The Detroit times., 1908-11-25
AMERICAN SHOULD
WORK FOR PEACE
Of WORLD
mr. u,-.....~,u, .oo.-.,u.
AMERicANIsM Is A QUESTION OF
PRINCIPLE, PURPOSE, IDEAL
ISM AND cHARAcTER-ToucH
ING TRIBUTE TO SHERIDAN.
president ROOSEVELT.

WASHINGTON. Nov 25.-Presi'
dent Roosevelt was the principal
speaker at the unwilling Of the monu'
ment to Gen. Sheridan. In this city. to-
day. The president paid glowing
tribute TO the military genius Of Gen.
Sheridan and then touched upon the
American OF today. "Americanism,
he said, lis best represented In the
men who never fear TO fight when
fighting Is demanded by high moral
lily, but who hope by their lives to
bring ever near the day when justice
and peace shall prevail within our
borders and In relations with all for
eign powers"
President Roosevelt said:
IL Is eminently fitting that the ma
tion's illustrious men. the men who
people. should be httingly comment
grated here at the national capital.
and 1 am glad indeed 10 take part IN
the unwilling VI this statue TO Gen.
His name Will always stand high on
the list OF American worthless. Not
only was he a great general, but ne
showed his greatness with that touch
OF originality which We call genius.
Indeed this quality OF brlliiunce has
been In one sense disadvantage to
mis- reputation. for IL has tended TO
.overshadow his solid ability. We tend
To think OF him only as the dashinB
cavalry leader. whereas he was In
reality not only that, but also great
commander
He rendered signal service which
has gone almost unnoticed; for In the
tedious. weary Indian wars the
great plains 1t was he who developed
In thorough going fashion the system
or campaigning In winter. which. at
the cost OF bitter hardship and peril
strength of those formidable warriors,
the horse Indians.
There Is another point in Gen. Sher-
idaEs career which IL Is good for all
OF US TO remember. Whereas Grant,
sherman, and Thomas were OF the old
native American stock. the parents of
Sheridan, like the parents OF Farra-
gut. were born on the other side OF the
water. Any one OF the ftve was just
az much a type OF the real American.
OF what Is best in America. as the
other four
We should keep steadily before our
minds the fact that Americanism Is a
question OF principle. Of purpose, OF
idealism. OF character; that IL is not
matter OF birthplace, or creed, or line
of descent. Here In this country the
races are being fused together into
new type. type the main features OF
which are already determined, and
revolutionary war: for the crucible in
which all the new types are melted
into one was shaped from 1875 TO 1883.
and our nationality was definitely fixed
In all its essentials by the men OF
Washington's day.
The strains Will not continue to ex
the old world. They will be combined
In one: and OF this new type those
men will best represent what Is lott
lest In the nations past what is finest
In her hope for the future. who stand
each solely on his worth as a man:
who scorn TO do evil to others, and who
refuse to submit to wronSdolng them,
selves: who have in them no faint OF
weakness; who never fear TO night
when fighting IL demanded by sound
and high morality. but who hope by
their lives TO bring ever nearer the
day when justice and peace shall pre-
vail within our own borders and In our
relations with all foreign powers.
Much OF the usefulness OF any career
must lie In the impress that II makes
upon, and the lessons that II teaches
10. the generations that come after.
problems to solve. and the condition
OF our solving them is that we shall all
work together as American citizens
without regard TO differences OF sec
ton or creed or birthplace. copying.
not the divisions which so lamentaby
sundered our fathers one from an
other, but the spirit OF burning devo-
tion to duty which drove them for
ward. each TO do right az II was given
Him to see the right. In the great wars
when Grant Farragut Sherman Thorn
as and sheridan, when Lee and Jack
son. and the Johnstons. the valiant
men OF the north and the valiant men
OF the south. fought to finish the
great civil war.
They did not themselves realize. in
the bitterness Of the struggle. that the
blood and the grim suffering marked
the death throes Of what was worn
out. and the birth pangs OF a new and
more glorious national life. Mighty Is
the heritage which we have received
from the men OF the mighty days. We.
In our turn. must GRID up our loins
TO meet the new issues with the same
stern courage and resolute adherence
TO an ideal. which marked our faith
ers who belonged to the generation OF
the man In whose honor we commem-
crate this monument today.