Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1915-06-18
Flag Essence OF Nation.

tribute TO ''the great multitude of I'M
known men who constitute the body of the
nation" and an appeal for patriotism in
everyday life instead of on special occa-
sions only marked speech by President
Wilson on Monday to a crowd gathered
before the south steps Of the Treasury
Building at Washington for Flag Day ex-
ercises.
For me" said the President, the flag
does not express mere body of vague
sentiments. 1t is the embodiment, not Of
a sentiment, but Of history, and no man
can rightly serve under that flag who has
not caught some of the meaning Of that
history.
You do not create the meaning of a
national life by any literary exposition Of
it, but by the actual daily endeavors Of
great people to do the task Of the day and
live up to the ideals Of honesty and right
eousness and just conduct. And as we think
Of these things our tribute is to those men
who have created this experience. OF
these men we feel that they have shown
us the way. They have not been afraid to
60 before. They have known that they
were speaking the thoughts Of great peo-
pie when they led that great people along
the paths Of achievement. There was not
a single swash-buckler among them. They
were men Of sober. quiet thought, the more
nera klnatar In
it. They were men who thought along the
lines of duty. not along the lines Of self
ACKNOWLEDGMENT. They were men, in short,
who thought of the people whom they
served and not Of themselves.
But while we think Of them and do
honor to them as those who have shown
US the way let US not forget that the real
experience and life of a nation lies with
the great multitude of unknown men. They
constitute the body Of the nation. This
flag is the essence Of their daily endeavors.
This flag does not express any more than
what they are and what they desire to be.
And as think OF the life Of this great
nation il seems TO me that we sometimes
look to the wrong places for its sources.
We look to the noisy places, where men
are talking in the market place; we look
where men are expressing their individual
opinions; we look to where partisans are
expressing passion, instead Of trying to
attune our ears to that voiceless mass Of
men who merely 90 about their daily tasks
try to be honorable. try to serve the people
they love. try to live worthy Of the great
communities to which they belong. These
are the breath of the nations nostrils
these are the sinews Of its might.
There are no days Of special patriotism
There are no days when you should he
more patriotic than on other days.
Il am solemnized in the patience Of such
Q day would not undertake to SPEAK
your thoughts. You must interpret them
for me. But do feel that back not only Of
every public official. but Of every man and
woman of the United States. there marches
that great host which has brought us tc
the present day; the host that has never
forgot the vision which it saw at the brit
Of the nation; the host which always re-
spends to the dictates Of humanity and o.
liberty; the host that viii always consti
tute the strength and the great body o
Of friends of every man who does his dut!
to the United States.
Il am sorry that you do not wear littl
flag Of the Union every day instead o
some days, and can only ask you, If yol
lose the physical emblem. to be sure tina
you wear it in your heart. and the heart O
America shall interpret the heart Of tn
world"