The Centennial Anniversay of the Birth of Edward Everett Celebrated by the Dorchester Historical Society, April 11, 1894

City of Boston: Municipal Printing Office, 1897. Book. Very Good. Cloth. Second Edition. 4to - over 9¾" - 12" tall. Second edition. Brown sandcloth binding, gilt decoration and titles. Antique ex-library, hand-dated bookplate. Chocolate coated endpapers. Frontispiece photograph of Everett's birthplace, protective tissue. 106 pp. Speeches given on the occasion of Everett's birthday. Everett was considered the nation's greatest orator of his time. He was invited to give the main speech at the dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania on September 23, 1863, following the Battle of Gettysburg. He told the organizing committee that he would be unable to prepare an appropriate speech in such a short period of time, and requested that the date be postponed. The committee agreed, and the dedication was postponed until November 19. Almost as an afterthought, David Wills, the president of the committee, asked President Abraham Lincoln to make a "few appropriate remarks". Everett spoke for two hours, but Lincoln's followup speech, known as the Gettysburg Address, is one of the most famous speeches in the History of the United States. Everett wrote a note to Lincoln the next day, telling him of his appreciation for the short, but moving, speech. Very good condition..