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

swer to this, It was urged that he himself better
than anyone else, could determine as to these
questions and that, II he were invited to speak,
he WAS sure to do what, under the circumstances.
would be right and proper.
ut was finally decided to ask President Lin
coin after the Grafton Chat is to say. after Mr.
Everetts oration) as Chief Executive of the ma
tion to set apart formally these grounds to their
sacred use by few appropriate remarks This
was done In the name of the governors Of the
states, as was the case with Others by Mr.. Wills
but the invitation was not settled upon and sent
to Mr. Lincoln until the second of November,
more than six weeks after Mr.. Everett had been
invited to speak, and but little more than two
weeks before the exercises were held
So Abraham Lincoln, accepting this tardy In
vItation, went to Gettysburg to make his flew re-
marks" which the dubious members OF the COM
mittee hoped, although they were not sure,
would be appropriate" Even Lincoln himself
was probably bit dubious about 1t for, as Doc
tor Barton says, "he was painfully aware that on
the next morning he must make speech from
the same platform that was to be occupied by
scholarly and eloquent orator"
There was only one hotel in Gettysburg and 1t
was SO crowded that there was room In 1t for
the President OF the United States. So he became
a guest In the home OF David Wills In his room
which he proposed to give and the next morning
he made few alterations and copied II over.
The next day he rode on horseback to the bat
tlegrOund albeit on 8 horse which was too small,
80 that he was far from being an impressive hg-
ure. So, all In ALL 1t would seem that the fates
were bent upon making one OF the greatest events
In American history veritable comedy OF errors
And then when he did arrive at the cemetery 1t
was discovered that Mr. Everett had not yet ar
rived So the exercises began an hour late.
But eventually they were under way and at
last the great moment for which the crowd had
been waiting arrived Edward Everett stood be-
fore them and the thrilling voice OF trained
orator began: standing beneath this serene sky.
overlooking these broad fields now reposing from
the labors OF the waning year, the mighty Al
leghenles dimly towering before US, the graves OF
our brethren beneath our feet 1t Is with hesita-
ton that I raise my poor voice to break the elo-
ouent silence OF God and Nature
But there seemed to be no hesitation as the
rich voice OF the eloquent New Highlander went
on and on breaking the eloquent silence OF God
and Nature" for a matter OF one hour ana 0f
minutes. at the end of which his listeners, II we
are to believe the statements OF some who were
there. were somewhat wearled OF the flow OF ora
tory. There was certain revival OF interest when
the President arose to speak
-Four score and seven years ago -1he nish-
pitched voice shred out over the crowd and be-
fore his hearers could become accustomed TO IL,
he stopped just as they thought ne was Degin-
Ming After Everetts Grafton the Presi-
dant,9 aneech seemed almost no speech at all
People we're disappointed
rvaratt > great man himself, could recognize
greatness in another. Il should be glad II could
a.ttar myself that came as near to the central
,aaa ~ the occasion In two hours as you did In
two minutes. he said But not even this tribute
conld cheer the Man Of Sorrows He went back
to washington depressed In mind as ne was sick
in body. For he thought he had failed He did
not know, and he could not know, any more than
the hundreds who heard his words but failed to
era sn their significance, that those few appropri-
ate remarks" OF his would 80 ringing down the
years to deathleas glory.
10 BY western Newspaper Union)