we find man lower than he should be under a free
government, and we want greater victories of democracy,
that the level of success shall be raised. 5

We are not a rash people; we are not filled with the
spirit of militarism. We are not anxious to get into trouble,
but if anybody thinks that the spirit of service and sacrifice
is lost and that we have not the old sentiment of self-respect,
he doesn't understand the United States. 10

We want patriotism, and I don't think that we are going
to lose it very soon, although I do devoutly hope that out
of the perils and difficulties of this time may come a new
birth of the sentiment of unity. I do hope that in the
midst of all these troublesome conditions we will have a 15
better realization of our national strength and the import
of our democratic institutions.

The boy is going to thrill at the sight of the flag to-day
just as he did fifty years or one hundred years ago. We
are all going to thrill when we hear the words of our 20
national hymn and we think of the long years of struggle
and determination that have brought us to this hour. But
we want something more than thrills in our patriotism:
we want thought; we want intelligence.

Not vast extent of territory, not great population, not 25
simply extraordinary statistics of national wealth, although
they speak in eloquent words of energy and managing
ability; but what we need more than anything else is an
intelligent comprehension of the ideals of democracy.
Those ideals are that every man shall have a fair and equal 30
chance according to his talents. It is not an ideal of democracy
that one alone shall emerge because of conspicuous
ability, but that there shall be a great advance of the plain
people of the country, upon whom the prosperity of the
country depends.

It is all very well to talk about the Declaration of Independence
and the strong sentiments it contains, but that 5
was backed by men who couldn't have committed it to
memory, men who couldn't have repeated it, but men in
whose lives was the incarnation of independence and whose
spirit was breathed into that immortal document.

It is because we had men who were willing to suffer, to 10
die, to venture, to sacrifice, that we have a country, an