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Show Americanism By " ' LEONARD WOOD ." We shall teach that this heritage her-itage of ours has been confided from generation to generation to the patriotic keeping and loving lov-ing care of true Americanism, and that this alone can preserve it. Grover Cleveland: Speech before the New England society, Brooklyn, December 21, 1891. WHEN Grover Cleveland, a great Democratic president of the I United States, uttered these words, he j gave a promise for the present and for the future. He said "We shall teach." He did teach and .he continued contin-ued to teach the Americanism In which he was so fervid a believer. Since his day It has been taught, and under Providence Americans will continue te teach It until the end of time. The Americanism upon which Cleveland Cleve-land was dwelling was that and is that whMi whs confided, as he puts it, as a heriiuge from the American generations genera-tions of the pnst unto the generation of the present In which he lived. Cleve- ' lunil knew, as all reudiug and think- I Ins men knew and know, thnt the heritage of true liberty, which Is the heritage of true Americanism, came (down from the Fathers, and that In its essence It was the same In the speaker's day that It was In the day when It first found voice. It Is the same today. AmeHcanlsm hns been given Into I the patriotic keeping and loving care of the people. Cleveland puts this In ' another way, hut It means the s:ime thing. He speaks of the heritage having hav-ing been committed Into the keeping of true 'Americanism, therefore It Is that true Americanism Is In the keeping keep-ing of itself and of Its fellowship of believers. A good many other isms have been called by unthinking men Americanisms. Men's thoughts on what constitute true Americanism mny differ, but In the end they come together togeth-er In the one thought, that the essential essen-tial Americanism Is that which keeps this country what the Fathers Intended it to be a place of law, order and liberty. lib-erty. The necessity for teaching that this heritage of liberty of ours has been confided to us from generation to generation gen-eration and that It Is as precious now rs ever, seemingly, but perhnps only Reemingly, Is sharper today than It hns been In many years. There have been times before this when some men j despaired of liberty. There are always al-ways hopeless ones among .us. If is those who know the prlcelessness of the heritage which has come down to . us, and who knoy.thajt men., of tinder-' standing -Svltl ' not tjirow Itawayv .who, alwnj'sjire.xd.fevfm'ter'lnfo tfieeldi, td"! combat .thv.loctplnes ' f 'either tijrtSfC- lirho wouia give way 'snnpiy because be-cause they despair or those whose desire de-sire and Intention Is to destroy It. |
