Evening star., 1946-05-30
Text of Humans Speech

The tert OF President Tru-
mans ertemporaneous remarks
at George Washington Uniper-
stty last night tolloUs::
This is very great and men,
orable day for me and for my
family. 1t is very high honor to
have daughter who is graduate
of this wonderful nstitution-this
great institution. 1t is most un-
usual thing, also, for that daughter
to create situation which will
make her old daddy an alumnus of
this great institution on the same
night she becomes a graduate.
I appreciate that honor. It is a
great one. And I appreciate the
honest work which my daughter
did to get it for me.
You know, we are in the presence
tonight of a most distinguished
audience, not only the distinguished
audience in front of me, but I am
sure there is an audience looking
down upon us tonight with ap-
proval. One hundred and twenty
five years ago, James Monroe.
President of the United States, and
John Quincy Adams, Secretary of
State; Henry Clay, John c. CAL
houn, Gen. Lafayette, the Con-
gress-the House and Senate-the
Supreme Court of the United
States, witnessed the first gradual
ing exercises of this great uni
versity, university which was
founded-so I am told by DR.. Mar
vin-by two good Baptists in con-
junction with the President and
the Secretary of State.
Quotes Henry Clay.
Those were wonderful times, also.
My good friend, Hugo Black, Justice
of the Supreme Court, called to my
attention the other day, a state
ment by Henry Clay in 1888, and if
you will bear with me for a minute,
I will read it to you. It's most
interesting. Mr.. Clay. speaking In
the Senate of the United States on
the action of Andrew jackson in the
United States Bank case-Mr. Clay
says, and I have two quotations
from him here-this is the first one:
by the third of March, 1887, If the
progress of innovation continues,
there will be scarcely a syeStige re-
manning of the Government and its
policy as they existed prior to the
third Of March, 1929. In a term of
eight years, little more than equal
to that which was required to es-
tablish our liberties, the Govern
ment will have been transformed
into an elective monarchy, the worst
of all forms of government
Can't you hear old Clay saying
that?
Such is the melancholy but
faithful picture of the present con-
dition of our public affairs"
Words Have Familiar Ring.
Haven't you heard that right
lately?
Now this other quotation from
Mr.. Clay: Many of our best citizens
entertain the serious apprehension
that our Union and our institutions
are destined to a speedy overthrow"
You see, wonderful things happen
in history. And I don't think there's
anything ever been more truly said
than that history repeats itself.
One of the British Prime Min
listers, Lord Russell, who retired
some time in the 40s, made the
statement that he was exceedingly
happy that he was getting out Of
the premiership of Great Britain
because he saw the end of the Brit
ish empire in year or two. That
was in 1848. 1t isn't quite dead
yet-if I can believe Winston
Churchill.
And then, along in 1845, the Com
missioner of Patents of the United
States went down before the Ap-
propriations Committee of the
United States Senate and made a
recommendation to the Senate
Committee on Appropriations-and
you can see that document, if you
want to look, in the Library of Con-
gress-this gentleman's recon-
mendation was that the Patent
Office be abolished, that there was
nothing more that could be patented
in 1845.
individuals Right Supreme.
Now we have just been through
the greatest struggle in the history
Of the world. struggle for liberty,
struggle for individual liberty. We
fought for the right of the in
dividual. We are still fighting for
the right of the individual, and we
are going to continue that fight.
You graduates now have the well
fare and the safety of the Republic
of the United States in your hands.
You have before you the greatest
age in the history of the world.
1t Is yours. I think this Govern
ment of ours is the greatest form
Of Government ever dreamed of in
the history of the world, or in the
brain of man. The reason for that
is that this Government is organized
for the rights of the individual, and
its powers are diffused. We have
an executive, who is supposed to
carry out the policy laid down by
the Congress of the United States,
and we have court, which decides.
according to the Constitution, whe-
ther that policy is in the interests
of the individual. Sometimes We
have difficulties sometimes We
have emergencies. We usually meet
them in way that is for the best
welfare of the country. I know
that you are going to see emer-'
gencies. know that you are not
going to listen to people like Henry
Clay and Lord Russell, who will tell
you that the end of things has
come.