The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-15
THE TERMINATION OF A GREAT
THOUGHT

Much has been written concerning Abra-
ham Lincoln's speech at the Gettysburg
dedication, both as to its surprising merit
and the probable origin OF its main ideas.
1t has been said of Gray's "Elegy in a
Country Churchyard' that not a single
word in the entire poem could be changed
either for another word or for different
place than the one it fills without marring
the poem. II any one doubts this let him
or her try the experiment on any line in
the whole poem. Almost the same might
be said of the Gettysburg speech, which.
in it's authorized form as written out by
Mr.. Lincoln himself. contains 266 words,
of which scarcely half a dozen are not
pure Anglo-Saxon and a large majority
words of one syllable. Mr.. Lincoln
did not claim to be a literary man or
master of language in the sense, for in
stance, that Edward Everett and other
scholars were or are, but in this speech he
surpassed them all, apparently without
effort. but through the inspiration of a
great occasion upon a great mind and
imagination. royal commission of the
greatest masters Of the English language
could not improve on single sentence in
the speech or perhaps change a word with
out marring IL.
Such utterances as this are sometimes a
long time taking form in a mans mind
and they gather perfection from many
sources. often probably unconsciously. AS
tba hodv GROWS while ono eIaanc ca oroh
ably ideas mature without ones knowing
it. The passage in the Gettysburg speech
which is most quoted is that in which the
speaker urged that I'VE here highly re-
solve that this Nation, under God, shall
have a new birth of freedom, and that
government OF the people. by the people,
for the people, shall not perish from the
earth" This idea of popular government
did not occur to Mr.. Lincoln for the first
time at Gettysburg and was not wholly
original with him, though II was never so
aptly expressed before. The preamble to
I'VE, the people. do ordain and establish. -
etc. Daniel Webster, in one of his speeches
in the United States Senate spoke of THE
peoples government. made for the people.
made by the people and answerable to the
people" The same idea was expressed by
| others in different form and could not
have escaped the notice OF Mr.. Lincoln.
1t had become a basic principle in his
theory of government. To his mind it en-
bodied the principle of republican govern
ment and majority rule. 1t was his guild
ing star from the time he was elected
President. In his inaugural address. ar
guing in favor of majority rule. he said:
IF the minority will not acquiesce the ma
jority must. or the government must cease
There is no other alternative, for continu-
ing the government is acquiescence on one
! side or the other. The rule OF a
minority, as a permanent arrangement Is
wholly inadmissible. So that, rejecting the
majority principle, anarchy or despotisn
in some form is all that is left This
country, with its institutions, belongs &c
the people who inhabit it," This address
was delivered in March. 1851 Four months
later the ideas above advanced had forn,u
lated themselves still more clearly In Mr.
Lincoln's mind. In his message 10 the
special session OF Congress which me-
July T. 1861. after recapitulating the event:
that occurred. including the firing on Fort
Sumter, and the call for volunteers, III
said:
This issue embraces more than the fats
OF these United States. IL presents 10 ms
whole family OF man the ouestion Wnethei
| constitutional republic or democracy
government OF the people By the same poo