Evening star., 1925-10-28
Text of Coolidge Speech
At San Martin Ceremony

The text of the Presidents speech
at the unveiling of the San Martin
statue in Judiciary Square today:
Great men belong To humanity.
They are the incarnation of the truth.
Although they are almost always de
veloped by local circumstances. in the
end their influence becomes world.
wide. 1t is that which makes ap-
propriate the rearing of monuments
within our own land to those who
have been instrumental in advancing
human welfare in other countries. 1t
is recognition of universal stand
ard of action and common brother
hood among all men. We are all
servants of the truth.
As l listened to the eloquent and
generous words of the distinguished
Amba ssador from Argentina, spea king
on behalf of his government and peo-
pie in presenting this noble monument
OF civic virtue and patriotic achieve
ment to the people of the United
States. | was again reminded how
closely parallel have run the lines of
experience, how intimate have been
The spiritual associations. among the
members of the American family of
republics. To the people of the United
and qualification that their ancestors
were providentially chosen to initiate
the movement for independence in the
New World If that movement had
not started where and when it did. we
may be sure it would have started at
some other place and time, and that at
last its results would have been sub
stantially the same. 1t was not among
u
munities of these new found CONT
nentS should perma nently he main
tained as dependencies of the mother
states in Europe. We can see now
that their destiny to establish them.
selves independently was just as GER
tain as that Il patriarchal system Of
government must ultimately he dis
placed by more progressive form.
Proved Fruitful Field
1t was not possible that these sturdy
communities should merely contribute
TO the world distorted reflection from
the light of older states and ancient
institutions. The discovery of Amer
ica to the world was providentially
fixed in a time of spiritual and intel
laCtual awakening. 1t was an epoch
of new lights and new aspirations. of
mighty clashes between the traditions
Of the old and the spirit of the new
time. The New World proved fruit.
full field for testing out of new ideas of
mans relations both to his Creator
and to his fellow men. In the warm
ing sunshine of such an opportunity.
in the fertility of such "A virgin soil
these experiments found that full and
fair scope which made possible their
triumphant conclusion.
II may be well TO consider for mo.
ment the essential similarites which
marked the experiences of ali the new
American communities during their
struggles for independence and later
during their trying era of institution
building. BY doing this we can better
realize that the American contribution
could not have been made save from
The soil of a naw country. You can.
not transplant an ancient and rigid
social system TO A new country with
out manv and revolutionary modifiCa.
tions. You cannot expect that these
new institutions will have adeuuate
opportunity for development unless
they grow in the light of human in
dependence and spiritual liberty.
This realiZat tion came early to the
great leaders of thought in all the
American countries. So we find that
as North American aSpira tionS pro
duCnd our Washington. Jefferson Ad-
ans. Hamilton and F'ranklin-so the
countries to the south of us brought
forth their iranda, their Bolivar.
heir HidalCo. their ArtiCas. their
O'HiCgins, their Sucre, their Mora
Zan. and. finally. their san Martin.
patriot. statesman. immortal con
trihutor TO tho founding of three re-
nublics. 1t is to honor the memory Of
San Martin and to aclai mhis achieve
ments that we are gathered today.
I. s. Aided Others.
II was the fortune OF our thirteen
North American colonies TO be first