Fitzpatrick Commemorates Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address

Its 150 years ago today President Lincoln gave one of the most memorable public orations in history.

The Gettysburg Address.

Tuesday, Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick (PA-8) submitted remarks for the Congressional Record  about the Lincoln’s speech.

“Mr. Speaker, I rise today in recognition of 278 simple words spoken a century and a half ago in a small town in my home state of Pennsylvania.

When President Lincoln addressed the crowd assembled at the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg, he noted in his speech that his words were ones that, “the world will little note,  nor long remember”.

“Yet, 150 years later, President Lincoln’s words of sacrifice and strength still ring true.”

“Even amidst the fog of a still raging civil war, Lincoln promised that “this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”

Today, we recognize the commitment of President Lincoln to reunite and ensure the continued success of our nation. Furthermore, we redouble our efforts to protect his solemn pledge of a free government for a free people.”

According to historians the actual of text of the speech had many variations, sentence structures, and even Lincoln himself penned several copies of the speech he thought would long be forgotten in the annals of time. The Bliss version is cited and referenced as the standard text although written by Lincoln after the speech was actually given. It is displayed in the Lincoln Room at the White House.

Below  is the full text of the Bliss version of the speech.

“Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” 

The Library of Congress has a  Gettysburg Address Exhibition webpage chock full of interesting information