The San Francisco call., 1908-11-26
ROOSEVELT DEFINES
TRUE AMERlCANISM
Address at dwelling of Sheri-
dan Monument Plea for
Higher Ideals
President Praises Great War
General and Points to His Life
as Lesson in Ability

eo'ue ol General philip Henry Sherl-
oan was unveiled in this city today.
ne president of the United States and
members of the cabinet the diplomatic
corps. justices of the supreme court of
.ie United States, senators. representa-
ives In congress. veterans of the civil
war and many others prominent in Off
cial life. as well as large concourse
OF citizens were present Thousands of
soiolers of the regular army and of the
hallonal guard and United States
marines and blue Jackets from the navy
We're assembled as tribute to the
soldier of the civil war whose
effigy was displayed to the public gaze
Tor the first time in this city today.
Especial interest was given the oc-
casion by the presence of the widow of
the dashing soldier and her son. Lieu
tenant Phil Sheridan of the army. The.
statue was unveiled by Mrs. Sheridan
herself pulling the cord that held the
drapery in place.
President Roosevelt addressed the as
semblage and pronounced a splenold
tribute to the valor and the mlntary
genius of Sheridan. Horace Porter
formerly ambassador 10 France also
spoke in honor of the soldier ana
patriot and told Of his daring deeds on
the field of battle.
RoosEvELqvs SPEECH
In part. President Roosevelt said:
1t is eminently fitting that the ma
tons illustrious men, the liien WIZ ,,,.
people should be fittingly commeIh,
GRATED here a the national capltal ai1a 4hl
am glad indeed, to take part IN n, the
unveiling of this statue to General oiIsI
idan. His name Will always stand
high on the list of American Wortnles.
Not only was he a great general, put Hs
of originality which we call genius.
Indeed, this quality of brllllance mas
been in one sense disadvantage 10 ms
reputation. for it has tended 10 over
shadow his solid ability.
We tend to think of him only as the
dashing cavalry leader, whereas ne
was in reality not only that, but also "a q
great commander OF course, the iacI 5
in his career most readily recognized
was his mastery in the necessarlly
modern art of handlin~ masses OF Inod i
ern cavalry so as to give them the ii luii
est possible effect. not only IN the oIal-
nary operations of cavalry winch pre-
eede and follow a battle, but In the
battle itself. But in addition he showed
in the civil war that he was first
class army commander, both as a SUD-
ordinate of Grant and when IN lnde-
pendent command.
WAS TYPICAL AMERICAN
His career was typically American,
for from plain beginnings he rose to
the highest military position in our
land. We honor his memory itself, and
moreover, as in the case of the other
great commanders of his day, his ca
reer symbolizes the careers of all those
men who in the years of the nations s
.direst need sprang TO the front TO FISK
everything; including life itseiI, and TO
manhood in valorous conflict Tor an
ideal.
having only a material ideal. The
empty folly of the taunt is sufficiently
shown by the presence here today OF
you men of the Grand Army, you the
comrades of the dead general, the men
who served with and under him. In
all history we have no greater instance
of subordination of self of the exalt1I
Of lofty ideal over merely material
well being among the people of great
aation than was shown by our own
people in the civil war.
And you. the men who wore the blue,
would be the first to say that this same
lofty Indifference to the things of the
body, when compared to the things of
the soul, was shown by your brothers
who wore the gray.
MEMORY COMMON HERITAGE
Dreadful was the suffering, dreadful
the loss, of the civil war. Yet 1T
stands alone among wars in this, that,
now that the wounds are healed the
memory of the mighty deeds of valor
performed on one side no less than on
the other has become the common heri-
tage of all our people in every quarter
of this country.
The completeness with which this is
true is shown by what is occurring
here today. We meet together to raise
a monument to great Union general,
in the presence of many of the sur
vivors of the Union army, and the
secretary of war, the man at the head
of the army, who. by virtue of his office, |
occupies special relation to the cele
bration, is himself man who fought in
the Confederate service. Few indeed
have been the countries where such a |
conjunction would have been possible |
and blessed indeed are we that in our
own beloved land 1t is not only pos
sible, but seems so entirely natural as
to excite no comment whatever.
There is another point In General
Sheridan's career which it is good for |
all of us to remember. Whereas Grant. |
Sheridan and Thomas were of the old
native American stock, the parents of |
Sheridan. like the parents of Farragut, |
were born on the other side of the |
water. Any one of the five was just as
much a type of the real American. of
what is best In America, as the other |
four.
WHAT AMERICANEsM is
We should keep steadily before our
minds the fact that Americanism is a |
question of principle, of purpose, of |
idealism, of character; that 1t is not a |
Of descent. Here in this country the |
of many old world races |
aa.f, being fused together into a new
tTpe. a type the main features OIL
which are already determined, and were |
dsftermined at the time of the revolu- |
war; for the crucible in which |
! n the new types are melted into one |
Vras shaped from 1776 to 1888, and our |
was definitely fixed IN all |
Its essentials by the men of Washing I
IONS day. The strains will not con-
tfnue to exist separately in this country |
as in the old world
They will be combined in one: and |
Df this new type those men will best /
represent what is loftiest in the ma
tion's 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 wrongdoing themselves: who |
have in them no taint of weakness:
who never fear to fight when fighting |
Is demanded by sound and high /
but who hope by their lives |
to bring ever nearer the day when |
Justice and peace shall prevail 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 IL teaches
to the generations that come after
We of this generation have our own
problems to solve, and the condition of |
pur solving them is that we shall all |
work together as American citizens