The Republican journal., 1921-10-20
Or. Hilton's No. 8
will break up a cold
Col. Sweeney's Address

can Legion at Belfast October 8.
The American Legion, with feelings of
deep appreciation of the trust imposed in
it, accepts the custody of the memorial
| tablet with all that it represents and with
! all that such an acceptance implies.
This impressive ceremony which we
are witnessing is one which should not be
forgotten by any of US here present, not
only because it signifies the completion of
a great structure which will stand for
many years as an example of the effici-
ency of American industry, nor yet be-
cause it marks public recognition of the
immeasurable debt which we owe to our
dead, but also, and more particularly, be-
cause the dedication of this memorial
tablet manifests the determination ofsthe
citizens of this community to revive and
cherish the characteristics which have
ever distinguished the American people.
1t is this determination which brings to
the American Legion unbounded hope and
encouragement for our nation, because,
under conditions as they are today, the
greatest promise for the future welfare
of the American people lies in the pTeser-
vation and perpetuatlon of their inherent
character.
1t is fitting and proper to select the
American Legion for the custody of this
memorial tablet, since it is an organlza-
ton of fellow soldiers of those who have
| died for their country in war, whose
members, realizing the necessity for ac-
ton, have banded together and publicly
pledged themselves to preserve the Con-
stitution of the Nation. Our great grand
fathers in the Revolutionary War and our
fathers and grandfathers in the Civil
War, as we'll as our brothers and sons in
the World War, fought and died for the
preservation of their nation and country.
And today the American Legion and sim
liar patriotic organizations stand In the
vanguard of those who are again taking
up the fight for the same cause.
For this reason let them be the leaders,
but, may | point out that the obligation
which they have assumed is no more and
no less than that which comes within the
field of duty of every American citizen if
he but realized it.
Is it too much to infer from the very
fact that the American Legion is found
to be necessary that there must be some
danger to our nation, or to come to the
conclusion from the fact of its existence
that some of our citizens are not con
scious of having inherited the sterling
qualities of their American ancestors and
| that others, but recently made citizens,
| have not been taught the standard of
citizenship. which has ever been set for
the Americana
| 1t IS principle which statesmen from
time immemorial have recognized that
while citizenship in republic confers a
| privilege, it also imposes am obligation,
| and, if we are to survive as nation, we
! must regard him a worthless and useless
| citizen who neglects to discharge his full
| obliga tion of citizenship or fails to adhere
to the ideals of his people. For it must
be evident, in such form of government
as ours, that if citizens change from the
traditional beliefs of their ancestors and
alter their ideals of government, that
sooner or later, by their votes, they will
| alter the verysstructure of the govern
ment itself and thus destroy the nation
| In time of war or of great national
emergency the true or inherent character
of people asserts itself. In such times
of danger individual and private inter-
ests, under the spell of national emotion,
are merged into the interests of the ma
| ton and great wave of patriotism
sweeps over the country.
| If we examine the part played by the
United States in the recent World War,
we Will 1lnd from the honorable record OF
service performed, and of the things ac-
complished, that the character displayed
| by their people was marked by those
traits whio h distinguished their American
fathers. There is no more convincing
evidence of this than the characteristics
shown by the American soldier. Among
all the soldiers of the world he stood the
equal of any and the superior of most in
exhibiting those manly virtues which are
found only in the highest type of a soldier.
He demonstrated these by loyal service,
generous acts and loyal deeds. No Amerl-
can division ever failed to attack as or
dered and no American Army ever gave
up foot of ground once it was captured.
The proud record of the American
Army is in itself proof that the Ameri
can people were true to their inherent
character, for an Army accurately re-
! fleets the character of the people from
which it comes and the brave and self
sacrificing qualities of the American SOL
dler formed true picture of those same
qualities in his own people.
An outstanding characteristic of the
American nation has ever been a willing
ness to fight for just and righteous
| H.