The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-02-07

July celebrations, from the solemn
rostrums OF the centers of learning the Gettysburg
address has been repeated times without number
and doubtless will continue to be as long as the
spirit of democracy lives
Yet. with the strangely limited view Of those at
hand, the great address considered failure by
many at the time 1t was delivered. Lincoln him
self believed that he had failed to speak anything
worthy of the occasion and was greatly downcast.
The sense of his failure at such momentOus event
added little to the intOlerable burdens that
weighed upon him in 1868.
The daily newspapers Of the North generally
took little notice Of Lncons words at Gettysburg.
but lavish In their praise of the long address
delivered by Edward Everett, the great Boston
orator. the same occasion. The Patriot and
Union. an influential newspaper published at Har-
risburg. Pa. with ability for misjudgment al
most beyond all belief said of the address:
THE president succeeded on this occasion be-
cause he acted without sense and without con-
straint in a panorama that was gotten up for the
benefit of his party than for the glory Of the
Nation and the honor Of the dead. We pass
over the silly remarks Of the president for the
credit Of the Nation willing that the veil Of
oblivion be dropped over them and that they shall
no more be repeated or thought Of"
Even the usually keen-visioned John Hay then
Mr. Lincoln's assistant secretary. erred In his judg
ment of the comparative importance Of the ad-
dresses made that November day at Gettysburg.
Said Hay in his diary:
Everett spoke he always does perfectly;
and the president, In a firm, free way with
grace than ts his won't said his half dozen lines OF
conservation"
In Mr.. Hays mind, as In the minds Of nearly all
present. Edward Everett's address overshadowed
all else on the program. Yet who today remembers
half dozen lines of the twohour long speech
made by the Massachusetts orator?
Edward Everett, almost alone of all the thou
sands who had gathered at Gettysburg that day.
caught the dea.hess purport Of the presidents
words. He wrote to Mr. Lincoln a congratuatory
note. saying:
Il should be glad II I could fatter myself that 1
came as near to the central idea of the occasion in
my two hours you did in two minutes"
Even this praise from the man who consid-
cred the master speaker of his day did not wholly
convince Mr.. Lincoln that his own utterances had
not fallen short. In his reply to Mr. Everett he
said:
In our respective parts yesterday you could not
have been excused to make short address,
a long ore l am pleased to know that. In your
judgment. the little did say was not entirely a
failure"
There Is every evidence that the president wrote
his address hurriedly and at the scant moments
Of leisure given him in those troubled days. That
he did not complete 1t until few hours before II
was delivered is certain In fact, he did not know
until about two weeks before the date that he
was expected TO talk at all The committee that
had charge "f the arrangements for the consecra-
ton of the national cemetery Gettysburg asked
Mr.. Everett long time in advance and had post
poned the date of the conservation from October
19 to November 10 at Mr.. Everett's request
David Wills a public-spirited citizen of Gettys-
burg and the originator of the idea of a national
cemetery there. wrote to President Lincoln No
vember 3 six weeks after Mr.. Everett had been in
vtted to speak. as follows
The states having soldiers who were killed at
Gettysburg have procured grounds a prominent
part of the field for cemetery end having
the dead removed to them and properly buried.
These grounds will be consecrated and set apart
to this sacred purpose by appropriate ceremonies
the 18th Hon Edward Everett will deliver rhe
0raiIou- authorized by the governors of the
different states to invite you be present and par
ticipate in these ceremonies. which will be very
imposing and solemnly impressive 1t is the de
ere that after the ora,ion you. chief executive
few appropriate remarks :"