Evening star., 1947-07-04
Text of Trun7un|s Address
BY the Assoeiofed Press

BY the Assoeioted Press
CHARL OFT ESVILLE, Va,
July 4.-Following is the teTt OF
President Trun1an's address at
Monticello today:
1t is fitting that we should come to
Monticello to celebrate the ami
versary of our independence. Here
lived Thomas Jefferson, author Of
the Declaration of independence.
Here Thomas Jefferson died on July
4, 1926, so years from the day the
Declaration was adopted by the
Continental Congress and pro-
claimed to the world.
The Declaration of Independence
was an expression of Democratic
philosophy that sustained American
patriots during the Revolution and
has ever since inspired men to fight
to the death for their 'unalienable
rights"
The standard phrase used by
writer's of Jefferson's day to de-
scribe mans essential rights was
life, liberty and property" But to
Jefferson, human rights were more
important than property rights, and
the phrase, as he wrote it in the
Declaration of independence, be-
came life. liberty and the pursuit
of happiness" 1s,.,oa
',- Laid Foundation.
laws +te %~olff f1f ttNo
Colonies in 1776 were designed to
support a monarchial system rather
than democratic society. To
Thomas Jefferson the American
Revolution was far more than a
struggle for independence. 1t was
struggle for democracy. f.9] 80
Within a few weeks after inde-
pendence had been proclaimed at
Philadelphia, Jefferson resigned his
seat in the Continental Congress
and returned to his place in the
Virginia legislature There he be-
gan his monumental work of laying
the foundation of an independent
democracy.
Within a few years the Virginia
Legislature, under Jefferson's lead
ership, instituted full religious free
dom, abolished the laws which had
permitted great estates to pass un-
divided from generation to genera
ton, prohibited the importation of
slaves, revised the civil and criminal
code of laws, and established
general system of public education.
These acts, according to Jefferson,
eradicated every fiber of ancient
and future aristocracy. These acts
formed the basis for a truly demo-
cratic government.
Nations Inter-Dependent.
jefferson knew that it was neces-
sary to provide in law the requisites
for the survival of an independent
democracy. He knew that 1t was
not enough merely to set forth a
Declaration of Independence.
Two years ago the United States
and so other nations joined in sign
ing that great declaration of inter-
dependence known as the Charter
of the United Nations. We did so
because we had learned at stagger-
ing cost, that the nations of the
world cannot live In peace and pros
perity if, at the same time, they try
to live in isolation. We have learned
that nations are inter-dependent,
and that recognition of our de-
pendence upon one another is essen
tial to life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness of all mankind.
1t is now the duty of all nations
to converge their policies toward
common goals of peace. OF course,
we cannot expect ell nations, with
different histories, institutions and
economic conditions, to agree at
once upon common ideals and
policies. But it is not too much to
expect that all nations should create,
each within its own borders, the
requisites for the growth of world
wide harmony.
First Requisite.
The first requisite of peace among
nations is common adherence to the
principle that governments derive
their Just powers from the consent
of the governed. There must be
genuine effort to translate that
principle into reality.
The respective constitutions OF
virtually all members of the United
Nations subscribe to the proposition
that governments derive their just
powers from the consent OF the
governed. In many countries, how
ever, progress toward that goal is
extremely slow. In other countries,
progress in that direction is nom
existent. And in still others, the
course of government is in the
opposite direction.
It is necessary, if we are to have
peace, that the peoples of the earth
know each other, that they trade
with each other and trust each
other, and that they move toward
common ideas. And yet, when gov
ernments do not derive their pow
ers from the consent of the gov
erned, these requirements are
usually denied, and peoples are
kept in isolation.
The stronger the voice of people
in the formulation of national
policies, the less the danger of
aggression. When all governments
derive their just powers from the
consent of the governed, there will
be enduring peace. ...