 failure and am sorry for II. HIS speech
ia M, equal 70 him" AS II to obtain confirmation
Of his opinion he turned Lamon himself with the
ouest,ou of the moment and Lamon replied i am
sorry to say that 1t does not impress me as o"c
OF his great speeches. 81,
He insists that Lincoln himself shared the dlsap-
pontment His own remark 10 the Marshai OF tue
stand almost Immediately after he had uohe speAn-
ing was "Iamon, that speech won't scour IL -
nat failure and the people are disappointed. IL
appears from Mr.. Lannon's explanation thet LIN
coin off used the word 'scour 10 charac'e''N'
whatever seemed 10 him TO lack merit OF pei '
hence The use Of a colloquial word IN lha' way
gives an air OF verify to Marshal Lannon's nara
tive since It is veil known that the War President
critical as he could be In the matter OF WORDS pre-
ferred the homeliest and simplest phrases oi'e"'
and that he had a liking for the VocaDies Vi "e
back yard as well as the backwoods. his lain vac
racv of the very earth from which he sprang, the
familiar dialect of the people with whoh nc no.
grown Id At Gettysburg ne not only noted IN ms
ov,n wav the disappointment Of the people, but ne
had apparently expected It, Before leaving ,
ington he had taken out Of his hat wha' he ""
written for the occasion, and read IN substance "
NOT in exact words what was aftcrWard printer %
his famous Gettysburg speech, at the same '''',e %
pressing to Marshal Lamon his feehns Oh u'eS
isfac,ion This "Reminiscences OF Marshal Lamoh
does not necessarily contradict that OF those "ho
saw Lincoln writing his brief speech on the Train
In fact these bits of history viewed together may
indicate that he took more pains than was suppose"
with what as II turned out. was to be the cro"'i"s
effort of his career public speaker
II g not possible according TO Marshai La'"o''
to account for the silence OF the people by
Irg that the Presidents address had deeply touched
the hearts of those who listened. lie insists '',''
Mr. Lincoln himself took the lack OF nearly u
monstrations of approval Immediately AFTER us 10
"a certain proof that 1t was not Wen feee'
I'm Washington
81 tell YOU HILL that speech fell on the auue"'s
uke a wet blanket am distressed about IL.
ought to Nave prepared 1t with more care Anu
Marshal Lamon testifes that so far as ne h"o"''
the President never referred TO the speech "''''o
some expression OF unqualified regret that ne Haa
not made the speech better In every way ",
course one would like to have the testimony OF al
Ohio were near enough to Mr. Lincoln in those days
TO have observed his feelings. Circumstanuahy'
Marshal Lamon made out his case as 10 the failure
OF the speech in the popular ear al the tii"e fe "
doubtless right also in his remark that the merit oi
the Grafton was publicly discussed, II not discoV-
cred outright in England, before IL was app'e'
ciated In the United States.
The puzzling thing about the whole matter ID the
attitude of Lincoln toward his own WORK. ~ Is
difficult TO understand why he should nave re-
pre,ted what must have been his deliberate thought
merely because II did not meet with immediate ap-
plause It is still more difficult to believe that he
had not within himself perception OF the beauty
and symmetry and force which are now conceded
to the Gettysburg speech. Here there 10 really a
chance to draw from Mr.. Lannon's narrative. as II
Is given in this book, conclusion difterent from
the one which he reached Lamon himself was
thoroughly disappointed In the speech. Lincoln was
10 him wonderful man"-his own phrase-in
whom he felt a sort of ownership, due to long and
intimate acquaintance. II easy for him 10 see
lin fact anybody could see) how the President
idol!zed by the people as he was. could have won
their applause by a merely commonplace ADDRESS,
This is a feat accomplished every day by men whose
names will never be enrolled with those OF the
worlds great orators. That the applause was not
obtained proved to his mind that the speech was
below the level of one which could nave
been easily made. Lincoln apparently agreed
with this view OF the case. He regretted that
he had not taken more pains with the speech. But
is clear that after ALL his point OF view and that
Of Lamon did not coincide. Lannon's regret. at the
lima laip NJ hat fha pres
speech a he did make while Lincoln was evidently
convinced that IL he could only have put the
thought he had In mind in such way that II could
be instantly apprehended by the people. he would
have evoked immediate and hearty response
The testimony OF MI Lamon is that Lincoln often
required the subject. This Is fact 10 be cons!d-
cred. People do not revive the memory of their
utter failure in that way. They avoid II as
something irremeilable. But Lincoln kept return
Ing to the fame OF MS Gettysburg speech as II the
misfortune could be remedled. Now that this fame
has been quite cleared 1t certainly seems pos
sble to believe that there was In his expressed DIS
appointment at the time consciousness OF the rea.
power in his words He waiting to be justified
orator. and his regretful mention OF the sub
ject so often was like the effort OF to hasten
what he Is sure must come sooner or later.
This book gives prominence to the storytelling
habit In which Lincoln INDUCED. But It would be
mistake to infer thst In this matter he differed
from the people among whom he grew up. The
cabin OF the backwoodsmdn was always the home
OF a story teller. A curious chapter is that
which tells OF the effect that certain dreams had
upon Lincoln He had one dream. II Is said. thai
TO him and again the eve OF
Union victories. In frghttul dream which visited
him only once. he seemed to have a premonltlon Of
his death by violence. AS 10 the manner OF
his death. speaking In a general way. Mr. Lincoln.
according to Marsha. Lamon. never had but one
opinion He expected TO be assassnated but he
seemed to cherish the belief tina, plot against his
life would succeed until his task Of restoring the
Union was achieved Though mis- dreams sometimes
reproduced this constant waking impression. he gave
no sign OF yielding TO them. Indeed. he to the
last careless OF his personal safety. though he could
hardly have had more ANXIOUS guard than Mar.