Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-11-29

C0fNAA A0So NAAAN AA0AAC Va 10 Will
ever forget. We are not given
the divine wisdom to answer
why this has been, but we are
given the human duty Of deter
mining what is to be, what is to
be for America, for the world,
for the cause we lead, for all
the hopes that live in our
hearts.
A great leader is dead; a
great Nation must move on.
Yesterday is not ours to recov-
er. but tomorrow is ours to win
or to lose. I am resolved that
we shall win the tomorrows be-
fore US. So I ask you to join me
in that resolve. d determined
that from this midnight Of
tragedy. we shall move toward
a new American greatness.
More than any generation
before us. we have cause to be
thankful on this Thanksgiving
Day. Our harvests are bounti-
full, our factories flourish, our
homes are safe, our defenses
are secure.
We live in peace. The good
will Of the world .pours out for
US, but more than these bless
ings, we know tonight that our
system is strong, strong and
secure. A deed that was meant
to tear us apart has bound us
together. Our system has
passed. You have passed a
great test. You have shown
what John F. Kennedy called
upon us to show in his proc
lamation Of this Thanksgiving:
That decency Of purpose, that
steadfastness Of resolve and
that strength Of will which we
inherit from our forefathers.
What better conveys what is
best for America than this. On
Saturday when these great
burdens had been mine only
hours, the first two citizens to
call upon and to offer their
whole support were Dwight D.
Eisenhower and Harry s. Tru-
man.
Since last Friday, Americans
have turned to the good, to the
decent values Of our life. These
have served us. Yes, these have
saved us. The service of our
public institution and our pub
lie men is the salvation Of US
all from the Supreme Court to
the States. And how much bet
ter 1t would be. how much
more sane it would Be. and how
much more decent and
American it would be If all
Americans could spend their
fortunes and could give their
time and spend their energies
helping our system and its SER
wants to solve your problems
instead of pouring out the
venom and the hate that stale
mate us in progress.
I have served in Washington
80 years-32 years yesterday. I
have seen five Presidents fill
this awesome office. I have
known them well and I have
counted them all as friends:
President Herbert Hoover,
President Franklin Roosevelt,
President Harry Truman. Pres
ident Dwight Eisenhower, and
President John Kennedy.
In each administration, the
greatest burden that the Presi-
dent had to bear has been the
burden Of his own country
mems unthinking and unrea-
soning hate and division. So.
in these days, the fate Of this
office is the fate Of us all. I
would ask all Americans on
this day Of prayer and rev.
erence to think on these things.
Let all who speak and all who
teach and all who preach and
all who publish and all who
broadcast and all who read or
listen-let them reflect upon
their responsibilities to bind
our wounds, to heal our sores,
to make our society well and
whole for the tasks ahead of
us. 1t is this work that I most
want us to do, to Danish rancor
sffom our words and malice
from our hearts, to close down
Ntlne poison spring Of hatred and
intolerance and fanaticism; to
protect our unity North and
South, East and West; to has
ten the day when bias of race,
religion and region is no more;
and to make the day when our
great energies and decencieS
and spirit will be free of the
burdens that we have borne too
long.
Our view is outward. Our
thrust is forward, but we re-
member in our hearts this
brave young man who lives in |
honored eternal rest across the |
Potomac. We remember him;
we remember his wonderful |
and courageous widow that we
all love. We remember Caroline |
and John and all the great |
family who gave the Nation |
this son and brother. j
And to honor his memory
and the future of the works he
started. I have today deter
mined that Station No. l of the /
Atlantic Missile Range and a
NASA launch operation center
in Florida shall hereafter be
known as the John F. Kennedy
Space Center.
I have also acted today with /
the understanding and the
- s,,y,y,o1.t of NV friend the Cow