The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-29
WILSON REVIEWS
 HISTORY OF PAST
 ES HALF CENTURY
,yoS S.0n's Executive Tells of 7 Lessons Taught by War.
 Both North and South
 May Feel Proud

 for the annual encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic. were for mally welcomed to the capital tonight by President Wilson. who told them their battles 50 years ago were fought that the greatest instrumentality for the uplift of mankind the world has ever seen might not be impaired
 The President spoke amid scenes of patriotic fervor In the crowded con vention hall into which the old census building had been converted. Col. David c. A. R.. introduced him and informed him that the veterans stood solidly behind the administration conduct Of present day foreign problems and that their sons would support him in any steps he might take.
 The President was interrupted fre- Quently by applause. He did not touch directly on the European war or on problems growing out of 1t, but de- voted his address to the mission of the United States and the lessons taught by the war between the states. He spoke of the war as one of the few in history of which both sides could be proud.
 Formal Opening
 The meeting marked the formal opening of the Grand Army encamp- ment, which will continue during the remainder of the week. with the great parade and presidential review tomor- row.
 The Presidents address In part fol- lows: Tt is singular thing that men oi single generation should have wit messed what you have witnessed ir the crowded 50 years which you cele- brate tonight. You took part when you were young men in a struggle the meaning of which I dare say you thought would not be revealed durine your lifetime and yet more has hap pened in the making of this nation in your lifetime than has ever hap pened in the making of any other na- tion in the lifetime of a dozen gener- ations
 "The nation in which yon now live ii not the nation for whose union yo, fought. You have seen many thing: which have made this nation one oi the representative nations of the world with regard to the modern spirit of tha world, and you have the satisfaction which I dare say few soldiers have evel had of looking back upon a war abso. lutely unique in this. that instead o1 destroying it healed, that instead ol making permanent division 1t made g permanent union. This nation was from the beginning spiritual enterprise and you have seen the spirits of the two once divided sections of this coun- try absolutely united A war which as If 1t had the seed of every kind of bit | <arv fv1 hnu sstv A 1nro. | tion but bitterness absolutely out oi its heart. and you feel, as am sure the men who fought against you feel, thai l you were comrades even then, though you did not know it, and that now you know that you are comrades in a com ! mon love for . country which you arc equally eager to serve.
 History's Miracle
 This is a miracle of the spirit SC far as national history is concerned This is one of the very few wars 1T which in one sense everybody engaged may take pride. SoAae wars are to b' lregretted;s some wars mar the annals 1 of history but some wars contrastet with those make those annals distin guished. show that the spirit of mai sometimes springs to great enterprise l that are even greater than his owl mind had conceived.
 You set the nation free for tha great career of development, of un hampered development, which the worl, has witnessed since the civil war. Blu for my own part I would not be prou' of the extraordinary physical develop ment of this country, of its extraordi nary development in material wealtl and financial power. did not policy that the people of the United State wished all of this power devoted to idea ends. There have been other nation as rich as we; there have been othe I nations as powerful; there have been oth CT nations as spirited; but hope W shall never forget that we created thi Il nation, not t0 serve ourselves but ,j serve mankind.
 Devoted to Human Principles I T hope l may say without even an i'm plication of criticism upon any other grea people in the world that 1t has alway seemed to mo that the people of tn United States were founded, not to pro vide free homes, but to assert huma rights. This flag meant a great enterpris lof the human spirit Nobody. no larg bodies of men, in the time that flag wa
 first set up, believed with a very fir Ibelief in the efficacy or democracy. D lyou realize that only 50 long ago as tn ltime of the American revolution demot Tracy was regarded as an experiment i the world, and we were regarded as ras exper1menterS! Hut we not only believe in it. we showed our belief was we founded, and that nation as powerf, as any in the world could be erected upo the will of the people; that. Indeed. ther twas power in such q nation that dwe in no other nation unless also in ths other nation the spirit of the people prs ivailed.
 "We now know. and the world know
 that the thing that we then undertool Trash as it seemed. has been practicable
 and that we have set up in the world
 Government maintained and promoted b
 tho general consciencs and the gensr, lconvicti0n.
 50 ! stand hsrs not to welcome yo
 fo the nations capital as # were yor
 hoets but mprely to We1eono you to yot own capital becaupo ezA. ma an preD1
 to bo, your aervant. 1thopo 1=Gha1l c6fcl {Ao hop9 VI nhnll n1l ea&o4 fr01n t1 AIHm M&11na Xoz1& q