Evening star., 1928-04-17

The text of President Coolidge's ad-
dress to the Daughters Of the American
Revolution is as follows:
Madame President General:
Because this society is a patriotic
organization formed to perpetuate the
principles established by the American
Revolution. Il Is satisfaction to join
In your devotions The human race
through the medium Of organized So
ciety. no less than the individual. has
TO learn through experience. The rec
ord of that experience is embodied in
history. II is n record full Of meaning
II Is impossible TO comprehend the
problems Of the present without being
Informed concerning the problems OF
the past.
we have no method by which we
can project our progress into the fu-
ture unless We understand the prin-
ciples and the actions which contrib
uted to past success. Without clear
comprehension oi the direction from
which we have come. We cannot chart
the direction in which we should go.
1T Is for these reasons that it be-
comes so important constantly TO con-
template the ideals of the formative
period of our Nation. II was a time
.
cast aside, In order that the people
upon the essential and the genuine
They came into close contact with the
great realities
we do not grasp the full import OF
the American Revolution unless we
consider 1t in its double aspect In the
first place, 1t vas a struggle for inde-
pendence. But the victory, which.
after long years OF sacrifice crowned
that effort gave to the colonies little
more than an opportunity They soon
found that independence Of the Crown
of England was Of small import unless
they could establish themselves under
national government of their own
In the second place. therefore. the
Revolution meant the adoption Of the
Federal Constitution. The war would
have been of little value II the peace
had not been used To create a nation
Public Opinion In Shaping.
Prior to this period our institutions
had been In the making. public opinion
had been shaping. II was then that
final decisions were made and the
definite form OF our fundamental Law
was declared. From time to time il
has been broadened and strengthened
but IN Its main principles 1t has not
been much changed. The Republic
which il created is the Republic under
which We live.
mo more enticing subject for dis.
cussion exists than the success with
which our country has been blessed
from the Revolutionary period down tc
tn present hour Our growth from
100000 people. inhahiting Is detached
colonies lying on the Atlantic seaboard
poor In almost everything save char
acter and spirit. 10 the fiouriShing Ma.
ton OF $4,000 900 people. extendins
across the continent. possessed OF ex.
tensiPe material resources and endowed
with all the facilities OF science anC
art. education and charity, is a recorc
known 10 all the world and very thor
oughly appreciated by every one bu
| ourselves. While We are all vaguely
conscious of this development, too mans
OF us do not realize the great advan.
tageS which II conferS upon all oii
people in comparison with those en-.
Ioyed in any other locality on earth.
We have every reason 70 be content
with the progress We have made, snc
yet as we look about us and see ths
ignorance that still exists. the crime
that still fiourishes, the distress that SC
often overtakes the deserving. and the
disease which stiii affiicts SO many. VIZ
canno. escape the conclusion that II
spite OF all our successes We have much
more TO do 70 secure truly enlightened
civilization.
Society Is made up OF individuals
with all their strength and all of theil
high possibilities. but still with all theil
imperfections. The most that could bt
hoped for Is not perfection but the besl
that can be made OF q people in oul
present state of development. Measured
by that standard. the results are ex.
ceedingly satisfactory.
Keep Policies In Operation.
Admitting that there yet remain,
much TO be done, 'but believing that tht
progress we have made indicates thai
we have been taking the right course
We reach the conclusion that IL Is de-
sirable To understand the principles and
policies which have contributed 10 oul
success and attempt 70 continue 10 keeT
them In operation. One Of the most
important institutions which became
more firmly established as the result OF
the Revolution was the old theory oi
local government The race expert
Fence of those who took such a promi-
nent part In the affairs OF that day and
the whole body OF the people that sup
ported them had always been prone IL
identify the cause Of liberty very closely
with the cause Of local self-goyernment
THE colonies claimed thar system
as q right recognized by their royal