Show but in washington as in his men there was that indomitable thing we call the sl spirit arit of 0 76 they were unconquerable british historians s like to speak of 0 howes dilatoriness in following up his big victories we like to think chink of the alertness the sp spirited doggedness of 0 washington ills his was a principle of 0 cut and come again beaten at washington heights the Amerl americans cans tur turned nedon on the british first at trenton and again at aib baltimore to strike swiftly and decisively this was true irue again in the year following that led ito brandywine and philadelphia where the british went into winter vinter q quarters and a round of social gal galtier ties while ill equipped army anny faced otheir bitter winter at valley forge and elsewhere things went as badly that year the playwright soldier burgoyne found nothing to stop him in his match march south irom from canada he had taken and looked toward albany that was how bow it went in 76 and the ithe year following Bur goynes men hadnot as yet faced the ithe green Aloun mountain kaiu boa boys s at bennington gates and saratoga togo 0 were months away the cheerful days when washington pinched howes men all the way from philadelphia to new york was a dream that was y yet et to come true in the dark days these men stood fast they had the spirit that thai could not be conquered are you an american america is a great nation its power reaches to the four corners of 0 ithe earth it is easy to say yes but say it in humility not in pride for what america is today is a gifton gifft of sixteen generations to us from the men imen who first broke its soil and penetrated its forests to those who tore the ithe ties of blood and family and risked their lives to weld it into one nation as they did through the revolution down to our lown generation would you have haire been an american in 76 and tor for the support of the declaration with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence we pledge to each other our lives our fortunes and our sacred honor ahat that was literally true lor for those men who signed the declaration of independence it should be remembered merob ered to their honor that these were men of outstanding courage not men riding on the flood tide of popular sentiment backing a sure thing boys y s lite ife |