Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-31
Hoover's Gettysburg Address
Recalling Lonely Figure of Lincoln, President Pleads
for Increased Spiritual Unity
Among States.

counsel has not invariably overcome the
allurements of demogogic folly, good will
has not always won the day over cynt-
cism and vainglory.
Spiritual Unity Resulting.
Yet the ideals which he inspired have
served to mold our national life and
have brought in time great spiritual
unity. His words have poured their
| blessings of restraint and inspiration
upon each new generation.
In the weaving of our destiny the
pattern may change, yet the wool and
| warp of our weaving must be those in
spired ideals of unity. or ordered lib
erty, of equality of opportunity, of pop
ular government and of peace to which
this Nation was dedicated. Whatever
the terms may be in which we enun-
ciate these great ideals, whatever the
new conditions to which we apply them,
they must be held eternally valid. The
common striving for these ideals, our
common heritage as Americans and the
infinite web of national sentiment
these are the things that have made us
a great Nation, that have created a
solidarity in a great people unparalleled
in all human history.
The weaving of freedom is and always
will be a struggle of law against law
domination, of unity against section
alism, of truth and honesty against
demagoguery and misleading, of peace
against fear and conflict. In the form
ing of this pattern the abuse of poll
tics often muddieS the stream of con-
structive thought and dams back the
flow OF well considered action.
New Lamps to Guide Nation.
In the solution of the problems of
our times we have some new lamps to
guide us. The light of science has re-
vealed to us a new understanding of
forces and myriad of instruments of
physical ease and comfort to add to
the JOY of life. The growth of COM
munications, of education, of the press,
have made possible a new unity of
that guides our souls remains the same
as that whereby our fathers were led
1t is the store of knowledge, the great
inspirations of mems souls, the ideals
which they carry forward that have
lifted the Nation to ever greater heights.
The Union has become not merely a
physical union of States, but rather is
spiritual union in common ideals of
our people. Within 1t Is room for every
variety OF opinion, every possibility of
experiment in social progress Out Of
we preserve and maintain our spiritual
solidarity.
The things of the spirit alone persist.
1t Is in that field that the Nation makes
its lasting progress. To cherish re-
ligious faith and the tolerance of all
faiths; to reflect into every aspect of
public life the spirit of charity, the
practice of forbearance and the re-
straint of passion while reason seeks
the way; to lay aside blind prejudice
and follow knowledge together; to pur-
sue diligently the common welfare and
find within its boundaries our private
benefit; to enlarge the borders of OPP
portunity for all and find our own
within them; to enhance the greatness
OF the Nation and thereby find for
ourselves an individual distinction; to
face with courage and confident expec-
tation the task set before us, these arc
the paths Of true glory for this Nation
They will lead us to life more abound
ing, richer in satisfactions, more endur-
ing In its achievements, more precious
in It's requests to our children - a life
not merely of conflict but filled with the
JOY OF creative action.