The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1908-11-27

the day: "Tho Glft OF America to Amer
leans
America is more than a country, or
q continent or n hcmiSphcrC-iuorc than
n mere map-and an American - more
than Il mere dwcll0r on that man. In
the unfolding plan of providence, America
is second promised land, and Aneri-
cans are Il peculiar people, prepared OF
old 10 enter and occupy that land OF
promise America cannot be defined with
out Americans. nor Americans without
America They are counterparts-com
plemcnts-and each was made for tho
other from the foundation OF the world
without the thought of America, God
never ordained that an American should
be born.
Without that peculiar people, known rs
Americans, America would be n nero
stretch OF SOIL and without that peculiar
Palestine that We call America for their
unique development Americans would be
Impossible even 70 the God with whom all
things arc possible.
America IS opportunity, and an Aneri,
can is he who grasps Mt opportunity ana
finds that he has linked his hand in that
of a god-OPPORTUNITY spelled IN
every letter with cupitals-opportunity
with halo on its brow and diffuslng
divine halo.
Again, America is q stage built only
for one drama, and that the last play
last perfected actors. drilled for that
This leads me to define an American.
My first definition is this; The Amerlr
God and dares TO become Gods fellow
worker In transforming the earth. He
hears the call of God TO an inaccessible
land OF promise, swims oceans. climbs
mountains, and lights savages to suodue
that land.
Heroes are not alone born. Their
worthy deeds develop tho slumberlng
giant. Hercules became giant not
alone because ne was sired by Zeus.
the strongest god, but because as babe
he stranglcd serpents in his cradle. And
every heroic labor OF his left him
larger hero.
Let me give a second moro daring
definition. The American is he that. with
the impossible. Had Hercules sought the
western world for his labors he would
have been the first American. But the
Cod essayed the impossible. and placed
the first American foot on American
soil No American had beer, been here her co9- pc
turies with mere soil surface, were aliens
IN the land. But Columbus, of earthly
Italian birth, was spiritually born into
American faith and destiny. He was not
neturalized adventurer: he was In the
spiritual sense native born American
He came unto his own, and his own re-
ceved him to native shores,
Columbus was an American, and such
an Amerlcan. He sailed from Spain
with the flag of CASTLE and Leon ilut-
tering back toward the wasting shore. He
landed with the stars of a new sky, and
the crimson of the setting sun toward
which his faith turned. the first stars
and stripes OF the conqueror
Later. behold the first real American
army, gathered beneath the Cambridge
elms. to receive the first truly American
commander Washington, taught only In
forest sltirmish. with a band of few
thousand farmers against q titled and
war-scarred general. with @ million
trained soldiers at his call or purchase.
Our revolutionary fathers. with implicit
faith in & guiding God, working with
Him, transformed tyranny into freedom,
"They trusted in God and kept their
powder dry" They were Americans
Then Lincoln with a country divided
in sentiment and war. laid hold with one
hand on the very throne OF Cod and
with the other shook fear into the foe
and faith into friend until he, too. with
God, wrought the impossible. and made
q united nation OF two halves that sought
each others lives. Lincoln. Lincoln!
thou typical American-thou art the tru-
est of them ALL
The American blood, the American
sand. is n blending OF the best The
Dutch sturdincss, the Italian sparkle the
Scotch faith. and the British bravery
unite IN a new race The American is