The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-05-15
The Americans Greed

| (By Bliss Carulan, of the VigllanteS)
Il believe in the United States of
| America as a government of the peo-
| pie, by the people, for the people /;
| whose Just powers are derived from:
| the consent of the governed; a de-
mocracyi in a republic; a sovereign ma
tion of many sovereign states; a per-
| feet Union, one and inseparable; es-
/ tablished upon those principles of
| freedom. equality, justice and hui
| manitysfor which American patriots
saerifcfd their lives and fortunes.
/ t41ErefQS believe it is my duty to
my yodEtfy TO rove it, 10 support It's
constitution, to obey it's laws, to re-
spect its flag and to defend it against
all enemies"
In this brief and simple form Mr..
William Tyler Page has set forth
what may very truly be considered
the essentials of every Americans be-
lief. 1t embodies in a crucial and
memorable formula those fundamen-
tai principles on which the nation
was founded and on which alone it
can be maintained. Its phrases are
already famous household words,
blended now into definite creed.
AS a national profession of faith,
it is desirable, and indeed necessary,
that the creed should be made known
to every man, woman, and child in
the country, and become as familiar
as the Star Spangled Banner. 1t
should be a common decoration on
the wall of every school and library
and home throughout the land.
No country, particularly no democ-
racy, can grow and develop and reach
its highest perfection, unless its citi-
Zens have a clear idea of what its
aims really are, and deep sentiment
for it's welfare and honor. A ma
tion's aims and ideals are just those
aims and ideals which all it's citizens
hold by common consent to- be for
their own good. And it is only by
realizing these fair and just ideals in
it's daily life that a nation can help
humanity.
But a mere profession of faith
alone is not enough. A formula of
| words can avail nothing if it is only
| repeated and got by vote. An open
profession of faith is good, but it is
only good if the faith is really there
| behind it. 1t must not only contain
| truths, but it must be true every
time we say it. If it lacks conviction,
| if it does not express our unswerv-
ing and deepest feeling, it is no
more than foolish chatter. These
words which were, in every phrase,
struck off in the white heat of i'm
passioned patriotism must sink into
our hearts and minds and instil there
| their noble conception of a just and
! loyal nationalism.
| This means that the creed has a
truly religious influence or bearing,
as well as an educational one. Else
| it is not a profession of faith, but on
| ly string of felicitOus words. And
| words, We know, have only power ov-
er our lives when they represent i'm
passioned convictions. Words are
| like paper currency; their face value
is easily seen, but their worth de-
pends On the pure gold of spiritual
sincerity behind them.
More than this, any pr Nfession OF
| faith will be vain, however clearly il
may be expressed, and however sin
| cerely held, unless it is backed by
| POWER and put into practice in daily
| living. 1t must find vent in deeds as
we'll as in words A creed is only a
declaration of what we believe we
ought to do. 1t is the basis of our
| code of conduct, the rule by which
we must live, the standard of right
| to which all our institutions and
| customs must be made to conform.
1t is by no means enough to cherish
our faith in secret. No mere passive
| belief can save us. Our creed must
! sink into our hearts and enrich our
inner life; it must also quite as tru-
ly get into our blood and be enacted
| courageously every day, so that our
| lives and our common national life
| may reflect and show forth to all
men some likeness of these truths re-
garding life and society and govern
ment, regarding honor, justice and
! loyalty, which we hold to be essential
| and beyond all refutation.