Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-02

lopinion Of mankind"--in the
words Of our Declaration Of In
dependence -requires that we
state plainly the purposes we
seek. the principles we hold.
In June of 1776. Richard Henry
Lee of Virginia, rising before the
Second Continental Congress TO
move his resolution for American
independence, declared: THE
eyes of Europe are fixed upon
us: she demands Of us living
example of freedom"
One hundred and eighty
years later. we know that the
eyes of the world are fixed upon
us. And we must ask ourselves:
What kind of an example of
freedom do we give to our age?
What are the true marks of our
America--and what do they
mean to the world?
We are a people born Of many
peoples. Our culture, our skills,
our very aspirations have been
shaped by immigrants, and their
sons and daughters, from all the
earth-Sam Gompers from Eng
land, Andrew Carnegie from
Scotland, and Albert Einstein
from rmany-Booker T.
Washington and AL Smith
Marconi and Caruso =. men Of
all nations and the races and
estates--sons of princes, sons of
Slaves-they have made us what
we are.
Men like these-men by the
millions-have deepened and
defined our very understanding
of what is true and just in the
wide world from which they
came. Thus. though we be a
young nation, we are not UNI
aware Of the nature - the
temper and the spirit--of dis
tant peoples, often struggling
and clashing. For our unity en-
braces their sons in this
America.
Submit to Law of Spirit
We know-as our forefathers
knew-the firm ground on which
our beliefs must stand. Freedom
is rooted in certainty that the
brotherhood of all men springs
from the fatherhood of God.
And thus, even as each man is
his brothers keeper. no man is
another's master.
So it is that the laws most
binding us as a people are laws
of the spirit - proclaimed in
church and synagogue and
mosque. These are the laws that
truly declare the eternal equality
of all men, of all races, before
the man-made laws of our land.
And we are profoundly aware
that-in the world-we can
claim the trust Of hundreds Of
millions of people. across Africa
and Asia-only as we ourselves
hold high the banner Of justice
for all.
We know-from this same
faith-that, in this democracy,
we are called constantly to
Judge ourSelves-in self-criticism
of all our deeds and decisions.
Here stirS the divine discon-
tent" of America-the inquisi-
tive and inventive genius of our
people-oCr freedom and Divers
ity of thought.
| And for this reason-never
dreading debate or dissent-we
have no need of censors or their
ways. This America is too strong
ever to acknowledge fear-and
too wise ever to fear knowledge.
And so. too, is it true in the
world; we can always honor and
respect those nations who hon
orably disagree with us in a
given moment Of decision.
Judge Men by Deeds
| We are proudly "a people
with no sense of class or caste,
we judge no man by name or
inheritance, but by what he
does-and for what he stands.
And, again; So likewise do we
judge other nations. The right
of no nation depends upon the
date of its birth or the size of
its power. AS there can be no
second-claSs citizens before the
law of America, so-we believe
there can be no second-class
nations before the law Of the
world community.
We - finally - look upon
change, the ever-unfolding fu-
lture. with confidence rather than