The Raymer enterprise., 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 on.
Yet. with the strangely limited view Of those at
hand the great address was 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 no little to the intolerable burdens that
weighed upon him In 1888
The daily newspapers Of the North generally
took little notice of Llncolns words at Gettysburg
but were lavish In their praise Of the long address
delivered by Edward Everett, fhe great Boston
orator, on the same occasion. The Patriot and
Union, an influential newspaper published at Har.
rsburg. Pa. with an ability for msjudgment 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 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 We are 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-visloned John Hay then
Mr. Lncoln'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 as lie always Does perfectly;
and the president. in firm, free way, with more
grace than is his won't said his half dozen lines of
conservation"
In Mr.. Hays mind, as In the minds of neorlv al,
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 tho tbor.
sands who had gathered at Gettysburg that day.
caught the deathess purport of the presidents
words. He wrote to Mr.. Lincoln congratulatorv
note, saying
i should be glad If could fatter myself that
came as near to the central idea of the occasion in
my two hours as 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
nave been excused to make short address. nor
long one. ! 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 of the arrangements for the consecra.
ton OF the national cemetery at Gettysburg asked
MIR. Everett long time In advance and had post.
poned the date of the conservation from October
10 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 on No.
vember 2. six weeks after Mr.. Everett had been In
vited to speak, as follows:
The states having soldiers who were. killed at
Gettysburg have procured grounds on a prominent
part of the field for cemetery and are having
.he 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. Edward Everett will deliver the
Grafton. ! am authorized by the governors Of the
different states to invite you to be present and par
tclpate In these ceremonies, which will be very
imposing and solemnly impressive. 1t Is the de-
sire that. after the oraton you as chief executive
Get apart these grounds to their sacred use by a
Few appropriate remarks. -