Cheyenne record. (Cheyenne Wells, Cheyenne County, Colo.) 1913-19??, 1918-02-07


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 on.
Yet, with the strangely limited view Of those at
hand, the great address was considered failure by
many at the time it 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 no 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. on the occasion. The Patriot and
Union, influential newspaper published at Har-
risburg. Pa. with ability for msjudgn1nt al
most beyond all belief, said of the address:
'The president succeeded this occasion be-
cause he acted without sense and without con-
straint in PANORAMA that was gotten up for the
benefit of his party more 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 them and that they shall
more be repeated or thought Of"
Even the usually keen-vsioned John Hay, then
Mr. Lincolns 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 as he always does perfectly;
and the president, in firm, free way, with more
grace than Is his wont, 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 two-hour 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 deathless purport of the presidents
words. He wrote to Mr.. Lincoln q congratuatory
uote saying: -'.'
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 was 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, nor
long one. 1 am pleased to know that in your
Judgment the little did say was not entirely a
failure" ..-5"-
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 it until few hours before it
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 of the arrangements for the consecra-
ton of the national cemetery at Gettysburg asked
Mr., Everett a long time in advance and had post
poned the date Of the. eonsecration from October
10 to November 10 Mt Mr.. Everett's request.
David Wills, -public:sPiritsA citizen of Gettys-
burg and the originator of The adeas Of national
cemetery there, wrote to President Lincoln No.
veInber2 six weeks after Mr. Everett ha4 -bpsp IN
vited to speak, follows: &@'srs = i@s>ssts
1.-THE states having soldiers who were killed at
Gettysburg have procured grounds on a prominent
part Of the field for a cemetery and are having
the dead removed to them and properly buried
These grounds will be. consecrated and set apart
to this sacred purpose, BY appropriate ceremonies
on the 10th. Hon. Edwsrd Everett VIII deliver the
Grafton. ] am authorized by the governors Of the
different states invitey to be present and parss
hcipate in these ceremonies which win be very
imposing and solemn'y impressive. 1t Is the de
sire that after the Grafton. you a. chief executive.
set apart these grounds to their sacred use by q
few appropriate remarks :.