One-hundred-and-fifty years ago this month, President Abraham Lincoln uttered 272 words (which he did not write on the back of an envelope) that defined a nation and embodied eloquence when he spoke at the dedication of the Soldiers' National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pa.

It is difficult for those of us who write to say we need more words to tell a story when Lincoln did so much with just 272.

For decades, presidents and politicians have uttered words turned out by speech-writing teams. Lincoln wrote his own; and 150 years later, his speeches are recited around the world....