OCR Text |
Show 11 IJ J ' UMfl!llUIJI J j, , JJKfWW Americanism : LEONARD WOOD Equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever state or persuasion, religion or politics. Thomas Jeffersout First inaugural in-augural address. AN Intending Immigrant who lins rend those words find in thein sufficient Impulse for his clinnge of state. Perlmps nowhere cnn there be found a better description of the foundations of American political life than in these words of the third president. pres-ident. In them Is to be found the essence es-sence of Americanism, as the fathers Intended it to be. Americanization, whether of the native na-tive born or the foreign born. Includes In-cludes within Its scope an effort to make all citizens realize that freedom of thought and the right to express It are birthrights, provided of course that the freedom does not become ii-ccnse ii-ccnse and the words are not counter to the spirit of Americanism Itself. . For ages the right to think and to speak the thoughts of the heart were denied to men In many of the countries coun-tries of the world. America was the first real refuge for those who were seeking a place where they could, with others, have a voice in their government gov-ernment and the right to pray to God after a manner dictated by their consciences. con-sciences. It was one among the few countrifcs of the world one hundred years ago where the words "equal and exact justice to all. men" mount what they said. The words are as true today to-day of the United States as they were when Jefferson spoke and this Is said it full knowledge of the fact that complaints of 'Inequalities of justice frequently are heard. All things are comparative. Justice' fails less frequently fre-quently in the United States than else: where. It Is within the power of people peo-ple acting under American Impulses-, using their voices and their votes to the purpose to make all complaints groundless and to bring that perfection perfec-tion of procedure which shall insure to Justice a permanent place in this country's life. "Of wnatever politics;"- American- Ism pays no heed to .the color of a man's politics. It Is In the nature of tMngs, that a man's political opinions are his own not to be Interfered with nor their expression denied. Americanization, and again let it be said whether' of , the native born or of the foreign born, does jjot concern itself it-self with a man's polltical faith, but It should concern Itself deeply with giving a man a proper understanding of the bases of the political faiths of the country of which he Is a citizen. "Equal and exact Justice to all men, of whatever state, persuasion, religion re-ligion or politics." This Is .the foundation foun-dation upon which the great American political faith is bullded. |