Year: 1863

Il


DELIVERED AT GETTYSBURG, NOVEMBER 10,
AT THE


| CONSIDERATION OF THE CEMETERY


Prepared for the ntsrment of the Remains of those who fell


on the lst ID and Sd July in the Battles that Place


1t appointed by law Athens that the obsequies Of
the citizens who fell in battle should be performed at the
public expense and in the most honorable manner Their
bones were carefully gathered up from the funeral pyre
where their bodies consumed and brought home to
city There for three days before the nerment they
lay IN state beneath tents of honor to receive the yotve
onerngs OF friends and relatvesaowers weapons pre-
cous ornaments, painted vases (wonders of art which
after two thousand years adorn the museums Of modern
Europe)-the last tributes of surviving affection Ten
cofns OF funeral cypress received the honorable depos
one for each of the tribes Of the city and an eleventh in
memory OF the unrecognsed but therefore unhonored
and OF those whose remains could not be
On the fourth day the mournfn procession was formed
mothers, wives ssters daughters led the way and to
them It was permitted by the simplicity Of ancient man
to utter aloud their lamentations for the beloved and
the lost the male relatives of the deceased followed ct
zens and strangers closed the train Thus marshaed thew
moved to the place of nerment in that famous Ceramcus
the most beautiful suburb of Athens which had been
adorned by Cimon, the of Mtades with walks and
fountains and columns whose groves were filled with
altars srnes, and temples whose gardens were ever
green with streams from the neghborng hills and shaded
with the trees sacred to Minerva and coeva with the
foundation of the city, whose circuit enclosed


" the olive grove of Academe


Plato retirement where the Attic bird


TITLED his thickswarbed note the summer long"


whose pathway cleaned with the monuments of the
lustrious dead the work of the most consummae mas
ters that ever gave life to MARBLE There beneath the
overarcbng plane trees upon lofty stage erected for the
purpose it was ordained by law that funeral grafton
should be pronounced by some citizen Of Athens in the
presence of the assembled multitude


Such were the tokens of respect required by law to be
paid at Athens to the memory Of those who had fallen in
the Of their country To those alone who fell at
Marathon peculiar honor was reserved As the battle
fought upon that immortal field was distinguished from
all others in Grecan history for its influence over the for
tunes of Heas it depended upon the event of that day
whether Greece should live glory and light to all COM
ing tme should expire like the meteor of moment
the honors awarded to its martyr were such as
were bestowed by Athens other occasion. They
alone of all her entombed upen the spot which
they had forever rendered famous Their names were in
scribed upon ten pillars erected upon the monumental
tumulus which covered their ashes where after six hun
dred years they read by the traveller Pausana
although the columns beneath the hand of barbarc yo
ence and me have long since disappeared the venerable
mound still marks the spc where they fought and fell
"That battle field, where Persa's victim horde


First bowed beneath the brunt of Hella's sword"


And shall felow-ctzens, who, after an interval of
twenty three centuries youthful pilgrim from world
unknown to ancient Greece have wandered over that ius


ous plain ready to put of the shoes from of my feet as
that stands holy ground have gazed with respect
sl emotion the mound which still protects the remains
of those who rolled back the tide of Persian INVASION and
rescued the land OF popular liberty, of letters and arts
from the ruthless foe stand unmoved over the graves Of
dear brethren who but yesterday three of those
al-mportant days which decide nations hstory-days
whose it depended whether this august repub
Union founded by of the wsest statesmen that
lived cemented with the blood of some of the purest
patriots that died. should perish or endure-roed
back the tide Of invasion not less unprovoked not less
ruthless than that which to plant the dark banner
Of Asatc despotism and slavery on the free soil of


Greece Heaven forbid And could prove so insensi-
BILE every prompting Of patriotic duty and affection not
only would you felowcitizsDs gathered, many Of you


from distant States who have to take part ia these
pous Offices Of gratude-you, respected fathers, bre
tbren mstrons sisters, who surround me- cry out for
shame, but the forms Of brave and patriotic who
gil these honored graves would heave with Indignation be
| meath the sed.


We have assembled friends felow-ctz at the in.
vtaton Of the Executive OF the great Central State of
seconded by the Governors Of eighteen other
loyal States OF the Unon to pay the last tribute of
to brave who in the hard fought battles of the
M ID and Sd days Of July last laid down their lives for
the country these hsides and the plains spread out
before us and whose remains have been the
cemetery which we consecrate this day. As my eye
ranges the fields whose sods were so lately moste
ed by the blood Of gallant and loyal men, feel as never
before how truly il said OF old that it is sweet and
becoming die for ones country feel as never before
how Justly from the dawn of history to the present time
men have paid the homage OF their gratitude and admra
ton to the memory of those who noby sacrifice their lives
that their elow-men may live in safety And il this tri
butte were ever due when--to wbom-coud it be more
Justly paid to those whose last resting place we this
day commend to the blessing Of Heaven and of men
For consider, my friends, what would have been the
to the country to yourselves and to all you
hold dear il those who sleep beneath our feet aud their
other fields of danger had failed IN their duty on those
memorable days Consider what, at this moment would
be the condition Of the United States that noble Army
Of the Potomac instead of CALAMITY and for the second
time beating back the tide OF invasion from MARYLAND aud
Penns vaDa, had been itself driven from these welcon-
tested heights; thrown back in confusion on Baltimore
or tIamped down, discounted, scattered 10 the four
winds. What under the circumstances would not have
been the fate OF the Monumental City, of Harri burg of
Philadelphia, of Washington, the capital Of the Union
each and every Of which would have lain at the mercy
Of the enemy accordingly it might have pleased him.
spurred only by passion flushed with victory and conf
dent Of continued success to direct his course


For this must bear in mind s enc of the great les.
of the war; indeed Of every war that 10 is imposs
BILE for people without military organization inhaoitinp
the cities towns and villages Of open country includ
ing Of the natural proportion OF combatants
OF either sex and OF every age TO Withstand the nroad Of
veteran army What defence can be made by the in
habiiants OF villages mostly built of wood Of cities unpro