Passing by his great debates with Douglas
(1858), not because they are unimportant, but because they belong more to
the domain of politics and history, we come to his _Gettysburg Address_
(1863), which is one of the three greatest American orations. In England,
Oxford University displays on its walls this _Address_ as a model to show
students how much can be said simply and effectively in two hundred and
sixty-nine words. Edward Everett, a graduate of Harvard, called the most
eloquent man of his time, also spoke at Gettysburg, although few are to-day
aware of this fact.
The question may well be asked, "How did Lincoln, who had less than one
year's schooling, learn the secret of such speech?" The answer will be
found in the fixity of purpose and the indomitable will of the pioneer.
When he was a boy, he seemed to realize that in order to succeed, he must
talk and write plainly. As a lad, he used to practice telling things in
such a way that the most ignorant person could understand them. In his
youth he had only little scraps of paper or shingles on which to write, and
so perforce learned the art of brevity. Only a few books were accessible to
him, and he read and reread them until they became a part of him.
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