Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-02-06

mind evidently being preoccupied
with anxious thoughts.
4 y y
A SMALL rustic platform lad been
erected for the speakers. the site
monument upon which are engraved
the immortal words which were there
spoken. At the conclusion of Ever
ett's address the. President slowly
rose. stepped forward. and in a strong
voice. occasionally glancing at a paper
which he held in his hand spoke the
following words: -
our fathers brought forth on this
continent new mai ton. conceived in
liberty. and dedicated to the propo-
sition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great
civil war. testing whether that nation.
dedicated, can long endure. We are
met on great battlefield of that war.
We have come to dedicate portion of
that field as a final resting place for
those who here gave their lives that
that nation might live. 1t is alto
gether fitting and proper that we
should do this.
But. in larger sense. we cannot
dedicate. we cannot consecrate, we
cannot hallow this ground The brave
men, living and dead. who struggled
here. have consecrated 1t far above
our poor power to add or detract. The
world will little note nor long remem-
: Der what we say here, but 1t will
never forget what they did here, 1t
is rather for US. the living. to be here
dedicated to the unfinished work
which they who fought here have
thus far SO nobly advanced. 1t is
rather for us to be here dedicated to
the great. task remaining before US.
that from these honored dead we take
increased devotion to that cause for
which they gave the last full meas
ure OF devotion. that we here highly
resolve that these dead shall not have
died in vain, that this nation, under
God shall have a new birth of free
dom. and that government of the peo-
pie, by the people. for the people. shall
not perish from the earth"
These as remember them-and ]
have always had an exceedingly good
word ,memory-were the exact words
used by Lincoln. though the newspaper
reports varied slightly from the text as
here given. 1.-THE version revised by
Lincoln himself also varies from this
Of Mr.. Farquhar's.l
THERE was some applause during
the delivery OF the address, but less
at ltS .SOuSaoSsoh e'idLi one WOul0 nave
expected. can only speak for myself
when say that l was too deeply i'm
pressed-as though ! had listened TO a,
great sermon-to join in the applause. +
fancy many felt the same way One had
the feeling that 1t was. in fact, a solemn
dedication to the unfinished work which
would lead whittier the the mtmey the
that though the way might be long and
hard, yet. under the inspired leader
ship of Abraham Lincoln. there could be
but one outcome, the successful conclu-
sion Of the war and reunited nation.
The Presidents countenance, which
had become animated during the de-
livery Of the address, resumed its look
of sadness. as though he were disap-
pointed at the reception of his words.
1t is undoubtedly true that his hear.
ers did not appreciate it until they had
a chance to read the address and ponder
l it's meaning.
A newspaper in the neighborine city
Of Harrisburg failed to publish the
Presidents address. remarking that he
had not risen to the occasion, had made
a few rambling remarks-and even the
New York Tribune. either through acct
dent or design, omitted it from its .ac-
count Of the dedication. Mr.. Greeley,
whom afterward met at an agricultural
| fair at Elkton, Nd. and to whom I
showed the Westminster Review article,
nodded his head. and admitted that the
Tribune had not Erasped the significance
Of the speech.
t - Copyright, 1917