The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1907-07-24
\ Model Speech.


burg address, which, it says. can
never be too often read by all who
would appreciate the power, the beau
ty. the music of spoken language.
The Charlotte Observer also repro
duces the speech, and adds:
This is universally recognized as
one Of the finest pieces Of literature
in the language and those who have
no. copy should preserve this. We are
Indebted to the Macon Telegraph for
the information that Lincoln was not
the orator of the day on which ne
made his simple but famous utter
ance-in its simplicity, comprehen-
siyeness, breadth and brevity sublime.
Another orator Of note had prepared
and delivered the Grafton Of the occa-
sion His name we do not readily re-
call at this moment. Lincoln hao
briefly noted his thoughts On a stray
scrap of paper. The words flowed
naturally, simply, pellucid, each a
shining drop of pure Anglo-saxon
that sparkled like a diamond as IL
fell. It made a prose poem, scarcely
|-the length of q sonnet, yet epic IN us
grasp and greatness.
i "His name we do not readily re-
call at this moment'-this Of the ora
i tor of the occasion, who had doubt
less made elaborate preparation for
it. His words have gone down 10
nothingness and night while the
simple, natural sentences of Lincoln
will live forever
The orator of the day was Edward
Everett. Of Massachusetts,, statesman
orator, preacher, editor Of the Nortn
American Review, governor of Massa-
chusetts, member of congress, minis
ter to England, president OF Harvard
College, secretary of state in Fill
more's cabinet, senator from Massa-
chusetts, nominee for vice president
in 1850 Of the Constitutional Union
marty. and the intimate friend Of SIT
Walter Scott. When he delivered the
address of the day at Gettysburg, No
yember 10. 1868, he was 70 years OLD.
He died IA months later, January lb'
1865. His address was finished ora
tioa, with a peroration that brought d
storm of applause. Lincoln had writ
ten his address, and delivered it IN a
voice which not many heard. It was
as follows:
"Four score and seven years ago
our fathers brought forth upon THIS
continent a new nation conceived IN
liberty and dedicated to the PROPOSE
ton that all men are created equal.
Now. we are engaged in a great CIVIL
war. testiag whether that nation OF
any nation so conceived and so dedl-
Gated. can long endure. We are met
on great battlefield OF that wsr We
,.ave come 10 dedicate portion o.
that fed as q finaI resting place for
those who here gaze tnei- lives lEae
the nation might live. II is aitosetA-
fitting and proper that we should do
this. But in a larger sense, we can
not dedicate, we cannot consecrate'
we cannot hallow this ground. Inc
brave men. living and dead, VINO
struggled here, have consecrated II
far above our power to add or oe-
tract. The world Will listen not. 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 mere
have thus far so nobly advanced. 1t
is rather for US to be here dedicated
to the great task remaining before us;
that from these honored 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 ma
ton under God shall have new
birth of freedom, and that govern
ment of the people, by the people ano
for the people shall not perish from
the earth.
When Mr. Lincoln had finished,
Mr.. Everett declared that while the
elaborate address which he had de-
livered would be soon fogetten. Mr..
Lincoln's would live as a masterpiece
of English and eloquence. Mr.. Eve
rett seems to have been correct. Two
we'll informed newspapers confess
they have forgotten the name Of the
principal speaker on that occasion.
Mr.. Everett was scholar. a gradu-
ate Of Harvard, student in English
and German universities, highly
polished cultured gentleman Of wide
learning and refining association,
while Mr. Lincoln's education was OBJ
tained in a log school house, by the
cabin freight, among men and amid
nature. No finer letter was ever writ
ten than the one he wrote to the
mother of five sons who died in bat
tie. 1t is as follows:
"I have been shown in the files Of
the war department a statement that
YOU are the mother Of five sons who
~, al nf