The Elk Mountain pilot., 1913-07-10
PRESIDENT TALKS
At GETTYSBURG
His Address Is Chief Feature Of
National Day at the
Celebration.
is HEARD BY GREAT THRoNG
Mr.. Wilson D~eIis on Present Duty
Of the People In Finishing the
Nation Now Beloved
by All.

Nation Now Beloved
by All.
Gettysburg, Pa. July 4.-Many thou
sands of veterans from north and
south and of other visitors faced Pres
ident Wilson today As he delivered the
address which was the main feature Of
National day In the celebration Of the
fftieth anniversary of the Battle Of
Gettysburg.
The presidents address follows:
Friends and Fellow Citizens: l 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 hillsides
their comrades died about them. In
their presence 1t were an impertinence
to discourse upon how the battle went.
how 1t ended, what 1t signified! But
80 years have gone by since then and
l crave the privilege of speaking to
you for q 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 . great ma
ton. How wholesome and healing the
peace has been! We have found one
another again a. 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 the splendid
valor. the manly devotion of the men
then arrayed against ono 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, a. 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
iee 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
ment! We are debtors to those so
crowded years; they have made ms
heirs to . mighty heritage.
Nation Not Finished.
But do we deem tho nation com
plete and finished? These venerable
men crowding here to this famous
field have set us = great example Of
devotion and utte- sacrifice. They
were willing to die that tho people
might live. But their task II done.
Their day y turned into evening. They
look 20 US to perfect what they estab-
lished. Their work II handed ON to
US, to be done In another way but not
In another spirit. Our day is not over;
1t Is upon Us In full tide.
Have affairs paused? Does the
nation stand still? II It what the 80
years have wrought since those days
OF battle finished, rounded out. and
completed? Here IL q great people.
great with every force that has ever
beaten in the lifeblood OF mankind.
And it IL secure. There II no one
within Its borders. there Is no
power among the nations Of the earth.
to make 1t 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 . government had
now at last been established which
was to serve men. not masters? 1t 10
secure in everything except the salts
faction that its life II 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, more
candid searching Of the very springs
OF right.
Tribute to Their Vaior.
Look around you apon the ield of
Gettysburgi Picturs the array. the
fierce heats and asony of battle. col
umn hurled against column. battery
believing to battersl Valor! Yes!
Greater no man shall sec in war; and
self-sacrifce, and loss to the utter
most; the high recklessness OF exalt-
ed devotion which does not count the
cost. We are made by these tragic.
epic things to know what 1t costs to
make q nation-the blood and sacri-
nee Of multitudes Of unknown men
lifted to q great stature in the view
OF all generations by knowing no limit
to their manly willingness to serve.
In armies thus marshaled from the
ranks of free men you will see. as 1t
were, a nation embattled, the leaders
and the led. and may know. II you