Show memorial never day to bring up animosities memorial day might conceivably be in ID some countries an occasion for appealing to martial boastfulness or ancient animosities americans hae reason to take pride in the fact that we have never been tempted to use it in that way the names of our battles antietam Antle tara tam vicksburg Vicki iburg gettysburg the wilderness chateau thierry the argonne carry a thrill to all americans but we think of 0 the battles as against a larger background for this we are indebted partly to national tradition but more largely to our leaders in time of crisis in the civil war there was plenty of popular hatred and anger yet lincoln never once yielded to them never deviated an inch from his course of loftiness and magnanimity nani mity nifty and never ceased appealing to the country to pursue its objects with malice toward none and ch cli arity for all when wilson went before congress to ask ash a declaration of war it was with the earnest declaration that we are the sincere friends of the german people from beginning to enil end of nf the ec inflict lie insisted that ills his chief concern was to define its alms in a way iny as to awaken the hie idealism of tile the whole world and biale TOS ios sible a saner and better world order after the chil war there was a period of reaction rea tion and fatigue when ihen the biser baser aile alile of the notional national character asserted itself after the world war there was a less maikel but decided slump shimp from the test best wartime ideals but we vie can safety safely say today that that also is past memorial day now and hereafter heie afler after will nill be a dily day for remembering even more than the war lend the exalted aims for which they died new york world |