A More Truthful Version of the Gettysburg Address
Via The Arctic Patriot
In 1863 Union leader Abraham Lincoln delivered a short speech full of historical errors and outright untruths. In the interest of historical accuracy, the speech has been corrected below. Where possible, the original language has been maintained.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers declared independence from the United Kingdom and then went on to form a loose confederation of independent states which was scrapped a few years later in favour of a somewhat more centralised federation of states. Some of our ancestors have been agitating since that time to further impose their values upon others, consolidate power and make the voluntary Union compulsory.
Now are are waged in a great war to centralise power and and gain economic and political benefits over Southerners, testing whether we can prevail on the battle-field and dominate the South for many generations to come. 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 our vision of involuntary, centralised government might be forced upon others. 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 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 advanced through superior manpower, funding and supply of arms. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these 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 involuntary union, under an unconstrained executive, shall have fewer freedoms and more centralised power – and that government in Washington, DC, by Northern elites, for their economic and political interests, shall not perish from the earth.
In 1863 Union leader Abraham Lincoln delivered a short speech full of historical errors and outright untruths. In the interest of historical accuracy, the speech has been corrected below. Where possible, the original language has been maintained.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers declared independence from the United Kingdom and then went on to form a loose confederation of independent states which was scrapped a few years later in favour of a somewhat more centralised federation of states. Some of our ancestors have been agitating since that time to further impose their values upon others, consolidate power and make the voluntary Union compulsory.
Now are are waged in a great war to centralise power and and gain economic and political benefits over Southerners, testing whether we can prevail on the battle-field and dominate the South for many generations to come. 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 our vision of involuntary, centralised government might be forced upon others. 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 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 advanced through superior manpower, funding and supply of arms. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us – that from these 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 involuntary union, under an unconstrained executive, shall have fewer freedoms and more centralised power – and that government in Washington, DC, by Northern elites, for their economic and political interests, shall not perish from the earth.
From Free North Carolina
posted by Brock Townsend at
2/19/2012
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