Eastern Colorado times., 1913-07-11
SPEECH BY WILSON
PRESIDENT ADDREssEs GREAT
THRoNo ON THE aETTYs-
BURG BATTLEFIELD.

BURG BATTLEFIELD.
PAYS TRIBUTE TO VETERANS.
Nation Does Not Stand still, He Says,
and Orders Of the Day for the
People Are Laws on Statute
Books.
Gettysburg, Pa. July 4.-President 4.
Wilson'S address today was the chief
feature Of National day In the celebra-
ton Of the semi-centennial Of the Bat
tie Of Gettysburg. It was heard by a
vast crowd Of old soldiers and others
and was warmly applauded.
The presidents address follows:
Friends and Fellow Citizens: need
not tell you what the battle of Gettys-
burg meant. These gallant men in
blue and gray sit all about US here.
Many Of them met here upon this
ground in grim and deadly struggle.
Upon these famous fields and hillsiAes
their comrades died about them. In
their presence 1t were an impertinence
TO discourse upon how the battle went,
how 1t ended. what 1t signihedl But
so years have gone by since then and
! crave the privilege of speaking to
you for few minutes Of what those
so years have meant.
} What have they meantf They have
meant peace and union and vigor, and
the maturity and might of q great ma
ton. How wholesome and healing the
peace has been! We have found one
another again as brothers and COM
rades in arms. enemies no longer, gen.
erous friends rather, our battles long
past, the quarrel forgotten-except
that we shall not forget tho splendid
valor, the manly devotion of the men
then arrayed against one another, now
grasping hands and smiling into each
others eyes. How complete the union
has become and how dear to all Of US,
how unquestioned, how benign and
majestic. as state after state has been
added to this great family of free
men! How handsome the vigor, the
maturity. the might Of the great ma
ton we love with undivided hearts;
how full Of large and confident prom
Sse that life will be wrought out
that will crown its strength with gra-
cious justice and happy welfare that
will touch all alike with deep content
mentl We are debtors to those so
crowded years: they have made us
heirs to mighty heritage.
Nation Not Finished.
But do we deem the nation COM
Slete and hnished7 These venerable
men crowding here to this famous
neld have set US a great example of
devotion and utter sacrifice. They
were willing to die that the people
might live. But their task is done.
Their day is turned into evening. They
look to us to perfect what they estab-
lished. Their work Is handed on to
as. to be done in n'another way but not
in another spirit. Our day is not over;
It is upon US in full tide.>
Have affairs paused? Does the
nation stand still? Is it what the so
years have wrought since those days
Of battle finished, rounded out. and
SohPiCICo' 41SAo 10 q 6IcdS pcOplo,
great with every force that has ever
beaten in the lifeblood of mankind.
And It Is secure. There ia no one
within It's borders. there is no
power among the nations of the earth,
to make It afraid. But has 1t yet
squared itself with its own great
standards set up at its birth, when 1t
made that first noble. naive appeal to
the moral judgment Of mankind to
take notice that a government had
now at last been established which
was to serve men, not masters? 1t is
secure in everything except the salts
faction that its life Is right, adjusted
to the uttermost to the standards of
righteousness and humanity. The
days Of sacrifice and cleansing are
not closed. We have harder things
to do than were done in the heroic
days of war, because harder to see
clearly. requiring more vision, more
calm balance of judgment, a more
candid searching Of the very springs
Of right.
Tribute to Their vaIor.
Look around you upon the field Of
Gettysburg! Picture the array, the
fierce heats and agony OF battle, col
umn hurled against column, battery
believing to battery! Valor? Yes!
Greater no man shall see in war; and
self-sacriflce. and loss to>fhe utter.