The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1918-02-09

Mr.. Stewards speech, said that the secretary used
the words:
"This is the first time that ever any people or
community on this side of Mason and Dixons line
(meaning the Southern side) was found willing to
listen to my voice."
The following morning Mr.. Lincoln rode at the
head of the procession to the platform at the new
ly prepared cemetery, his tall, ungainly form
slumped over his horse, his face set In its pathetic,
homely lines. Only once did he relax. That was
when a man held up a little girl as the president
rode by. Mr.. Lincoln grasped the child In his arms,
kissed her and handed her back to the proud IA
Their. A shadow of a smile, gentle beyond all de-
s%cription, passed over the drawn face of the presi-
dent, only to be replaced by that sad, absorbed
look that had become so typical of him.
A prayer by Rev. Thomas H. Stockton, chaplain
of the United States senate, opened the program.
1t was an eloquent, though somewhat lengthy, eff
fort and it breatned the spirit of victory rather
than of humility. 1t was noon--the serene, sunlit,
crisp noon of a perfect fall ay-when the ven
cradle Edward Everett arose to speak. His grafton
was modelled along classical lines, was filled with
the eloquence so popular in that day and 1t held
the multitude In rapt silence. Mr.. Everett had
long been a figure in public life, an ambassador,
q member Of the cabinet, a governor, a speaker
of great renown. Much was expected of him, and
he gave all that was anticipated. The carefully
chosen, exquisitely polished phrases, delivered in
his deep, sonorous voice, fell with great effective
ness upon his hearers. He reviewed the events
that led to the war, described the battle and praised
the heroes Of the North who had died there. But
vivid as was the phraseology, penetrating as was
his logic, his address lacked. the breadth that
would have made 1t undying. There was a note
of bitterness in 1t when he asked: (Which of the
two parties to this war is responsible for all the
suffering, for the dreadful sacrifice of life-the
lawful and constitutional government of the United
States or the ambitious men who have rebelled
against itT' That same minor spirit crept into his
words again and again when he referred to the
''disloyal Shareholders" and the aspiring politi-
clans of the South, and near his conclusion, when
he said 'the bonds of union are of perennial force
and energy, while the causes of alienation are
imaginary, fictitious and transient" 1t was essen
TALLY a speech of q Northerner for the North. A
long roar of applause followed the close of his
speech.
After the singing Of a hymn the time came for
Mr.. Lincoln to speak. He arose slowly and for
almost a minute he stood silent, surveying from
his great height the waves Of upturned faces, be-
yond them the broken stone walls Of the bloody
angle where Pickett's charge had failed and past
that the undulating brown fields where the shat
tered brigade Of the South had turned back. Far
Their than these things of the moment he must have
gaZed, off into the illimltable future of mankind
for whose guidance he was soon to pronounce one
of the most solemn obligations of history.
Then in the curiously high pitched voice that
seemed so oddly fitted to his towering body, he
began to speak. The crowd that had relaxed when
Mr.. Everett closed his long address, began to set
itself for another lengthy speech. The brevity and
simplicity Of the presidents words caught the
crowd unawares. 1t had SCARCELY adjusted itself
for listening before he had finished. There was
silence as he bowed and turned back to his seat.
The silence continued for a full minute, to be
broken only by scattering applause. There he'd
been handclapping here and there at pauses In his
address, but 1t had not been general. The import
of his words had not vet reached those who stood
that day at Gettysburg. There must have been
a throb of deeper pain in the already aching heart
of the big, awkward, sad-faced man who walked
with so little grace back across the platform and
sank into his seat. Doubtless he felt, as he had
feared, that his address had been q failure.
The singing of a dirge closed the program, and
the president and other nOtables returned to the
village. When the ceremonies were over Mr.. Ev-
erett was one of the first to reach LincoIn's side.
Mr.. President" he began, your speech" but
the president interrupted him, that shadow of a
smile again crossing his face. He laid his hand
upon Mr.. Everetts shoulder.
"Wen not talk about my speech, Mr.. Everett"
he said. "This isn't the first time that I've felt
that my dignity ought not to permit me to be a
public speaker"
After luncheon a reception was held at the
home OF David Wills and many of the townspeople
and visitors greeted the president Among those
who gathered at the Wills home was Prof. Calvin
Hamilton, who remarked afterwards upon the ex-
preston of sadness upon Mr.. Lincoln's face. The
president seemed ~lstless, his thoughts far away, as
he shook the hands of the hundreds who passed.
Later In the day he walked with John Burns.
the village hero, to the towns little Presbyterian
church. where a patriotic service was held. He sat
with Burns, the cobbler patriot, in one of the high
backed benches of the church, taking no part In
the program. He was not asked to speak again
while In Gettysburg He had uttered the STEW ap-
propriate remarks that had been asked of him.