The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-02-07

Mr. Stewards speech, said that the secretary USED
the words:
.This is the first time that ever any people or
community this side Of Mason and DiSons line
(meanlng the Southern slde) was found willing 10
listen to my voice"
The following morning Mr. Lincoln rode at the
head of the procession the platfOrm Mt the new
ly prepared cemetery. his tall. ungainiy form
slumped his horse. his face set In lts patheuc,
homely lines Only did he relax. That was
when n man held up little girl as the presideh'
rode by. Mr. Lincoln grasped the child In his arms
kissed her and handed her back to the proud Ia
ther. A shadow of n smile, gentle beyond all de-
scrption passed over the drawn face Of the presl.
dent, only to be replaced by that sad. absorbed
look that had become so typical of him.
prayer by Rev. Thomas II. Stockton. chaplain
of the United States senate. opened the program
1t was eloquent. though somewhat lengthy, ei'
fort and It breathed the spirit of victory rather
than Of humility. 1t was noOn-the serene suniit,
crisp noon Of a perfect fall day-when the ven
cradle Edward Everett arose to speak. HIS ornton
modelled along classical lines, wns hlled with
the eloquence popular In that day ana II heid
the multitude in rapt silence. Mr.. Everett had
long been a figure In public life, an Ambassador
a member OF the cabinet. a governor. speaker
of great renown. Much was expected OF him. and
he gave all that anticipated. The carefully
chosen, exquistely polished phrases delivered In
his Deep sonorous voice. fell with great effective
ness upon his hearers. He reviewed the events
that led the described the battle and praised
the heroes of the North who had died there. But
vivid as the phraseology. penetrating as was
his logic. his address lacked the breadth that
would have made 1t undyng. There was 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 who have rebeiied
against it?' That same minor spirit crept into his
words again and again when he referred TO tne
"disloyal sIaveholders' and the "aspiring politi-
clans of the South and near his conclusion. when
he said "the bonds Of union Of perennial force
and energy, while the causes Of alienation are
maginary, fictitious and transient" 1t was essen
TALLY a speech of Northerner for the North. A
long roar Of applause followed the close OF bis
speech.
After the singing Of a hymn the time came for
Mr.. Lincoln to speak. He arose slowly and for
almost q 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
ther than these things Of the moment he must have
gazed off into the illimitable 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 full minute. to be
broken only by scattering applause There had
been handclappng here and there at pauses In his
address, but It had not been general. The import
Of his words had not yet 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 little grace back across the platform and
sank into his seat. Doubtless he felt. he had
feared. that his address had been a 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 Of the first to reach Lncoln's eide
"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.. Everett's shoulder.
Wen 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 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 Prof. Calvin
Hamilton. who remarked afterwards upon the ex-
preston of sadness upon Mr.. Lincons face. The
president seemed lstless. his thoughts far away.
he shook the hands of the hundreds who passed
Later in the day he walked with John Burns.
the village hero, the towns little Presbyterian
church. where patriotic service was held. He
with Burns, the cobbler patriot In of the high
backed benches of the church. taking no part in
the program. He not asked to speak again
while In Gettysburg. He had uttered the few ap-
propriate remarks" that had been asked Of him