Evening star., 1939-02-12
Bv JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.

SOl1l LII SG 4l1ou AA GA eANNA Noos
BY JAMES WALDO FAWCETT.
His own original copy of Presi-
dent Abraham Lincoln's first inaug-
ural address recently came to light
In an old scrapbook once owned by
the late Crosby Stuart Moves. editor
of The Star from 1867 until his
death in 1908.
The unique and precious docu-
ment is in Is pieces. 1t was intact,
of course, when Mr.. Lincoln read
it from a platform on the East steps
of the Capitol Monday March 4,
1861, and when, a few minutes after
he had completed the reading OF it,
he handed it to Mr.. Noyes for pub
ucation in The Star.
But in The Star Office it was
cut into takes" to be distributed
among compositors who set by hand
the type used in printing the paper.
Each separate take" bears its num-
Der, some written in blue crayon,
some in red, Il" D." %" o. etc.
More important, the text-actually
a galley proof of the first draft OF
the address-is interlined with sup
Elementary manuscript lamentations
and corrections in Mr.. LlncolnS
handwriting. For example, the SEN
tence Il do not consider it necessary
at present for me to discuss those
matters of administration about
which there is no special anxiety
or excitement" has been introduced
after the opening paragraph: In
compliance with custom as old as.
the Government itself, appear be-
fore YOU to address you briefly, and
to take, in your presence. the oath
prescribed by the Constitution OF
the United States, to be taken by
the President before he enters on
the execution of his office.
Lincoln Altered Language.
Similarly, Mr.. Lincoln altered the
language he had planned to employ
in reference to his Is predecessors IN
the presidency. He wrote originally,
They have conducted it (the Gov
ernment through many perils, and,
on the whole. with great success.
The phrase ION the whole was
stricken out and the word gen
orally written in.
Mr., Lincoln eliminated approXl-
mately two entire lines OF copy, FOL
lowing "a disruption of the Federal
Union" to which, in their stead, ne
added. "Heretofore only menaced,
is now formidably attempted. Fur
ther on, the President had asked:
In any law upon this subject, ought
not all the safeguards OF liberty
known to civilization and humane
JURISPRUDENCE to be introduced, so
that a free man may be not. in any
case, surrendered as a slave?" He
supplemented his thought in the
final text with another question:
And might it not be we'll at the
same time to provide by law for the
enforcement of that clause in the
Constitution which guarantees that
the citizens Of each State shall be
entitled to all privileges and i'm
munities of citizens in the several
States?'"
Writing Neat and Clear.
The writing is neat and clear, the
ink a dark-brown black. Mr.. Lin
coin apparently was slow, meticu-
lous penman. His script has an ar
tistic character, seemingly intended.
The shading of his capital "a surely
is no accident.
Conscious anxiety for perfection
of style also is discernible in his
replacement of think proper" with
choose" and reconstructed" with
constituted" The Presidents legal
| training is reflected in the alteration
of nothing" to read void" "trea-
sonable' to read Revolutionary"
He expanded his philosophy on the
possible destruction of the Union
by interpolating the phrase having
lost the vital element of perpetuity'
in relation to the Constitution as
affected by potential secession.
Half dozen States already had
seeded when Mr. Lincoln was edi-
ting his address. In direct prophetic
reference to them. he wrote into
the text: Il therefore consider that,
in view of the Constitution and
the laws, the Union is unbroken and
to the extent of my ability I shall
take care, as the Constitution itself
expressly enjoins upon me. that the
laws of the Union be faithfully exc
cuted in the States" Likewise {:
THE power conflded to me will be
used to hold, occupy and possess