Adapted from the Gettysburg Address by Lydia, in honor of Barricade Days 2002

A few centuries and a few years ago, our heroes brought forth onto France a new rebellion, concieved in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are to be free.

Then they were engaged in a great civil war, testing whether their nation, or any nation, so concieved and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on the day of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of this day, as a long remembrance for those who here gave their lives that the people might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate- we cannot concencrate- we cannot hallow this day. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled today, have concencrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, not long remember what we say today, but they can never forget what they did today. It is for us, the living; rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought today thus so far nobly advanced.

It is rather for us to be dedicated to the 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 highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that that rebellion, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom; and that a government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall be created for France.