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Gettysburg Replies: The World Responds to Abraham Lincoln’s Gettyburg Address PDF

225 Pages·2015·32.44 MB·English
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GETTYSBURG REPLIES The World Responds to Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation Edited by Carla Knorowski, Ph.D. An imprint of Rowman & Littlefield Distributed by NATIONAL BOOK NETWORK Copyright © 2015 by Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation Essay by Samuel R. Harris courtesy of Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Available ISBN 978-1-4930-0912-1 (hard cover) ISBN 978-1-4930-1766-9 (e-book) The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/ NISO Z39.48-1992. The views, opinions, and positions expressed by the authors who have written essays for this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation. CONTENTS Preface, Carla Knorowski, Ph.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .vii Introduction: A Nation “at Risk”—Lincoln’s World and Ours, James M. Cornelius, Ph.D. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xii Walking with Lincoln by Tom Amandes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Lincoln and Eureka College by J. David Arnold . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Greater Efforts, Grander Victories by Julian Bond . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The Gettysburg Story by Jake Boritt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 A Common Path Taken by John Borling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 On the Occasion of the Great Leaving by Robert Bray . . . . . . . . . .12 The Dark Horse Candidate by Edward M. Burke. . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The Business of Words by Ken Burns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 The Gettysburg Address: Rewriting America’s Foundational Narrative by William D. Burns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Truth by President George H. W. Bush. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 A Powerful Reminder by President George W. Bush . . . . . . . . . .22 The Long March by Amy Carlson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 Gettysburg Address by President Jimmy Carter . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 Our Struggle Was Their Struggle by Richard Carwardine. . . . . . . . . 28 Rebuild Together by President Bill Clinton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 One Thousand Five Hundred and Seventy Days by Catherine Clinton . .32 On a Poem by Lincoln: “My Childhood Home I See Again” by Billy Collins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 Lincoln’s World Language by James M. Cornelius . . . . . . . . . . . .36 A New Nation by Jeremy T. Crandall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 The Concept of Accountability by Keith David . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40 Unfinished Work by Alan M. Dershowitz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .42 I Am a Foreigner by Danian C. Douglas. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Overalls by Richard H. Driehaus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 Our Greatest Treasure by Tammy Duckworth . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 Gettysburg: Rebirth of the Revolution by Dick Durbin . . . . . . . . . .50 A New American Anthem by Jason Emerson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Lincoln in Memory and Mission by Richard W. Etulain . . . . . . . . .54 The Unfinished Business of Slavery by Nicholas J. Evans . . . . . . . . .56 Will America Sacrifice as It Did in the Civil War? by Guy C. Fraker . . .58 Gettysburg Is Not Only in Pennsylvania by Nikki Giovanni . . . . . . .60 What Would Mr. Lincoln Think? by Bill Goodman. . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Equal Opportunity to Influence by Ginny Greer . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 The Ennobling Universal Passion by Allen C. Guelzo . . . . . . . . . .66 Canvassing the Vote by Dan Guillory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 The Best Place on Earth by Samuel R. Harris. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Each Must Enlist by Gary R. Herbert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Footsteps by Katherine Hitchcock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74 Gettysburg Calls Us to Our Solemn Duty by Jackie Hogan . . . . . . . .76 Long Remembered by Harold Holzer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78 Saying Much in Little by William Howarth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 No Greater Words by Sally Jewell. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 History Is a Cause by Gary T. Johnson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Republicanism Renewed by Howard Jones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 Words to Music by John William Jones. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Clarity of Purpose by Kathleen Kennedy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Lincoln Walking at Night by Amanda L. Kilpatrick . . . . . . . . . . .92 “In God We Trust” by Carla Knorowski . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94 Mystery in the History of the Gettysburg Address by Michelle A. Krowl. . 96 iv Contents Photo Essay by Annie Leibovitz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98 Four Score and Seven Lincolns by David H. Leroy . . . . . . . . . . . 100 A Look at a People by Caleb Lewis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102 I Heard Lincoln Deliver the Gettysburg Address by Salvador Litvak . . 104 Fallen Heroes by James Lovell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Freedom: Given by God, Defended by Man by Allen J. Lynch. . . . . . 108 Conceived in Liberty by Phil W. Magness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110 A Timeless Call to Action by Suzanne Malveaux . . . . . . . . . . . . 112 Immigration to America by John F. Marszalek . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Lincoln’s World and Gettysburg by Robert E. May . . . . . . . . . . . 116 150th Anniversary of the Gettysburg Address by Matthew H. Mead . . 118 Learning from Lincoln by Michael Medved . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120 Transition in South Africa by Babalwa Mhlauli . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Democracy Persists by Richard Lawrence Miller . . . . . . . . . . . . 124 Visions of Lincoln: A Century on Screen by Nell Minow . . . . . . . . 126 More Information, Less Understanding by Newton N. Minow. . . . . 128 Reply by President Barack H. Obama. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130 Building on Lincoln’s Legacy by Douglas R. Oberhelman . . . . . . . 132 Abraham Lincoln and the Vital Importance of Civic Education by Sandra Day O’Connor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134 Proud Disciples by Maureen Orth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136 An Unfinished Masterpiece by Eboo Patel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138 The Long Shadow of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address by Jared Peatman . . 140 In the Throes of Democracy by Graham A. Peck. . . . . . . . . . . . . 142 Lincoln in the World by Kevin Peraino. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144 Remembering a Second Birth of Freedom by Matthew Pinsker . . . . . 146 Fate and Circumstance by Adam Pitluk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148 The March Must Continue by Colin L. Powell . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150 Contents v The Will of the People by Patrick J. Quinn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152 Finishing Their Work by Grace Richards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154 A Continuing Obligation by J. Joe Ricketts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156 272 Words of Hope by Karen Roth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158 Battlefields for Equal Justice by Nancy Rousseau. . . . . . . . . . . . 160 The Promise of Greater Access by Eric Schmidt . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162 Hubris in 272 Words by Thomas F. Schwartz . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164 10 Sentences, 4 Clauses by Pete Seeger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 Demand the Best by Judith Sheindlin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168 A Time-Sensitive Document by Scott Simon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170 The Unfinished Work Before Us by Brooks D. Simpson. . . . . . . . . 172 The Attractive Vision of a Better World by Steven Spielberg . . . . . . 174 Genealogy Apology by Kevin Stein . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176 The Will of the People by Randall L. Stephenson. . . . . . . . . . . . 178 The Global Meaning of the Gettysburg Address by Louise L. Stevenson . 180 Turn to Lincoln by Charles B. Strozier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182 People Like to Eat by Evelyn Brandt Thomas with Karl Barnhart . . . 184 Lincoln’s Railroad by Robert W. Turner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186 The Lincoln Seedbed by Neil deGrasse Tyson. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 188 Let’s Build a Civilization Based on Universal Values by Lech Walesa. . 190 Let Their Lives Shine by Scott Walker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192 An American Keystone by David Walser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194 We Are the Benefactors of Change Agents by Robin White . . . . . . . 196 Words That Count by Robert S. Willard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198 A Young Girl’s Advice by Karen B. Winnick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202 Photo Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 vi Contents PREFACE I t is a two-page, handwritten essay on white, the area in front of the stand, the military leav- blue-lined paper. The paper is not unlike the ing sufficient space between them and the line of standard blue-lined paper you would find in a graves for the civic procession to pass.” composition book—the kind used in school— The program for the day was simple: A sporting a black and white marble-finished prayer, then a speech by the great orator Edward cover. The pages themselves measure seven-and- Everett—both preceded and followed by music. a-half by nine-and-a-half inches. The author’s After that, a few “dedicatory remarks by the 19th century, right-slanted cursive fills 23 of the President of the United States” were to be deliv- 25 available lines on the first page, eight on the ered by Abraham Lincoln. His two-minute second. The neat and even penmanship and rich, Address was in sharp contrast to Everett’s two- black, iron gall ink draw you in. The author’s hour oration, not just in length, but in outcome. words draw you in further. His eloquence draws Lincoln’s Address stirred the soul; instilled a you in completely. The pages weigh much less sense of purpose; called its audience to action; than an ounce, but carry the weight of the world. and righted a lost and faltering nation, setting It is the Gettysburg Address—Abraham Lin- its sails on course for a new birth of freedom. coln’s masterpiece—one of the greatest speeches The speech was immediately recognized in the annals of history. for what it was, a national treasure. In May It was written on the occasion of the dedi- 1864, a mere six months after it was delivered, cation of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, the Address was reprinted in a volume edited a ceremony that took place a little more than by Alexander Bliss, published in Baltimore by four months after what was, and still is, the Cushings and Bailey, of the facsimile hand- bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil. writing of famous Americans. While Lincoln’s Approximately 52,000 Union and Confederate Address was not the first selection printed in soldiers were killed, wounded, or went miss- the book—that honor was reserved for Francis ing—the green rolling hills of Gettysburg, Scott Key and “The Star Spangled Banner”—it Pennsylvania, were awash in a sea of crimson immediately followed the American anthem, a blood as Union and Confederate forces fought tribute to the greatness of the 16th President the Civil War’s tide-turning battle. When the and his “dedicatory remarks.” Lincoln and smoke cleared and the deafening sounds of the Address were followed in order by selec- gunfire and exploding shells fell silent, all that tions from Washington Irving, Oliver Wendell remained was the sobering stillness of death, Holmes, John Greenleaf Whittier, and only which continued to linger even as preparations then by Edward Everett. Lincoln’s handwritten for the dedication were taking place, even more version of the Gettysburg Address originally so on that solemn day. The scars and ravages of in the Bliss book now hangs in the Lincoln war were still omnipresent as the civic proces- Bedroom of the White House. sion was directed to “salute the President of the The occasion of the 150th anniversary of United States,” and then “advance and occupy the writing and delivery of the Gettysburg vii Address most certainly provided a historic Lincoln used a mere 272 words, in 10 sentences, opportunity for solemn commemorations and to convey the greatest, most important message possibly, sad to say, unimaginative, well-worn, of the time—some say of all time. We still hold though well-meant tributes. When a person sacred its message. To commemorate its ses- has been studied, celebrated, and commemo- quicentennial, we decided to challenge people rated for more than a century and a half, having from around the world to write “272 Words” in had more than 18,000 books, long, middling, the spirit of Abraham Lincoln. or tiny written about him, as Lincoln has, it is This, for many, was daunting to grasp, let difficult to be original, to say or do something alone attempt. Many refused the challenge on that hasn’t been said or done before. It’s easy the basis that they could never write anything to become complacent. After all, it is Lincoln that could approximate, let alone top, the sim- and the Gettysburg Address—no dressing up ple yet profound eloquence of Lincoln and the required. Simply display the document in all its Address. We found ourselves doing more than glory and have an eloquent speaker recite it at our share of explaining that the point of the the precise moment in time that Lincoln had 272-word challenge was not to try to “top” the delivered it 150 years earlier. That sort of tribute Gettysburg Address, write as well as Lincoln, is simple, safe, and generally meets the expecta- or change the course of history. It was simply to tions of Lincoln-loving scholars, armchair his- celebrate the 16th President and his words. It torians, and devotees around the world. But is it was hoped that essayists, in trying to get their enough? Certainly not. message across in only 272 words, would come While “simple” is a word which might be to realize in a deeper, more personal way the equated with the preferred way of life of the greatness of the Address and just how eloquent rail splitter from Illinois, “safe” isn’t. After all, and gifted a communicator Lincoln was. this was the man who risked the ire of many by We asked our essayists to write about the opposing the Mexican War, pushing through 16th President, Gettysburg, the Gettysburg Emancipation and abolition policies, and mov- Address, or a cause that inspires them. Gettysburg ing forward with conscription. So while dis- Replies is a compilation of 100 essays selected playing and reciting the Gettysburg Address from the more than 1,000 written by people was a simple and safe way for the Abraham from all walks of life—from schoolchildren to Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and U.S. presidents. The essays are powerful, elo- its Foundation to commemorate the 150th, it quent, and insightful. They are a lasting tribute wasn’t the only path we would travel. We didn’t not only to the greatness of Abraham Lincoln want just to meet expectations, we wanted to and the Gettysburg Address, but to the power exceed them. The magnitude of the man and of both the written and handwritten word. his words deserved something more, something Yes, in addition to writing 272 words, original, something, dare we say, larger than life. essayists were challenged to walk further in Enter 272 words. Lincoln’s footsteps and write out their essays 272 words—the number of words Lincoln longhand on the stationery of their choice. used in the Gettysburg Address. Challenged Some essayists, faced with the challenge of to speak about the enormity of Gettysburg, both writing and handwriting, chose only the viii Preface former. Others embraced the two. Many had legacy. But rarely do we have the opportunity to rediscover the seemingly lost art of applying to make history. The project allowed us to do pen to paper rather than fingers to keyboard. just that. Consider one essay that arrived in an Some authors sheepishly revealed that it was oversized envelope. A peek inside revealed the easier to compose the essay than write it out by treasure within: Jimmy Carter’s 272-word reply. hand, but admitted that handwriting it made I pulled it out—gently, carefully—realizing that the challenge all the more appealing, while the essay, no less than any other item sitting in describing the process as “painful,” “humbling,” our Library’s archives, was already a historic and in some cases “humiliating.” In the end, document, and I may be among the first in his- some of our essayists chose hand lettering tory privileged to read it. instead. These choices—what to write about, It was on his personal letterhead, sporting whether to type or write it out longhand, what the centered figure of an eagle outlined in blue, stationery to use—all add to the depth and with four stars descending the nape of its neck. richness of the 272-word project, to the essays, The name Jimmy Carter, also in blue, was set in and to the essayists themselves as we view the bold, capital letters, centered and printed just slants, curves, and styles of their very personal beneath. The words Gettysburg Address were penmanship. typed a few lines below and to the left. I began We commenced the project unsure of what reading the essay, suddenly hearkening back to the response would be. Would people find the 1978 with the sound of the President’s voice mere suggestion of writing 272 words in the resounding in my head as if he were right in Lincoln tradition too daunting, too ridicu- the room regaling me with an intimate story of lous, or too arrogant? We would soon find out. a famous moment in history: “When I began The first litmus test we seemed to pass came peace talks at Camp David between Israel and when we reached out to noted Lincoln scholar Egypt, it soon became obvious . . .” The first 16 Harold Holzer. Harold does not suffer fools or words drew me in completely. The essay, which foolish projects gladly. Undaunted, we sent an was typed by the President himself on his office invitation to Harold encouraging him to write. typewriter, was a historic recollection, a docu- He responded post haste. We had nothing to ment not only for our nation’s posterity, but the fear when he replied, “What a nice honor—272 world’s, a document few knew existed. We now words—wow—who can be as succinct as A.L.?” were making history, making our own wake in Who indeed? Perhaps no one on the face of the which generations of readers, researchers, and planet, but it didn’t mean Harold wasn’t going scholars would sail. to give it the old college try, and as he put 272 In addition to President Carter’s essay, words to paper, so too did many others. Gettysburg Replies presents 272-word essays by At the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Presidents George H. W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Library and Museum and its Foundation, his- George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, as well tory is our business. Every day we sail in the as essays from Nobel Prize recipients, famous wake of history: collecting and preserving jurists, filmmakers, actors, scholars, poets, and documents and artifacts, conducting schol- people from all walks of life. There are essays arly research to uncover more of Lincoln’s rich from Ginny Greer and Caleb Lewis, students Preface ix

Description:
Almost five months after the Civil War’s deadliest clash, President Abraham Lincoln and other Union leaders gathered to dedicate the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The program for the occasion featured music, prayer, orations, and benedictions. In the middle of it all,
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Most books are stored in the elastic cloud where traffic is expensive. For this reason, we have a limit on daily download.