Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-24
LINCoLN's FAMOUS ADDRESS
Wayne MacVeagh's RecOlIectIOns of
Americas Most Remarkable
Piece of OratOry.

The November Century publishes a
sketch by Wayne MaoVeagh, giving his
personal memories Of the delivery of Lin
eoln's Gettysburg address, and Of the inn
preston it created. Part of his narrative
follows:
The address Of Mr.. Everett seemed to
me then, as 1t has whenever have read
1t since, perfectly adapted to the occasion,
and exactly what such an grafton ought
to be. 1t was of necessity elaborate and
long, because 1t involved a complete tusti-
fication OF the war then In progress and a
graphic and detailed description of the
battle which had been so recently fought
where we were standing; but it was
eminently scholarly and eloquent; the
classic product Of a mind familiar with
the masterpieces Of all oratory, ancient and
modern; and at its conclusion / think every
intelligent person who heard it must have
felt most favorably impressed with the
manner in which the duty imposed upon
Mr.. Everett had been discharged.
At its close, as l remember, there was
a short interval of music, and then Mr..
Lincoln was presented, as only to accept,
in a few formal words, the cemetery in
behalf OF the nation. AS he came forward
he seemed to me. and l was sitting near
to him, visibly to dominate the scene, and
while over his plain and rugged counter
ance appeared TO settle a great melancholy,
It was somehow lightened as by a great
hope. AS he began to speak instinct
lively felt that the occasion was taking on
a new grandeur, as OF a great moment
in history, and then there followed, in slow
and very impressive and far-reaching ut
t~erance, the words with which the ~aole
world has long been familiar. As each
v~a-a
clearly fraught with a message not only
for us of his day. but for the untold gem
e~rations OF men, that before the concluded
1 found myself possessed by a ~reverential
awe for its complete Justification Of the
great war he was conducting, as II cen
Quoted, as in truth It was. In the interest
Of mankind. Surely at that moment he
justified the inspired portraiture of Lowell:
Great captains, with their guns and drums.
Disturb our judgment for the hour,
But at last silence comes;
These all are gone, standing like a tower.
Our children shall behold his fame,
The kindly earnest, brave, forseeing man,
sagaeious, patient, dreading praise, not
blame,
New birth Of our new soil, the first
American,
And now comes the only lnexplicable
part of this statement. l waited until
the distinguished guests who wished to
do so had spoken to him, and then I
said to him with great earnestness. you
nave made an immortal address
To which he quickly replied; "oh, you
must not say that, You must not be ex-
%travagant about H."
Others then came around him. and /
did not see him again until on the train
on our way home. He was suffering from
a severe headache, and lying down In
the drawing room, with his forehead
bathed In cold water. He had sent for
me, as / knew. 10 renew our talk Of the
day before, but / could not restrain my
self from saying 10 him; You did not
like what / said this morning about your
address, and ! have thought It carefully
oyer, and I can only say that the words
you spoke viii live with the and Ian
guage."
He answered.; you are more extrava-