Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-05-03
SPIRES or THE SPIRIT
's'' The Torch
by DIR. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
Chaplain q tAs uai,sa Slsis ssaais

- -
THE Ugly American" Is a
contemporary verbal paint
ing which, while II exaager-
ates certain defects In the
American countenance, Is q
caricature rather than a
portrait. A magnifying glass
held over the mole on Crom-
wells face does not furnish q
true likeness OF the great
Engllshman.
Amid all the discounting
voices Of today's hostile
world. as. from various mo-
tives. It appraises the role Of
America with all her faults.
nevertheless. there is no dec
laration which has In It a
prouder boast when uttered
In deep humility than, Il am
an American" This simple
statement. when worthily
uttered. proclaims a creed IN
which there can be no strut
or snobbery.
What does this business Of
being an American really in
volve? It means that the
great adventure Of discover
ing America is not just an
exciting entry In history: It
is an inspiring achievement
IN the autobiography Of every
true American.
After tortured years In
police-state letters, a ref
ugee from tyranny found
himself at last In this land
Of hope and glory. The day
he was given his first papers
Of citizenship he entered the
nearest church and knelt in
a tumult Of grateful Joy
to thank God for the inesti-
mable boon Of being an
American and for America.
beacon light for the whole
world. Through tears of Joy
he declared that he had dis
covered here, not Just four
freedoms, but 400.
America is not q thing of
the earth, but of the heart.
1t is a way Of thinking and
a way Of acting. 1t is not
bounded by oceans, rivers, or
degrees of latitude, but by
principles, attitudes, and
ideals more precious than
life itself. America is a class
less society whose aristocracy
is based not on pedestals, but
on personalities; not on
birth, but on worth; not on
who you are but on what you
are.
Years before he was Presi-
dent, Abraham Lincoln, while
on q visit to New York City.
was, asked one Sunday morn
ing to make some remarks to
a Sunday school class in an
industrial institution. The
children gathered there came
from an environment of
penury, the parents of most
OF them having been born in
Europe. A listener took down
that day what Lincoln said
to the Sunday school group.
He spoke on what it meant to
be an American. Here are
two sentences: "You chill
dren must always thank God
that you have been born in
a country where, If you will
lead a decent, clean life, trust
God, and work hard, you can
rise. The only things that
will limit Won are volIr in
dustry, your character, and
your brains"
He was telling those So
called underprivileged young
sters that because they were
in America, the way was open
to the top. In the humbling
assertion. 81 am an Ameri-
can" is stored a power great
er than the H-bomb, a treas
ure beyond the price Of gold
or rubies, a challenge which
makes tyranny tremble; q
message so potent that at
least it will leap every fence,
topple every wall and pierce
every curtain with the eman-
cipating truth of liberty,
which desires nothing for it
self that it does not pas
Sionately covet for all the
earth. America is the great
est adventure in human free
dom that this world has
known. It is the solemn