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THE  GETTYSBURG  ADDRESS 

OF 

Abraham  Lincoln 

NOVEMBER  19,  1863 


Copied  fro7n  Facsimile  of  the  Original  Manuscript  published 
in  ''The  Century  Magazine,''^  February ,  1894. 

Four  score  and  seven  years  ago  our  fathers  brought  forth,  upon  this 
continent,  a  new  nation,  conceived  in  liberty,  and  dedicated  to  the  prop- 
osition 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  battle  field  of  that  war.  We  have  come  to  dedi- 
cate a  portion  of  it,  as  a  final  resting  place  for  those  who  died  here,  that 
the  nation  might  live.  This  we  may,  in  all  propriety  do.  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  hallowed  it,  far  above  our  poor  power  to  add  or  detract. 
The  world  will  little  note,  nor  long  remember  what  we  say  here;  while 
it  can  never  forget  what  they  did  here. 

It  is  rather  for  us,  the  living,  we  here  be  dedicated  to  the  great  task 

remaining  before  us — that,  from  these  honored  dead  we  take  increased 

devotion  to  that  cause  for  which  they  here,  gave  the  last  full  measure 

of  devotion — that  we  here  highly  resolve  these  dead  shall  not  have  died 

in  vain  ;    that  the  nation,  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. 

Gift 

IS  /  \- 


Copied  from  Facsimile  of  the  Final  Revision  published  in  '  'Auto- 
graph Leaves  of  Our  Coimtry's  Aitthors,''  1864- . 

ADDRESS   DELIVERED  AT  THE  DEDICATION  OF  THE  CEMETERY 
AT  GETTYSBURG. 

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  battle-field  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  conse- 
crate—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  remem- 
ber 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  free- 
dom—and that  government  of  the  people,  by  the  people,  for  the 
people,  shall  not  perish  from  the  earth. 

ABRAHAM  LINCOLN. 
November  19.  1863. 


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