Evening star., 1928-05-13
Coolidge Picks Gettysburg
For Memorial Day Speech

censure Lincoln drew up Is reproduced
by the writer's, but they said that he
decided afterWard not TO send 1t. With
Lee at large, though having suffered
heavy losses at Gettysburg, they said
Lincoln could see no early end TO the
war. It did continue until April 8, 1865,
the day of Lees surrender, or nearly
two years after the battle OF Gettysburg.
it was with the terrible battle COM
paratively fresh in public thought traf
Lincoln spoke little more than five
months later The crowd assembled at
Gettysburg had listened to Edward
Everett, noted orator Of the day. speak
for two hours in his most stirring
manner. Then Lincoln rose with his
address In his hand and In solemn, de-
liberate tones delivered the immorta!
address.
The short, simple words and phrases
of Lincoln were in contrast 70 the STIR
ring sentences of Everett. 1t has been
said that Lincoln did not at first know
whether what he had said had reg
istered strongly with the crowd because
of the serious mood his words created
In his auditors But since then the vol
urne Of praise Of the address has
grown with every passing year.
Hundreds of thousands Of Americans
every year read the Gettysburg address
carved in the Lincoln Memorial here,
and the number who have thus read IL
already has gone far into the millions.
This, of course, Is only one way In which
the people are made familiar with the
address, while the second inaugural ad-
dress, also carved on the wall OF the
Lincoln Memorial. Is scarcely less pop
ular, containing as 1t does the mag
unanimous passage with malice toward
none, with charity for ALL" etc. written
| after personal and national sufferings
that might have found expression In
bitter words, but could not through
| Lincoln.
| With this background President
| Coolidge will speak on May 30. He had
/ indicated several weeks ago that he
might abandon his usual practice OF
speaking at Arlington to go to Gettys-
burg. and last Wednesday he confirmed
his intention to Representative Menges
Of Pennsylvania, in whose district Is the
battlefield. That the last Decoration
Day address of his administration a.
Gettysburg will draw an enormou-
crowd is taken for granted by Repre-
sentative Menges and other Pennsyl-
vania Members Of Congress, and
vaster crowd Is expected to hear III
President over the radio.
+ y
Gettysburg is the county seat e.
Adams County. Pa. The town is abou,
IS miles southwest Of the capital. Har
risburg. 1t was settled in 1740, laid GU
In 1887 and became the county seat In
1900 The valley is about mile and
half wide, while the surrounding coun
try Is most attractive. Hundreds OF
monuments now dot the cemetery. In
1895, by act Of Congress. the cemetery
was made national park. Before that
the Gettysburg Battlefield Memorial AS
ISOLATION had been formed and pro
NOTED the interests Of the nationa'
| cemetery.
Lincoln made one prophecy IN his
address that has not come true. H
| said; The world will little note nol
| long remember what We say here" On
the contrary. the world shows every in
dication of permanently noting and re.
membering what he said there. The
final sentence about government Of thf
! people, by the people, for the people"
Is quoted throughout the world wher-
ever democratic government Is achieved
or cherished.