The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-07-01

tory that 1 am myself proudest of is that in the introductory sentences of the Dec laration of Independence where the writers say that a due respect for the opinion of mankind demands that they state the reasons for what they are about tc do. I venture to say that decent respect for the opinions of mankind de- manded that those who started the pres ent European war should have stated their reasons, but they did not pay any heed to the opinion of mankind and the reckoning will come when the settlement comes.
 50, gentlemen, I am willing, no mat ter what my personal fortunes may be, to play for the verdict of mankind. Per sonally it will be @ matter of indif- ference to me what the verdict on No vember ' is provided I feel any degree of confidence that when later jury sits I shall get their judgment in my favor. Not favor personally-What diff ference does that make?-but in my favor as an honest and conscientious spokes- man of a great national convention.
 There are some gentlemen who are under the delusion that the power of nation comes from the top. It does not. It comes from the bottom.
 Power and virtue of the tree does not come from the blossoms and fruit down into the roots, but it comes from the roots in the obscure passage of the earth where the power is derived which dis plays itself in the blossoms and the fruit, and l know that among the silent, speech less masses of the American people is slowly coming up the sap of moral pur- pose and love of justice and reverence for humanity which constitutes the only virtue and distinction of the American people
 RULERS OF FUTURE
 Look for your rulers of the future. Can you pick out the families that are to produce them? Can you pick out the localities that are going to produce them
 You have heard what has been said about Abraham Lincoln. It is singular how touching every reference to Abra- ham Lincoln is. It always makes you feel that you wish you had been there to help him in some fashion to fight the battles that he was fighting sometimes al most alone.
 Could you have predicted, if you had seen Abraham Lincoln's birth and boy hood, where that great ruling figure of the world was going to spring from?
 "I have presided over a university, but never deceived myself by supposing that by university processes you were producing the ruling forces of the world. I knew that all university could do if it knew it's business was to interpret the moral forces of the world, and let the young man who sat under it's influ- ence know the very truth of truths about where it came from, and that no man could produce it unless he felt in his blood every corpuscle spring into delighted life with the mention of ideals which have lifted men slowly, oh, so slowly. up the arduous grades which have resisted the progress since the world began.
 'So. gentlemen, l have not come here tonight to do anything but to remind you that you do not constitute the United States; that l do not constitute the United States; that it is something bigger and greater and finer than any of us; that it was born in an ideal, and only by pursu- ing an ideal in the face of every adverse circumstance will it continue to deserve the beloved name which we love and for which we are ready to die. the name America