Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-06-05
president SPEAKS TO
CONFEDERATE VETS
Makes Patriotic Address and
Is Greeted With Enthusias-
tic Rebel" Yell

Washington, June 5.---''This nation
was kept united for the great world
purpose it was meant to sesve," Pres
ilent Wilson told the United Confeder-
ate Veterans at their convention today.
Rebel cheers greeted the declaration.
Glove of self government and lib
erty by the North and South was the
motive of the civil war;" the president
said. 'This country must now make
self government and liberty safe for
mankind. "
The significance of registration day
was brought home when the president
emphasized that the duty to serve and
the privilege to serve falls on all alike.
''There is something fine about the
spirit of volunteering, but bigger in
the spirit of Obligation" said the
president.
Commissioner Brownlow, son of a
confederate veteran, declared Wash
ington was proud to be cheered by the
hosts in grey.
"This is a solemn day in the history
of our country" he told the veterans.
"Today ten million men are regis
tering for duty under the Stars and
Stripes. Two million of these will go
abroad. They will go to fight, not in
a European war, as it is called, but
they will go to fight in an American
war;
GAS I came along the streets few
minutes ago, my heart was full of the
thought that this was registration day.
VIII you not support me in the feel
ing that there is some significance in
this coincidence, that this day, when l
came to welcome to the national cap
ital, is day when men, young as you
were in those old days, when you
gathered together to fight, are now
registering their names as evidence of
this great idea, that in democracy
the duty to serve and the privilege to
serve falls upon all alikeY There is
something very fine, my fellow eiti-
zens, in the spirit of the volunteer, but
deeper than the volunteer spirit is the
spirit of obligation. There is not
man of us who must not hold himself
ready to be summoned to the duty of
supporting the great government under
which we, live. No really thoughtful
and patriotic man is Jealous of that
obligation. No man who really under.
stands the privilege and the dignity of
being an American citizen quarrels for
a moment with the idea that the con.
gress of the United States has the.
right to call upon whom it will to
serve the nation. These solemn lines
of young men going today all over
the union to places of registration,
ought to be a signal to the world, to
those who dare flout the dignity and
honor and rights of the United States,
that all her manhood will flock to that
standard under which we all delight to
serve, and that he who challenges the
rights and principles of the United
States, challenges the united strength
and devotion of nation.
, 'There are not many things that
one desires about war, my fellow
citizens, but you have come through
war, you know how you have been
chastened by it, and there comes
time when it is good for nation to
know that it must sacrifice if need be
S'NA ming thRb II W NlHQlGdtt
the principles which it processes. We
have prospered with a sort of needless
and irresponsible prosperity. Now
we are going to lay all our wealth, if
necessary, and spend all of our blood,
if need be, to show that we are not
accommodating that wealth selfishlv but
were accommodating it for the service
of mankind. Men all over the world
have thought of the United States as
a trading and money getting people,
whereas we who have lived at home
know the ideals with which the hearts
of this people have thrilled; we know
the sober convictions which have lain
at the basis of our life all the time
and we know the power and devotion
which can be spent in heroie-wise for
the service of those ideals that we
have treasured. We have been al
lowed to become strong in the provid-
enee of God that our strength might
be used to prove, not our selfishness,
but our greatness and if there is any
also of a fededication on the part Of
all of us to that great nation which
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