Show so long as aa there shall remain any virtue in the body of the people by ROBERT SES SESSIONS pa high school birmingham ala champion on student orator r ot of the united states Ht atea constitution tilis hertage of liberty safeguarded and bequeathed THE thed in trust to us by the fathers of 87 what shall we of this generation do with it the answer is ie clear wo we must pass the tha priceless treasure gnp on unshackled and secure to the next generation the challenge is to you and me and every one who loves this country and enjoys the blessings and liberty under tho the american flay flag soon after the adoption of the and before it wont went into effect washington in a letter to la fayette wrote these significant words the government can never be in danger of degenerating into a monarchy an oligarchy an aristocracy or any other despotic or oppressive form so long as there shall remain any virtue in tho the body of the people ladies and gentlemen the words of washington clearly point the way to the task before us we must maintain virtue in the body of the people again we should further tile the popular means of increasing interest in and reverence for the constitution of our country so that it will be reverenced reveren ced no longer as an abstraction but as a vital thing understood and valued beginning in the home and public schools of the land we should instill greater re respect s p e et for I 1 law adiv and order which is not blind acceptance of arbitrary control but willing obedience to what is right and reasonable we should educate the masses in the duties of good citizenship in a letter better understanding and appreciation of the spirit of the american government in in the broader meanings of patriotism and a stronger devotion to the hag flag and alo glorious things for which it stands t let there be virtue in tho the body of the people and we shall hand down to our posterity those blessings of liberty bought with the blood of the patriots of old and preserved by the fathers fat liers in the finest example of free government the world has haa ever known |