New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-15

with the purpose Of delivering 20 you
an elaborate address" said MIR. Wilson.
1T seems TO me that the day IS sum
GENTLY eloquent already with the
meaning which IL should convey TO us
The spectacle Of the morning has been
very moving spectacle indeed an al
most unpremcditsted outpourng oil
thousands Of sober citizens TO manifest
their interest in the safety OF the eouh-
try and the sRcredness OF the hae
which is is emblem.
81 need not remind you how much
sentiment has been poured out IN hohor
Of the flag Of the United States. some
times we have been charged with beng
very sentimental people, fond or eN-
pressing in general rhetoucal PHRASES
principles not sufficiently oehned IN ao-
ton. and | dare say there have been
times OF happy and careless ease IN this
country when all that IT has been nee
essarv TO do for the honor OF the nag
was 10 nut our sentiments into poetic
cxpressions. into the words that Tor the
time being satisfied our hearts. but
this is not a day Of sentiment. Senu-
rent is a propulsive power, but II does
not propel in the way that IS service
able to the nation unless II nave a
definite purpose before II. TINS is not
merely a day Of sentiment. II is DAY
Of purpose. .n-.;.,.
at is an eloquent symbol Of the unity
OF our history that upon TINS moHu
rent which commentaries the th"H
Who did most 10 establish the American
Union we should have hoisted those
stars that have so multiplied since ms
time. associated with those lines OF req
and white which mean all that is pure
i'm our purpose and all that is req III
our blood in the service OF n nalloh
whose history has been full OF lnspira
ton because Of his example. but
Washington was one OF the least sehI'-
mental men that America has ever pro
duced. The thing that thrills me aOout
Washington is That he is impatient OF
ANY sentiment that has not got dehnlle
purpose i'm II. His letters run along
~ 1ines Of action. not merely along
Inc mere lines Of sentiment, and the
most inspiring times that this natloh
has ever seen have been the times wnen
sentiment had to be translated into ae-
ton.
Tested Again and Again.
"Apparentlv this nation IS again and
again and again 10 be tested, and always
,es+ed in the same way. The last SUI
IRENE test this nation went through
49, Tho test Of tic Civil War. You
l.roy how deem that cut. You know
MAI exigent issues OF life were at
issue in that struggle. You know now
,.ro great sections Of this Union seemed
H. be moving in opposite directions
and for a long time 10 was QUESTIONABLE
whether that flag represented any one
united purpose i'm America. Ana you
know how deep that struggle cut INTO
the sentiments Of this people ana nov
there came n whole generation follow
ING the great struggle. when mems
hearts were bitter and sore and mem
cries hurt as we'll as exalted. and now
- seemed as If a rift had come IN
the hearts OF the people Of America.
And YOU know how that ended.
While II seemed time Of terror, 1T has
turned out A proof of the validity oil
cur hone. Where are now the divisions
OF sentiment which cut us asunder at
the time Of the Civil War? Did you
not see the Blue and the Gray mingled
this morning in the procession? Did
not YOU see the sons of a subsequent
generation walking together I'm happy
comradeship? Was there any contra
dietion Of feeling or division of senti-
ment evident there for moment
Nothing cuts so deep as a Civil War,
and vet all the wounds OF that war
lave been healed not only, but the very
rassion of that war seems to have con-
tributed 10 the strength Of national
feeling which now moves US as a
single body polite.
and vet again the test is applied.
my fellow countrymen. A new sort OF
division Of feeling has sprung up
among US. You know that we are de-
rived IN our citizenship from every
nation in the world II is not singular
that sentiment should be disturbed by
what Is going on on the other side Of
the water, but while sentiment may
be disturbed. loyalty ought not 70 be.
az want 10 be scrupulously just, nv
fellow citizens. in assessing the
circumstances Of this day. and ! am
sure that you wish with me TO deal
out with an even hand the praise and
the blame Of this day Of test. ! he
lieve that the vast majority Of those
men whose lineage is directly derived
from the nations now AT war arc just
as loyal TO the flag OF the United
States as any native citizen of this
beloved land. but there are some mer
Of that extraction who are not. and
they. not only in past months, but al
the present time, are doing their bes'