The Lexington dispatch. [volume] (Lexington, South Carolina) 1870-1917, 1915-05-19
TRUE TO IT'S IDEALS
NATIONS MUST MAKE ITS FU:
UJRE DREAMS COME TRUE
WILSON HAS FAITH

In speahngstb Immigrants in Phila'
delphia, Who Are Now Citizens OF
2 the United States, President VIII
SON outRpes to Them the Future
Aspirations of This Republic.
At Philadelphia Monday night
President Wilson was constantly In
terrupted by spontaneous outbursts
Of applause. introduced by Mayor
BIankenburg, who spoke in distinctly
German accent, welcome and an
appeal for a single allegiance to the
United States, the president carried
forward the idea of the Welding OF
yforeign blood in the makeup OF
America by pointing out the true
goal of right American citizenship to
be loyalty not to the country OF
ones birth but to the land of ones
adoption.
Mayor Blankenburg called atten-
ton to the fact that like the others
he had come to foreign shores to
find in the United States & home y
ssLet me beseech you," he said,
that Americans are first, last and
all the time, no matter what may
happen in the world at large"
ssNo matter what our personal
feelings for the country we left be-
hind, our first allegiance is to the
country of our adoption. I can not
Impress this too strongly on account
of the occurrences of the last eight
months. Thank God we have a man
in the White House who knows, who
is lust man who knows what to
{ DO"
The crowd interrupted with a tu-
J mutt of cheers, arose ennasse and
waved the stars and stripes. 1t was
q remarkable sight.
The steaographic copy Of Mr.. Will
sons address in full follows:
"It warns my heart that you
should give me such a reception, but
it is not of myself that I wish to
think tonight, but of those who have
just become citizens of the United
States. This is the only country in
the world which experiences this con-
stant and repeated rebirth. Other
countries depend upon the multipl1-
cation of their own native people.
This country is constantly drinking
strength out sof new sources by the
voluntary association with it OF great
bodies of strong men and forward
looking women. And so, by the gift
Of the free of Independent people, it
is constantly being renewed from
generation to generation by the same
process by which it was originally
created. It is as if humanity had de-
termined to see to it that this great
nation, founded for the benefit of hu-
manity, should not lack for the ale
glance of the people OF the world.
Allegiance Here is Allegiance to God.
'sYou have just taken an oath OF
allegiance to the United States. OF
allegiance to whom? OF allegiance
TO no one, unless 1t be God. Certain
" notof allegiance to those who tenn
porarily represent this great govern
I ment. You have taken an oath to q
great ideal, to a great body of prin-
eiples, to great hope of the human
race. You have said: We are going
to America, not only to earn living,
not only to seek the things which it
is more difficult to obtain where we
were born, but to help forward the
great enterprises of the human spirit
to let men know that everywhere
in the world there are men who will
cross strange oceans and go where a
speech is spoken which is alien to
them, knowing that whatever the
speech, there is but one longing and
utterance of the human heart, and
that is for liberty and justice. And
while you bring all countries with
you, you come with a purpose of
leaving all other countries behind you
bringing what is best of (, their
spirit; but not looking over your
shoulders and seeking to perpetuate
what you intended to leave in them.
Thorough Americans"
81 carefully would not be one even
to suggest that a man cease to love
the home of his birth and the nation
of his origin-these things are very
sacred and ought not to be put out of
our hearts-but it is one thing to
love the place where you were born,
and it is another thing to dedicate
yourself to the place to which you go.
You can not dedicate yourself to
America unless you become in every
respect and with every purpose of
your will thorough Americans. You
can not become thorough Americans
if you think of yourselves in groups.
America does not consist of groups.
A man who thinks of himself as be-
longing to a particular group in
America has notyet become an Amer
ican, and the man who goes among
you to trade upon your nationality is
no worthy son to live under the Stars
and Stripes.
'tMy urgent advice to you would be
not only always to think first OF
America, but always, also, to think
first of humanity. You do not love
humanity if you seek to divide hu-
manity into jealous camps. Humanity
can be welded together only by love,
by sympathy, by justice; not by jeal-
olISv and hatred