Show memorial never day to bring up animosities memorial day might conceivably be in some countries an occasion caslon oc for appealing to martial boastfulness or ancient animosities americans have reason to take pride in the tact fact that we have never been tempted to uso use it in that way the names of our battles antietam Antle tam vicksburg gettysburg the wilderness chateau thierry Th lerry the argonne carry a thrill to all americans but we think of the battles ns as against a larger background for this we are indebted partly to national tra tradition ditton but more largely to our leaders in time of crisis inthe in the civil war there was plenty of 0 popular hatred and anger yet lincoln never once yielded to them never deviated an inch from his course of loftiness and magnanimity nani mity and never ceased appealing to the country to pursue its objects witt with malice toward none and charity for or all when wilson went before congress to ask a declaration of war it was with the earnest declaration that we tire are the sincere friends of the german people from beginning to end of the conflict lie insisted that his chief concern was to define its alms in such a way as to awaken the tha idealism of the whole world and ninke make possible a stiner enner and better world order after the civil war there was a period pe of reaction and fatigue when the baser side of the national character r asserted itself after the world war there wits was a less lesa marked but decided slump from the best wartime ideals but we can safely say today that that also Is past memorial day now and hereafter will be a day for remembering even more than the war dead the exalted alms for which they died new york world |