Library of Congress Blogs: “On Nov. 2, 1863, Gettysburg lawyer David Wills wrote to Abraham Lincoln, officially inviting the president to attend the dedication of a new military cemetery on Nov. 19 and provide “a few appropriate remarks” at the ceremony. Despite his heavy workload, Lincoln agreed to participate. In addition to honoring the fallen soldiers to be interred in this cemetery, the dedication ceremony would allow him to explain to their loved ones, and all Americans, why the cause of the union was worth fighting and dying for… The Library [of Congress] holds two copies of the Gettysburg Address, written in Lincoln’s own hand. When either is on display, visitors often linger and carefully read Lincoln’s words. Why do the roughly 270 words of the Gettysburg Address continue to resonate? Each guest has their own answer, but in addition to the beauty of Lincoln’s language, his address reminds us of the ideals on which the United States was founded, the unfinished nature of the experiment and that each generation must dedicate itself anew to ensuring that “government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”