Evening star., 1940-02-13
National Unity Of Kind
Lincoln Stressed
Urged by Martin
House 6. O. P. Leader
Says U. S. Must Guard
Right to Liberties

Representative Joseph w. Martin
IT,. Of Massachusetts,. Republican
floor leader Of the House, spoke GA
the need for unity in the United
States last night In the National
Radio Forum, arranged by The Star
and broadcast over q Nationwide
network Of the National Broadcast
ing Co.
The text Of Mr.. Martins speech
follows:
Tonight In every section Of our
land tributes to the immortal Abra-
ham Lincoln are being voiced.
1t is a great privilege to be able
to address you from the Capital OF
the Nation on this 131st anniversary
Of Lincoln's birth.
It is no mere figure Of speech to
say that the spirit Of Lincoln is close
to America tonight. The studio from
which I speak is little more than q
mile from the imposing Lincoln Me-
mortal, which overlooks the historic
Potomac which Lincoln himself so
often watched with anxious and
prayerful eyes from the windows of
the White House as he guided the
Republic through the soul-testing
ordeal of internal division and bitter
civil war.
Less than city square from this
studio stands the church In which
Abraham Lincoln often prayed: and
In that church there is still preserved
as IN abiding landmark of national
history, the very pew in which Abra-
ham Lincoln is known to have knelt
In prayer during the crushing hours
Of the battle of Antietam. It was
then that the fortunes OF the Union
were perhaps at the lowest point Of
the war.
Living Link in History.
A living link between the Wash
ington Of today and that of Abraham
Lincoln exists in The Washington
Star. 1t is altogether proper that the
army Of steadfast friends Of this fine
radio program Of public service
should recall tonight that The WASH
tngton Star was established here in
1852. In its files from that year
forward to tonight's final edition is
to be traced the whole effect Of
Abraham Lincoln's public service.
In this Star Forum we have a di-
rect institutional link, unbroken
since 1852, with the life and times
and spirit of Lincoln. We are re-
minded that, after all, life is not
rope Of sand. There is more to our
national life than hectic change and
restless experiment.
Lincoln's life and works hold for
us some lessons which, it seems to
me, we need to review.
Lincoln was q great man because
he was q simple, sincere, Just and
honest man. Lincoln was eloquent
because his was the eloquence of
simple phrasing, plain speaking, the
language Of the people and for the
people.
Faced by grave domestic problems
which we know must be solved. it is
not enough merely to preach unity.
We must practic unity. It Is the most
important goal for us in America:
unity in the American spirit; unity
In a resolution to pursue the Ameri-
can way; unity in . will to solve our
domestic problems, and to make
constitutional government work, and
work well, in this country; unity in
the will to stay aloof from foreign
entanglements and conflicts; unity
IN the determination that we will
never extinguish constitutional gov
ernment, individual privilege and
liberty under the Bill OF Rights in
this country; that we will never
suffocate our freedom under a mill
tary dictatorship in order to 60 to
war on the mistaken mission Of
saving the rest Of the world for
democracy.
Lincoln knew well the vital ne
cessity Of real unity in this Nation.
because he Understood c1ear1v ths