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 Celebration of Presidential Prose




Illustration by Elizabeth Kairys







"Abraham Lincoln wrote the Gettysburg address while traveling from Washington to Gettysburg on the back of an envelope," once wrote a student. In one fell swoop -- and one swell foop -- that young scholar managed to misplace a modifier and perpetuate an inaccurate myth.

In his Pulitzer prize-winning "Lincoln at Gettysburg," Gary Wills dulls the old saw that claims Lincoln, divinely inspired, dashed off his speech during a brief train ride: "These mythical accounts are badly out of character for Lincoln, who composed his speeches thoughtfully. His law partner, William Herndon, observing Lincoln's 

[Elsewhere in SALON: Whose famous last words?] 

careful preparation of cases, records that he was a slow writer, who liked to sort out his points and tighten his logic and his phrasing. That is the process vouched for in every other case of Lincoln's memorable public statements. It is impossible to imagine him leaving his speech at Gettysburg to the last moment." 

Most Americans have forgotten, or never knew, that the real Gettysburg Address was delivered that day, November 19, 1863, by the featured speaker on the program, the famous orator Edward Everett. Lincoln's speech was listed as "Dedicatory Remarks by the President of the United States" and was intended as a brief and formal follow-up to Everett's two-hour address dedicating the opening of a new Civil War cemetery at Gettysburg. 

The story's headline in The New York Times makes clear who was the designated declaimer of the day:

IMMENSE NUMBERS OF VISITORS

Oration By Hon. Edward Everett

Speeches of President Lincoln,

Mr. Seward and Governor Seymour


What happened at Gettysburg was that with 272 fateful words and but 10 sentences, Abraham Lincoln articulated "a new birth of freedom." In three minutes, a weary President gave a young nation a voice to sing of itself. 

The IRS Form 1040 EZ contains 418 words and the back of a Lay's Potato Chips 401. In the brief compass of 272 words, President Lincoln transformed a gruesome battle into the raison d'etre of a truly United States that for the first time in its history became a union. Before Lincoln, people used "the United States" as a plural: "The United States are . . . ." Ever after it would be "The United States is . . . ." 





How astutely can you recognize the prose of other presidents? In the quiz that follows, swatches of famous prose are represented by the first letter of each word. Identify the chief executive who uttered or wrote each immortal statement or phrase.
Example ANWYCCDFY = John F. Kennedy ("Ask not what your country can do for you.")


1. TOTWHTFIFI




2. AMACE




3. SSACABS




4. TWMBMSFD




5. IANAC




6. ATPOL




7. TM-IC





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Test your word savvy against Richard -- and win a prize. The first person to e-mail SALON with the correct answer (or, if no correct answer is received, the closest answer) will receive a $25 gift certificate from Borders Book & Music. Please include your full name and mailing address. A single contestant may only receive the prize twice a year.






We will let you know by e-mail if you are a winner. The correct answers will appear in next issue's VERBIVORE.  





The solution to last issue's Verbivore was:

Mumpsimus. The word is derived from a story told about an illiterate priest who, on being corrected for reading mumpsimus  in the Mass instead of the proper sumpsimus (first-person plural perfect indicative of Latin sumo, replied: "I will not change my old mumpsimus for your new sumpsimus!" 

The winner was Matt Feinstein.