Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-06
ON GETTYsBURG's FIELD
Ex-President Lincoln's Immortal Address
to Be Perpetuated in Bronze.
Col. John M. Wilson Designated to
Have Charge of the. Erection
of the Tablet.

The act of Congress to establish national
military park at Gettysburg. Pa, approved
February II, 1885, contained an appropria-
ton of 5000 for suitable bronze tablet,
containing on it the address delivered by
President Abraham Lincoln, at Gettysburg,
November 10, 1853. on the occasion of the
dedication of the national cemetery at that
place. It was provided that the tablet
should also contain medallion likeness of
President Lincoln. Provision was also
made for pedestal. The duty of having
this tablet made was devolved upon the
Secretary of War, and it was provided that
it should be erected on the most suitable
site within the limits of said park"
Col. Wilson Designated.
Secretary Lamont has Instructed Colonel
John NJ. Wilson, corps Of engineers, in
charge of public buildings and grounds, to
see to the prompt execution of the stat
utory provision, and Colonel Wilson is now
making the necessary arrangements. He
will follow the course OF action which was
so successful in the matter Of the monu-
ment at Wakefield. Va, to mark the birth
place of Washington.
Proposals for the manufacture and erec-
ton of the tablet will be invited from
reputable firms. engaged in such work, and
the award Of the contract will be made
erned in the matter by the suitability of
the design and the cost of the work.
Site to BE Selected.
A prominent site will be selected for the
park after consultation with the national
Gettysburg Park commission, of which Col.
John P. Nicholson of Philadelphia is presi-
dent 1t was desired to place the tablet on
the exact spot in the naticnal cemetery
where the immortal address was delivered,
but this has been found impra BILE, for
the reason that the statute requires 1t to
be erected within the limits of Gettysburg
Park and the cemetery Is not a part of the
Gettysburg Park commission. 1t is proba-
BILE that Secretary Lamont and Col. Wilson
will make visit to Gettysburg for the
purpose of comforting with the park CON-
mission, as to the most suitable site for the
tablet.
The portion of the famous address which
Is to be publicly perpetuated in enduring
bronze on the field of the greatest battle in
the history of the United States is as fol-
lows:
-Four score and seven years ago our
fathers brought forth on this continent a
new nation. conceived in liberty and dedi-
Gated to the. proposition that all men are
created equal.
NOW we are engaged IN 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 hayes come to dedi-
cate portion of that field as final rest
ing place for those who here gave their
lives that that nation might live 1t is al
together fitting and proper that We should
do this.
But. in a larger sense, we can not dedi-
cate, we cannot consecrate, We cannot hal
low this ground. The brave men. living
and dead, who struggled here. have conse-
Grated 1t 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 be dedicated
here to the unfinished work which they
who fought here have thus far so nobly
advanced. 1t is rather for us to be here
dedicated to the great task remaining be-
fore us; that from these henored 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 govern
ment of the people, b. the people, for the
people, shall not perish from the EARTH