Evening star., 1947-06-30
Text of Truman's S Speech

). | Text of I TrunC
The tert OF President Trun1dn'S
speech yesterday at the 38th an
nual conference OF the National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People tolloWS:
I am happy to be present at the
closing session of the 38th annual
conference of the National Associa-
ton for the Advancement of COL
ored People. The occasion of meet
ing with you here at the Lincoln
Memorial affords me the opportunity
to congratulate the association upon
it's effective work for the improve
ment of our democratic processes.
I should like to talk briefly about
civil rights and human freedom. 1t
is my deep conviction that we have
reached a turning point in the long
history of our country's efforts to
guarantee freedom and equality to
all our citizens. Recent events In
the United States and abroad have
made us realize that it is more i'm
portant today than ever before to
insure that all Americans enjoy
these rights.
And when I say all Americans
I mean all Americans.
Must Move Forward.
/ The civil rights laws written in
the early years of our Republic,
and the traditions which have been
built upon them, are precious to us.
Those laws were drawn up with the
memory still fresh in mems minds
of the tyranny of an absentee gov
ernment. They were written to
protect the citizen against any pos
sible tyrannical act by the new
Government in this country.
But we need be content with a
civil liberties program which en-
phaiszes only the need of protec-
ton against the possibility Of
tyranny by the Government.
We cannot stop there.
We must keep moving forward,
with new concepts of civil rights
to safeguard our heritage. The ex-
tension of civil rights today means
not protection of the people against
the Government, but protection OF
the people by the Government.
We must make the Federal Gov
eminent a friendly, vigilant de-
fender of the rights and equalities
of all Americans And again mean
all Americans.
Equal Opportunity Necessary.
AS Americans we believe that
every man should be free to live
his life as he wishes. He should
be limited only by his responsible
ity to his fellow countrymen. If
this freedom is to be more than a
dream. each man must be guar
anteed equality of opportunity. The
only limit to an Americans achieve
ment should be his ability, his in
dustry and his character. The re-
wards for his effort should be
determined only by these truly
relevant qualities
Our immediate task is to remove
the last remnants of the barriers
which stand between millions OF
our citizens and their birthright
There is no justifable reason for
discrimination because of ancestry
or religion, or race, or color.
We must not tolerate such lin
itations on the freedom of any OF
our people and on their enjoyment
of the basic rights which every
citizen in a truly democratic So
ciety must possess.
Every man should have the right
to a decent home, the right to ar
education. the right to adequate
medical care, the right to worth
while job, the right to an equa,
share in the making of public de-
cisions through the ballot. and the
: right to fair trial in fair court
We must insure that these rights
! on equal terms-are enjoyed By
' every citizen.
Full Support Pledged.
To these principles I pledge my
: full and continued support.
Many of our people still suffer the
r indignity of insult, the narrowing
fear of intimidation, and. I regret
= to say, the threat of physical injury
: and mob violence The prejudice
= and intolerance in which these evil.
are rooted still exist. The conscience
of our Nation. and the legal ma.
: chinery which enforces it. have no
= vet secured to each citizens full
= freedom from fear.
r We cannot wait another decade o.
= another generation to remedy thes'
= evils. We must work, as never be
:. fore. to cure them now. The after
f math of war and the desire to keel
\ faith with our Nations historic
S principles make the need a pressing
= one.
The support of desperate popula
tions of battle-ravaged countrie
a must be won for the free way o
II life. We must have them as allie
in our continuing struggle for tn
peaceful solution of the world
problems. Freedom is not an cas-
lesson to teach. nor an easy caus
- to sell. to peoples beset by ever
e kind of privation. They may sur
n render to the false security offere
If so temptingly by totalitarian re
e elmes unless We can prove tn
i superiority of democracy.
j. Our case for democracy should b
d as strong as We can make 1t.
should rest in practical evidenc
d that We have been able to put ou
i own house in order.
Government Must Show Way.
e For these compelling reasons, "
,r car no longer afford the luxur
j of a leisurely attack upon prelude
L and discrimination. There is muc
that State and local government
e can do in providing positive safe
a guards for civil rights. But we car
e not. any longer, await the growt
- of a will to action in the slowe'
II state or the most backward CON
,e munity.
all Our national Government mu.
show the way.
ID This is difficult and compile
!, undertaking. Federal laws and &C
rinistrative machineries must /
! :