Lincoln 's short speech became known in history as one of the best examples of English public speeches . Everett 's two-hour oration was called the `` Gettysburg address '' that day , but his oration is not well-known today . While it is Lincoln 's short speech that has gone down in history as one of the finest examples of English public oratory , it was Everett 's two-hour oration that was slated to be the `` Gettysburg address '' that day .