Every now and then, some people get it very wrong, and in a very public way.
Consider this: a newspaper came around very recently to apologizing for publishing a very dim, dismissive, and skeptical view of President Lincoln's immortal speech at Gettysburg.
How bad was it?
Well, here is one part of a recent article ("Harrisburg, Pa., newspaper retracts 1863 criticism of Gettysburg Address" by Martin Pengelly, The Guardian Saturday, November 16, 2013) that clarifies the situation that provoked the actions to apologize, if not reverse, the paper's earlier perception of Lincoln's famous speech:
On Tuesday 24 November 1863, the Harrisburg Patriot & Union published a lengthy editorial in which it lamented “the silly remarks of the President” and said: “… for the credit of the nation we are willing that the veil of oblivion shall be dropped over them and that they shall be no more repeated or thought of.”
Ouch. Talk about getting it wrong, huh?
Well, the newspaper finally is coming around to officially appreciating the full words and meaning of one of Lincoln's most memorable and stirring speeches, even if it is....well, just a tad late.
So, they finally amended their previous position, and set out an apology for a mistake that they finally got around to admitting to. Apologies are certainly important, and this just goes to show that it's better late than never, right?
Here, specifically, is what they had to say:
By Patriot-News Editorial Board on November 14, 2013 at 11:01 AM, updated November 15, 2013 at 10:08 AM
Seven score and ten years ago, the forefathers of this media institution brought forth to its audience a judgment so flawed, so tainted by hubris, so lacking in the perspective history would bring, that it cannot remain unaddressed in our archives.
We write today in reconsideration of “The Gettysburg Address,” delivered by then-President Abraham Lincoln in the midst of the greatest conflict seen on American soil. Our predecessors, perhaps under the influence of partisanship, or of strong drink, as was common in the profession at the time, called President Lincoln’s words “silly remarks,” deserving “a veil of oblivion,” apparently believing it an indifferent and altogether ordinary message, unremarkable in eloquence and uninspiring in its brevity.
In the fullness of time, we have come to a different conclusion. No mere utterance, then or now, could do justice to the soaring heights of language Mr. Lincoln reached that day. By today’s words alone, we cannot exalt, we cannot hallow, we cannot venerate this sacred text, for a grateful nation long ago came to view those words with reverence, without guidance from this chagrined member of the mainstream media.
The world will little note nor long remember our emendation of this institution’s record – but we must do as conscience demands:
In the editorial about President Abraham Lincoln’s speech delivered Nov. 19, 1863, in Gettysburg, the Patriot & Union failed to recognize its momentous importance, timeless eloquence, and lasting significance. The Patriot-News regrets the error.
The full text can be found here: "Retraction for our 1863 editorial calling Gettysburg Address 'silly remarks': Editorial" by Patriot-News Editorial Board on November 14, 2013:
http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/11/a_patriot-news_editorial_retraction_the_gettysburg_address.html
Here are a couple of other articles on the story:
Pa. paper: Sorry for panning Gettysburg Address
http://news.yahoo.com/pa-paper-sorry-panning-gettysburg-address-195152544.html
Harrisburg, Pa., newspaper retracts 1863 criticism of Gettysburg Address By Martin Pengelly, The Guardian Saturday, November 16, 2013 18:42 EST
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/16/harrisburg-pa-newspaper-retracts-1863-criticism-of-gettysburg-address/
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