Have great day. Thank you very much. So welcome, everyone. This is i. Im president of the the Lincoln Group of d. C. My name is David Jay Kent and on tonights special program, the Lincoln Group, what they said marks 160th anniversary of lincolns gettysburg address, which was given november 19th, 1863. Im going to kick off program by reading the gettysburg address so that we all have it in our mind because its very short. Then three of our members will each discuss one aspect of this brief, but revealing elegy our nation first tom peet well discuss. Lincoln viewed the declaration of independence and not the constitution as a nations key founding. John. I mean, john obrien, sorry john o brien well discuss lincolns use of religious symbolism in the address and then ed epstein. Well talk about how lincolns two minute speech at gettysburg changed american political oratory forever. After that, all, members will be invited to offer their own and questions. The discussion i will be tonights moderator. Ill ask that everybody their little hand raise an icon to begin this but we will allow people to open up their microphones during that period. And please remember, obviously, we always remain respectful. Well begin with the gettysburg. Fourscore and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposal that all men are created now. Now we are engaged in a great war testing 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 gave their lives that their nation might live. It is altogether and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men living and dead who struggle here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract the world will little no nor long remember what we say here. But i 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, and thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to to the great task remaining 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 hear highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under god shall have a new birth of freedom and a government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth. Thank you, john. Okay. Okay. Can everybody hear me okay. Let me check. Can everybody hear me okay. Tonight ed epstein john o brien and i are reflecting lincolns gettysburg address. 160 years later, 272 words revolution changes political our and that i mean americas understanding of the gettysburg address and its meaning has evolved over time. Its brilliance was not widely at first receiving mixed reviews in the newspapers. Newspapers aligned with the Democratic Party panned it, and Republican Newspapers praised the times of london, wrote the ceremony was rendered rendered ludicrous by some of the sallies of that poor president. The chicago times said. The cheeks of every american tangle with shame as he reads the silly flap and watery utterances. The pennsylvania, harrisburg and union opined, we pass over the silly remarks of. The president , for the credit of the nation, we are willing that the of oblivion shall be dropped them and that they shall no more be repeated or thought of. On the other hand, the providence, rhode island journal said, we know not where to look for a more an admirable speech than the brief one, which the president made at the close of mr. Everetts oration could most elaborate and splendid oration, be more beautiful, more touching, more inspiring than those thrilling words the president they have in our humble judgment, the charm and power of the very highest eloquent, the springfield, massachusetts republican wrote surprise fine as mr. Everetts oration was, and the gettysburg consecration took the rhetorical honors of the occasion were won by lincoln. His little is a perfect gem deep in feeling compact, in thought and expression, and tasteful and elegant in every word and comma. Edward himself wrote on november 20th, the very next day, i should be glad if i could flatter myself that i came as near to the center of. The law idea of the occasion and ours as you did and minutes the truth is that almost no contemporary understood the importance that the gettysburg would come to occupy not only in the american pantheon, but also among the worlds great speeches. What was the basis . Lincolns concise remarks. Lincoln himself said it best in philadelphia in 1861. I can say in return, sir, that all the political sentiments i entertain have been drawn so far as i have been able to draw them from the sentiments which originated and were given to the world. From this hall in which we stand. I have never a feeling politically that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the declaration of independence. I believe that we can and should take Abraham Lincoln at his word. It is a fact that he mentioned the declaration of independence in his very first major public speech, the lyceum address and spring field illinois, on january the 27th, 1838, when he but 28 years old as the patriots of 76 did to the support of the declaration, independence let every american pledge his life, his property and his sacred honor. The gettysburg address would be the last major public message in which lincoln would directly to the declaration. Lincoln clearly considered declaration, not the constitution, to be the birth certificate of United States of america. Fourscore and seven years ago, our brought forth upon this a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created. 1863 mind a 87 was, of course, 1776, which makes me think not only of the declaration of independence, but also of night live. Chevy chase portrays gerald ford in the 76 president ial debates. It was my understanding that there would be no math, no oppressed will fight and endure as our fathers did. Lincoln wrote without the promise of something better. A change of masters. The assertion of that principle at that time was the word fitly spoken, which proved an apple of gold to us. The union and the constitution are picture of silver subsequently framed around it. The picture was made not to conceal or destroy the apple, but to adorn and preserve it. The was made for the apple not the apple for the picture whether or not. Lincoln liked or respected thomas jefferson, the man and politician. He didnt. If we are to believe herndon and allen gelles, though he revered jeffersons timeless words, they were his lifelong touchstone. Whats called lincolns first gettysburg address was 475 words over, 200 more than the gettysburg itself. I will a portion of it washing to in d. C. July 7th, 1863. Fellow i am very indeed to see you tonight and. Yet i will not say i thank you for this call, but i do most sincere truly thank almighty god for the occasion on which you have called. How long ago is it . 80 odd years since on the 4th of july, for the first time in the history of the a nation by its represen it is assembled and declared as a selfevident truth that all men are created equal. That was the birthday of the United States of america. And now on this last 4th of july, just past, when we have a gigantic rebellion, at the bottom of which is an effort overthrow the principle, then all men are created equal. We have the surrender of a most powerful position and an army that very day. And not only so, but in a succession of battles in pennsylvania, near to us through three days so rapidly fought that they might be called one great battle. And the first, second and third of the month of july. And on the fourth, the cohorts of those who opposed the declaration that all men are created equal tail and ran. Gentlemen this is a glorious theme. And the occasion for a speech. But i am not prepared to make one worthy of the occasion and the previous lincoln referred to all men are created equal and five different ways. His mind. Dr. David kent would say scientific mind, turning that phrase inside out upside down forwards and backwards to make sense of it and communicate his insights to his fellow countrymen and women. It was a selfevident truth, so obvious and accepted that it required no proof. A principle, a fundamental truth serves as the foundation for a system or belief or behavior. A a formal, explicit statement which may or may not be true. A proposition and a statement or assertion expresses a judgment or opinion and logic, something that has to be proved a sentiment, a view or attitude towards, a situation or event, and the minds of southerners. All men are created equal, had become all white men are created equal. And the original a self lie not so. Lincoln, the worlds most famous statement of equality was not and never had been a merit horrible tactic in his mind. At gettysburg, lincoln settled upon proposition, an objective yet to be achieved, an assertion to be proven. The nation had fallen short of his promise to be the last, best hope of the world. This was the conundrum. Reverence for the constitution, which lincoln promoted as the basis for his political. In his springfield lyceum address, not only protected and preserved the apple of gold. That all men created equal. It also shield its anathema. Slavery. Because of this protection, William Lloyd garrison believed the constitu was a proslavery document and publicly burned it because. It contained the 3 5 compromise. Their prohibition ending International Slave trade 20 years. The clause giving Congress Power to suppress insurrections i. E. Slave uprisings. And the fugitive slave clause. Frederick douglass, on the other hand, argued that the constitution was an antislavery document because other among other things, the word slave and slavery could nowhere be in it. Furthermore, the constitutions language as we the people, not we the white people, not even we the citizens, not we, the privileged class, not we the high, not we the low but we the people, not we the horses and swine and wheelbarrows, but we the people, we the human inhabitants. And if are people, they are included in the benefits for which the constitution of america was ordained and established. Lincoln sided with douglass. Neither the word slave nor slavery is to be found in the constitution, nor the word property. Even in any connection with language, alluding the things slave or slavery and that whatever in that instrument the slave as alluded to, he is a person and wherever his legal right in relation to him as alluded to it, is spoken of as service or labor, which may be do as a debt Payable Service or labor. Also it would be open to show by contemporain his history that this mode of alluding to slaves and slavery instead, of speaking of them, was employed on purpose to exclude from the constitution the idea that there could be property and man. However, lincoln, both his candidate and president that he could do nothing about slavery. It existed because of constitu tional protection. He insisted that congress had the power to bar slavery from the National Territories just as it had done when it affirmed northwest ordinance in 1789. Lincoln never wavered from this position in spite of the kansasnebraska act and the dred scott decision. Hold firm is worth chain of steel, he advised one congressman. The civil war changed that and made possible the emancipation proclamation. Southern states by seceding, had ceded protection of the constitution. They no longer swore allegiance to daniel cross and lincoln. The politics of slavery, says secession was the most calamitous example of bad judgment in all of american history. Like the constitution. Lincoln did not specifically slavery or union or rebellion or north or south, for that matter, in his gettysburg address. He didnt need to mention slavery for slavery was the elephant in the room where it happened. Lincoln was unwilling even to suggest the possibility that there could be property man at gettysburg. It would be almost a year and a half before he would say publicly in the second inaugural address, one eighth of the whole population colored slaves not distributed generally over the union, but localized the southern part of it. These slaves constituted a peculiar and interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of war. Lincoln did not refer to slaves or slavery in the gettysburg address because many almost certainly majority of whites in the north yet unwilling to fight a costly civil war to free slate. As lincoln had noted in his letter to james seekonk long and late august of 1863. You say you will not fight to free. Some of them seem willing to fight you, but no matter fight you then exclusively to save the union, i issued the proclamation on purpose to aid you and saving the union to Horace Greeley in 1860, whom lincoln had written, i have here stated my purpose to my view of official duty, and i intend no modifica nation of my off to express personal wish that all men everywhere could be free. Lincolns personal wishes had not changed. It in 1863, but 1863 was not yet. 1865, when the 13th amendment would be passed and become the kings cure. Nevertheless, oh, if not slaves was this new birth of freedom to apply. When the nation finally going to live up to its proposition. And going to paraphrase just slightly here, as i used to for my students, that all mankind is created. This question remains just as relevant and 2023 as it was in 1863. Some have likened lincolns performance at gettysburg to the old prophets. The manner of his presentation the sacred vocabulary and imagery and the tone his remarks created for history. A profound prophetic event. Lincoln had long been preparing for this from, his earliest public remarks. He often drew from examples in language of the most widely read book in america, the king james bible, lincoln began using biblical metaphors with his lyceum in 1838. A republican robe is soiled and trailed in the dust, he wrote. Let us read purify it, let us wash it. White in the spirit, if not in the blood of the revolution, he concluded by linking civil religion with a biblical declaration that if we let for the laws become the political religion of our nation, then the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Quoting matthew chapter 16. In his 1854 speech denouncing, the kansasnebraska act, lincoln declared of his country. Let us keep it forever worthy of saving so that millions of people around the world will rise up and call us. Blessed to the latest generation quoting luke chapter one in 1855 letter to his friend joshua speed lincoln declared that the kansasnebraska act was conceived in violence at both kalamazoo and. He spoke of success in defeating that act in the language of salvation. Of course his most prominent use of biblical allegories to that time was in his house divided speech in 1858. In november 1863, just as he received the invitation to speak at the dedication lincoln got a strongly worded from illinois governor richard yates, demanding that lincoln act even more forcefully on emancipation. Yates did acknowledge the president could not act faster. God and providence permitted. Lincoln responded, writing , hold still and see the salvation of god. Quoting moses in exodus. Lincoln did not quote directly from the bible in gettysburg address. Yet used language that evoked the sacredness imperatives of scripture. The address addresses made and compelling by. How it drew its verbal energy from biblical and concepts. The bible, the gospels were mustered into the service of the declaration of independence as the instrument of national rebirth. From the opening phrase lincoln, his audience and a biblical frame of mind. Lincoln drew from the king james versions archaic words and cadences as opened with the Old Testament sounding. Fourscore and seven. An echo of 19th psalms, three score and ten years allocated to the man on this earth. The fourscore clause is prolog for our fathers, a phrase evocative of the lords prayer in matthews chapter six. Perhaps most recited prayer in all of christendom. The rest of the addresses an elaborate metaphor that referred to creation, conception, birth, baptism brought forth alludes to the biblical usage from genesis. That means begat or sired the female role of bearing new life and in nature. The visible appearance of fruit in micah chapter four bring forth our daughter of zion, a woman in travail. Thou shalt forth out of the city in the shall redeem thee from the hand of animals. In chapter one and luke, chapter two for the child conceived in is from the holy spirit, conceived as part of the birth process and of creative imagination. Lincoln thus subtly linked birth of the United States of america with the birth of jesus of nazareth. He continued with brought forth the words in the gospel of luke to describe marys delivery of jesus the first instance of what turns to be a repeated image of conception life and new birth, culminating in the promise of eternal in the words shall perish. A startling echo of jesuss words to nicodemus in john 316. Whosoever believeth not perish, but have everlasting life brought forth also calls to mind a theme liberation. Equating the emancipation of enslaved blacks. America with the deliverance of the children of israel from egyptian bondage and exodus. In deuteronomy this surely resonated the nation in the midst of a war fought because of slavery. The unifying theme of the address woven throughout from beginning to end is the conception, death and new birth of. The nation. Our fathers forth. A new nation. Conceived in liberty. Lincoln began. For lincoln, the new nation was not conceive lived in sin or pain, but liberty, liberty or the of liberty was the central passion that produced the nation. While liberty is linked backwards to the nations conception, equality is more prospective. It involves dedication at the moment of christening or baptism, the infant is placed on a certain path that is dedicated to, a purpose which lincoln now defined as freedom and equality. All this must be done in obedience to the divine under god. God supervising the new birth of freedom. The nation having been reborn, rededicated the act of divine creation has made all men equal. This is not a new concept for lincoln. If he did not subscribe to a specific Church Denomination or doctrine. His speeches, letters and proclamations conveyed awareness of a politically active just the seeking, providential world order, though the sacrificial shed blood of this great civil war. Lincoln said this nation under god shall have a new birth of freedom, a new birth evokes the gospel central theme of regeneration and the hope of eternal life through the death and resurrection of jesus christ. This theme took on powerful significance in a blood battlefield in the shed blood and death of the civil war. The union corrupted by slavery, had died giving hope for birth and new life for the union. Through this theme, lincoln the war and the great sacrifice, the dead and wounded with meaning like Julia Ward Howe in the battle hymn of the republic, he went on to link the atoning sacrificial shed blood and death of the brave men on gettysburg battlefield. With the atoning sacrificial shed, blood and death of jesus christ the cross. This made new birth and new life for fallen mankind. The soldiers memorialized in lincolns oration, like jesus gave their lives so might live. The nation pointedly observed in the opening clause, was born on july fourth, 1776. It was reborn. And gettysburg, 87 years later, having descended into hell for three days of battle. Lincolns text is liberally seasoned with other biblical idioms, such as resting place might live in vain and from the earth with all together fitting and proper. This inclusive phrase also has the biblical implication from the judgments of the lord our true and righteous all together. In revelation 19, consecrated folks, the holy sacraments and dedication to faith, the work of consecrating the cemetery was already done by the dead. Lincoln repaid his audiences duty that day to consecrate and hallow themselves to a new, higher purpose. Lincoln ends with a call to action, redirecting the thoughts and energies his audience. We rather dedicate ourselves to the unfinished. Lincolns use of sternly grand language of the king bible has been described as a way of giving american english reach and resonance. It would otherwise not have had. The gettysburg address, in its form and structure, is a jeremiad political sermon. So for the dire warnings of the biblical prophets jeremiah, isaiah and. The jeremiad been described as a distinct american form. Its a fusion of sacred and secular forebodings. Its created by new england puritan ministers who thought of their role as being both spiritual and practical guides. The purpose of the jeremiad was to directed, imperiled people to the fulfillment of their destiny, to guide them individually toward salvation and collectively toward the American City of god. In the words of the biblical prophet isaiah, how long . Oh, lord, or will our mission be fulfilled . The puritan jeremiah invariably joined lament and in reaffirming americas. The object was to promote social cohesion around admission. It asks the question what is required for to achieve salvation at lincoln delivered his jeremiah ad in the traditional three parts. He described the original errand of the founders and the foundation of his own political faith. He described the current danger to the nation and finally charged his listeners with their duty to preserve and the founders vision. Lincoln had then exposed the style and its positive effect. What attended frontier prayer meetings and other impassioned church preachers. He seems to have learned from their example some important about using words for emotional effect. The preachers at revival meetings often took on the role of prophets warning of gods wrath and the threat that we would perish, if not successful. The dedication of a cemetery is a sacred. The Burial Ground actually blessed or consecrated to receive human remains. Lincolns prophetic tone at gettysburg was very appropriate. The chaplain of the house of representatives, reverend thomas stockton, captured this when he opened the ceremony, a short sermon. He finished by reciting the lords prayer as he intoned, our father, who art in heaven. The entire crowd. Spontaneous slowly joined in. Lincolns simply reestablished this reverent after everetts oration. Lincoln offered a new definition of old truths, a new perspective on old traditions that unlocked deep american emotions. The mystic chords of memory that lincoln referred to in his first inaugural address. Author gary wills shown. Lincoln achieved a revolution at gettysburg by putting the central element of the declaration of independence, equality in a new light as a fundamental of the constitution, which does not mention equality all. With the gettysburg address, lincoln was preaching his own great awakening ceremony. Lincolns religion, the source of his fervent spirituality, was founded not on a single minded devotion to the cause of the union, but rather on a matrix of related propositions became the objects of pure faith union, liberty, democracy and equality. The gettysburg was lincolns supreme expression of that faith, and he used carefully chosen words to inspire an awakening throughout the nation, a rebirth of old ideas, a plea for his fellow americans to change their own hearts. This was just as the book of ezekiel in the Old Testament calls upon the faithful to make you a new heart and a new. There, lincoln said at gettysburg, unfinished work and the great task remaining the American People in. August 1862. Lincoln had written a note to himself in which he accepted he was gods instrument for ending slavery in his meditation on divine will lincoln accepted gods mission and gave himself permission to the emancipation proclamation. In his message to Congress Later that year, he reminded representatives of their responsibility to god to support emancipation. Now, in an appropriate spiritual setting, lincoln declared, that every american was gods instrument in furthering the political faith, the founding fathers. The message was for the country to support the union and emancipation as the foundation of the new birth of freedom. The gettysburg address recognized the battle as a ritual of purification, during which the old union had died in terms that resonated, patriotic patriots and evangelical christians. Lincoln proclaimed a new birth of freedom, a spiritual rebirth of a new union that would fulfill the promise of liberty for all. Now in preparing this analysis, i relied on the work of several authors diana sharp, gary wills, gabby barrett, len la fantasy, ron and richard carradine. And now i turn it over to ed epstein. Thank you, john and tom, for an excellent presentations eight score years ago. The crowd gathered at the new Gettysburg National cemetery for its dedication and november 19th, 1863. Here these words at the start of days main oration oration. Standing beneath this serene sky overlooking, these broad fields now reposing the labors of the waning year. The almighty alleghenies, demille towering before us, the of our brethren beneath feet. It is with hesitation that i raise my poor voice to break the eloquent silence of and nature. But the duty which you have called me must be performed. Grant me. I pray you your indulgence and your sympathy. The speaker of those words, longtime politician and orator everett, was what cultural historian Jacques Barzun called, quote, a dealer in literary plush. He spoke at length more than 2 hours that day in a speech full, flowery rhetoric, classical references and in a style over the head of most of his listeners. Not long after he spoke, the president of the United States, was introduced and spoke for about 2 minutes when he was finished, everetts style of speaking which had long dominated american political speechmaking, was consigned to the past. Historian gary and his Pulitzer Prize winning book, lincoln at gettysburg, quote, it is no exaggeration to say that while modern political prose descends, the gettysburg address, lincolns speech marked the triumph of deceptive simplicity and the democracy ization of american political rhetoric. Now, simplicity is actually very hard if it takes lots of work. If that simplicity conceals deeper meanings, as lincolns address did wills again, the spare quality of lincolns prose did not come naturally, but was work that the old myth was that lincoln dashed off the speech, the train on his way to gettysburg. We now know that this was not at all. He over it in his unique way, taking bits and pieces, scraps of paper, thoughts in his head that he kept. And he wrote the speech entirely himself. He didnt have any speechwriters. You have to look at the speech to see how deceptively how deceptive the simplicity is. Wills again, it would be wrong to think lincoln moved towards the plain of the address just by shorter, simpler sentences. After all, the last sentence of the speech, 83 words long and any would cut that up into pieces. Lincoln was a master ful, selftaught stylist. He used flexible structure, rhythmic pacing, very length of sentences. Like all revolutionary moments. Gettysburg address didnt mean that the old ways were swept. Rather, they persisted. Now, on april 2nd, 1917, president wilson, a Political Science professor. President , princeton, governor of new jersey, considered a great orator in his time appeared before congress to ask for a declaration of war against germany. This came after years which germany had provoked the United States and wilson, who was very reluctant to get in to the european war. But finally, he felt he had no choice. This is how wilson opened his speech asking for war before a joint. I have called congress into extraordinary session because there are serious, very serious choices of policy be made and made immediately, which it was neither right nor constitutionally permissible, that i should assume the responsibility making. Wilson went on in this vein for well over an hour and a half. 3400 word speech in which he, as we say in journalism, he buried lead. He buried his best parts, his most famous from that speech is the world must be made safe for democracy. Now, simplicity and in such a vein is something that occurs to some writers and orators various times in their lives. It doesnt come naturally to them. An example was count leo tolstoy, who lived from 1828 to 1910. A recent article in the new york review of books talks how tolstoy late in life came to kind of regret that he had written these ponderous epics like war and peace. Anna karenina these doorstop novels particularly. This is a quote particular incident led tolstoy to try his hand at broadly Accessible Art very different from his earlier works. Speaking with a famous astronomer who had lectured on the spectrum analysis of the milky way, tolstoy realizing that most of the audience did not even know why they followed night suggested that the astronomer lecture on elementary topics is tolstoy writing the wisest smiled as he answered yes, it would be a good thing, but it would be very difficult to lecture on the spectacle. Spectral analysis of the way is far easier to be accessible to be writing that what people can understand from you is hard, hard work. And i give you a an example from popular the famous songwriter Irving Berlin was known for his songs, which of course become american like white christmas. Bless america, very simple lyrics. But he hit a lot of hidden for people, which is why they have endured so well. Frank sinatra was asked what was his favorite song, and he gave various answers over years, long years of his career. But one song he all he mentioned was Irving Berlins all the ways, which is still played at a lot of weddings. And heres the opening of that to show how simply a city can can be hokey, but also hybrid feeling. Ill be loving you always with a love thats true. Always. When the things you plan need a helping hand, i will understand. And always now. Berlin was known as a very prolific songwriter. He lived to be. Past 100 years old. I think he was 101 when he died, but he struggled to make things look simple. It was not easy for him though he churned out thousands of songs story told that well, berlin was partners with a producer, sam harris. They built the music box theater on broadway together. Still there. And this is where they staged berlins musical as musical reviews words and music by Irving Berlin, one of their shows, Irving Berlin had written all but one song. They still needed, and the cast and crew and the orchestra at the music box theater with sam harris there, rehearsing there, waiting for berlin to turn in the final song. And berlin not to be seen. It doesnt show up, just unlike is usually very fast. Sam harris so sam harris took a taxi over to berlins home where he had his little studio set up and he said, irving, wrong. Were waiting for you at the theater everyone is waiting. Its costing us money. And berlin says, sam, im having a terrible time with, this song. Im really struggling with it. He says, well, whats the problem . He says, its not simple enough yet, just not simple yet. Lincolns speech making over the years why lincoln was a man of his times. He loved new technology. He loved the telegraph. He loved how he loved the newspapers. He always read newspapers he loved he loved the new he the new railroads. And he also was a man who saw country changing rapidly around him. Then, 1830s, forties, fifties and sixties were the period of the most immigration in american. Growing by 2020 5 , a population. So he took all this into account. He saw the world changing. He saw that the old way of speaking could not last. This is a quote from historian andrew delbanco, a book of essays called our lincoln quote extension of the franchise hastening the decline of what the historian david hacker fisher has called the culture of deference, a political culture that is in which public speech had been mainly an insider discourse belonging to people of learning and high social to whom the broader public was expected to listen in a spirit of deferential. Now, lincoln, lincolns words gettysburg lived on in american political thought and in the consciousness of politicians. I take you now to december seven, 1941, the japanese that attacked pearl harbor that day, president roosevelt was at the white house meeting with cabinet, with generals, admirals, receiving messages from, girl from hawaii and then from the philippines as they were attacked that he called in his secretary, mr. Lincoln and dictated a speech about 700 words. Would run for 6 minutes and 30 seconds. He didnt use any of his. He had, but he didnt use them for this particular speech. And during the course of the day, secretary of state cordell hull showed up at the white house hall like roosevelt was an accolade of wilsons doing the first world war, and hall had been involved in a protracted, fruitless negotiations with the japanese throughout 1941 to try to head off conflict. And hed been keeping hed been making memorandum to himself, figuring that if a confrontation came, there must be a make a speech for congress. Ala wilson in 1917. So he showed up at the white house with this speech, an hour and a half long setting forth the history of these negotiations the long history of grievances. Japan, why we were right. Japan was wrong. Roosevelt never liked to tell people no. He made them feel that that he went along with them. And then when they left, prove that. But he said, cordell well, ill look at it and see. Soon as he left, he threw it aside. I think hell try to later again that day to get him to take his speech. But of course, we know that the president , his own famous speech. Now, to me, reason going on about this is if you listen to fdr as opening paragraphs here, i see i see strong echoes of the gettysburg address in the rhythm, in the tone in the use of simple words, structure, very reminiscent of the gettysburg yesterday, december seven, 1941. A date which will live in infamy. The United States of america deliberately attacked by Naval Air Forces of the empire of japan. The United States was at peace that nation and at the solicitation of japan was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace. The pacific. And then his preparation at the end like lincolns last sentence, no matter how long it take us to overcome this premeditated the American People in their righteous might will win to absolute victory victory. Lincoln. Gave us a new way of communicate in a way that is still evolving today was democrat shtick small d in that everyone understand everyone was being spoken to it was accessible people probably the most difficult word he he used in the gettysburg address consecrate as list as just as fdr used infamy, which probably people across the country looked rushing to get their dictionaries. What is infamy . It sounds like a disease. And it was accessible and it gave the the orator a chance to be inspiring, to inspire his audience. But remember that its very difficult to write deep simplicity and leave it to mark twain to say it best. I didnt have time to write you a short letter, so i wrote a long one instead. Thank you. Thank you. And want everybody take minute just to thank tom peet and john o brien and ed epstein for their contribution to this and laying out the different aspects of the speech. And as you saw, its a very short speech, 272 words took 2 minutes, two and a half minutes, but its packed full of information and ramifications, which all of the speakers talked about. I also want to thank tom, pete john o brien ed epstein for great presentations to get things started. So i w welcome to the lincoln forum. Again, my name is michelle