The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1933-11-09


Der what we say here" thereby proving
himself poor prophet indeed, no matter how
great he was In nearly every other respect.
So much has been said about Lincolns Gettys-
burg address and SO much has been written
about 1t (including 254-page book about 272-
word speech y 1t would seem that we Americans,
who are proud to claim this masterpiece OF mod
ern English eoQuence as the product of one OF
our own kind would know everything about 1t
even down to the mnutest detail But Ii Is prob
able that most Of US know little more about 1t
than the fact that Lincoln did deliver an Inn
mortal speech at Gettysburg few months after
the battle, and we have more or less clear re-
membrance Of some of the phraseology OF the
speech beginning with the sonorous -Four score
and seven years ago our fathers brought forth
upon this continent q new nation, conceived In
Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that
all men are created equal" and continuing to the
magnificent climax OF that government of the
people, by the people, for the people, shall not
perish from the EARTH" But beyond those things,
the average American knows very little about
some of the facts connected with the speech
which make 1t one of the most amazing para
doxes In history.
Most Americans know that Lincoln was some
thing of an "also ran" SO far as the choice of the
committee In charge of the celebration at Get
tysburg that day was concerned. They remem-
Der that the honor Of being the 'orator of the
day" fell to Edward Everett and that his one
hour-and-fifty minute speech has been forgotten,
while the three-minute speech OF Lincoln seems
destined to Immortality. But even though Ever
etts speech has been forgotten, how many of his
fellow-countrymen know that the man himself
was important enough In American history to de-
serve escaping the oblivion that has engulfed his
speech7 SO 1t seems worth while to devote lit
tie space to him before continuing the narrative
OF the event in which he played leading part
even though the honors Of the day went to an
other man.
Everett was born In Dorchester Mass April
IL, 1904, member Of one Of the leading families
of New England. After several years Of travel
IN Germany and England he returned to this
country to occupy the chair of Greek literature
at Harvard and to become the editor of the
North American Review. One of the earliest ex-
ampes Of the scholar In politics." Everett be-
came successfully congressman, governor of
Massachusetts, minister plenipotentary to Eng
land and. after brief Interim as president of
Harvard, secretary Of state In President Fill
mores cabinet
But his chief claim to fame lies In his being
vigorous champion of American institutions when
II was the fashion In Europe to sneer at our de-
mocracy, and an equally vigorous champion OF
honesty In public affairs and of social Justice
He whs resolute opponent OF white occupation
OF indian lands without the consent OF the red
man, To him also was due the preservation OF q
sound currency In the panic of 1897 and the es-
Establishment of the first board OF education In the
United States. No mean record OF accomplish
ment, this. and when there lis added to them the
fact that at the time he was the greatest orator