President Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is a tough act to follow. A mere 272 words long, Lincoln delivered it to a stunned audience of 15,000 in just two minutes. The speaker who preceded him droned on for hours, but Lincoln managed to pack more eloquence and impact into his speech than anything said about America’s Civil War before or after. 

Intended as the dedication of the National Soldiers Cemetery, Lincoln went far beyond that task to immortalize the sacrifices generations of Americans have made to preserve democracy from enemies foreign and domestic. Lincoln’s closing remarks summoned his own and future generations to “be here dedicated to that great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave their last full measure of devotion — that we here resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the Earth.”

Solemn words, and a clarion call to President Donald Trump’s supporters today. After all,........

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