UN General Assembly
1960

15. It may seem surprising that I am dealing at such length with a topic that is apparently of no practical importance and far removed from our present preoccupations. It may be thought that I am simply trying to calm an atmosphere that sometimes becomes overheated, but that is not so, anxious though I am that it should become calmer and more serene. Some may be surprised that I should quote humanitarian and liberal friars of the sixteenth century in a debate on immediate and urgent matters. But my delegation believes that the words and the states of mind of peoples are a decisive factor in maintaining peace and the dignity of men. Our basic moral attitudes are sound and, as Toynbee recognized, they are reflected in the way of life of the new peoples the Spanish have brought into being. If reference is made to possible lapses, this must be our ultimate justification.