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