Evening star., 1941-10-19
Capital SideIights
By viii p. Kennedy.

Seldom have members of Congress
speech than they have for one in the
September % issue of the Congressional
Record given by Representative George
A. Paddock of Illinois Included in the
text was a summary by William Tyler
Page of how the spirit within" has
guided this Nation throughout its his
tory. Like many other members, with
increasing frequency these days. he
quoted the Scriptures: In the Book of
Job it is written there is spirit in man
and the inspiration of the Almighty
giveth them understanding. The collec-
tive or community spirit in man is ex-
pressed in the word 'ethos,' meaning
character of the people On a side panel
of the fresco painting, westward the
Course Of Empire Takes It's Way in the
Capitol are these words: The spirit
grows in its allotted spaces, the mind is
narrowed in a narrow sphere Then
follows condensed summary of Mr..
Pages review of history: 1T was the
spirit within that impelled Columbus to
cry Sail on, and onl' and dedicated the
New World to the King of Kings and
Lord of Lords: that wrote the Mayfiower
compact enunciating the eternal verities
of God and freedom; that prompted the
Pilgrims to establish Thanksgiving Day;
that led the Jamestown colony to declare
its purpose to erect free popular State
whose people we're to have no govern
ment put upon them but by their own
consent; that inspired the Old Free State
of Maryland to enact the first religious
liberation act in America; that caused
Patrick Henry to welcome liberty or
death and to depend upon just God
to support the colonists; that fired Ethan
Allen to demand the surrender of Ticon-
deroga in the name of the Great Je-
hovah and the Continental Congress;
that enabled George Washington and his
men at Valley Forge to rise superior to
cold and hunger; that impelled Richard
Henry Lee to pen the resolution for
American independence and Thomas
Jefferson to write the immortal Declara-
ton; that caused the Lexington minute
men to fire the first shot for liberty
heard round the world and the in
domitable Spirit of '76, which won the
independence of the United States:
that caused Nathan Hale to regret that
he had but one life to give to his coun-
try, that gave Washington the vision of
more perfect Union under a written
Constitution; that guided the writing of
the Constitution, with metes and bounds
of delegated authority and reserved pow
ers to the States and to the people; that
inspired Francis Scott Key to write the
national anthem: that led Andrew Jack
son to declare, the Union. it must and
shall be preserved and Daniel Webster
to proclaim the Union. now and forever,
one and inseparable; that led Abraham
Lincoln to preserve the Union of the
States and weld them into one mighty
Nation; that caused magnanimous Gen.
Grant to say to his worthy foe, Gen. Lee,
Let us have peace; that made the
wounded Capt. Lawrence give the order,
Don't give up the ship; that inspired
the gallant young officer, Stephen De-
catur, to exclaim, Our country, in her
intercourse with foreign nations, may she
ever be right, but our country, right or
wrong: that fired John Paul Jones to
reply, 7 have not yet begun to fight:
enabled Admiral Farragut, lashed to
the shrouds of his flagship, the Hart
ford, to shout, Go ahead damn the tor
pedoes'; that caused the young standard
bearer when commanded to bring back
the flag to the men, to call back Bring
the men up to the flag"