Editor’s Notice: A pre-presidential John F. Kennedy gave this speech at Faneuil Corridor in Boston whereas working for Congress on July 4, 1946.
Kennedy contends that faith, idealism, patriotism, and individualism are among the elementary parts of a distinctively American character. He claimed that America has upheld these parts to advance the ideas of human dignity and particular person freedom because the founding of the nation.
The youthful veteran urged all Individuals to attract from these admirable traits that outline us to confront the bitter days which lie forward because the glory of World Battle II victory gave method to a brand new period of Chilly Battle hazard. Kennedy’s message serves as a reminder that, in our greatest moments, the American persons are certain collectively by a shared sense of advantage, dignity, progress, and love of nation.
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Mr. Mayor; Distinguished Visitors, Women and Gents.
We stand at this time within the shadow of historical past.
We collect right here within the very Cradle of Liberty.
It’s an honor and a pleasure to be the speaker of the day – an honor due to the lengthy and distinguished listing of famous orators who’ve preceded me on this platform, a pleasure as a result of one in all that honored listing who stood right here fifty years in the past, and who’s with us right here at this time, is my grandfather.
It has been the customized for the speaker of the day to hyperlink his ideas throughout the years to sure basic beliefs of the early American custom. I shall do the identical. I suggest at this time to debate sure parts of the American character which have made this nation nice. It’s nicely for us to recall them at this time, for this can be a day of recollection and a day of hope.
A nation’s character, like that of a person, is elusive. It’s produced partly by issues we’ve finished and partly by what has been finished to us. It’s the results of bodily elements, mental elements, non secular elements.
It’s nicely for us to contemplate our American character, for in peace, as in struggle, we are going to survive or fail in response to its measure.
Non secular Component
Our deep spiritual sense is the primary ingredient of the American character which I might talk about this morning.
The informing spirit of the American character has all the time been a deep spiritual sense.
All through the years, down to the current, a devotion to elementary spiritual ideas has characterised American thought and motion.
Our authorities was based on the important spiritual thought of integrity of the person. It was this spiritual sense which impressed the authors of the Declaration of Independence:
“We maintain these truths to be self-evident: that every one males are created equal; that they’re endowed by their Creator with sure inalienable rights.”
Our earliest laws was impressed by this deep spiritual sense:
“Congress shall make no legislation prohibiting the free train of faith.”
Our first chief, Washington, was impressed by this deep spiritual sense:
“Of all the inclinations and habits which result in political prosperity, faith and morality are indispensable helps.”
Lincoln was impressed by this deep spiritual sense:
“That this nation, underneath God, shall have a brand new start of freedom, and that authorities of the folks, by the folks and for the folks shall not perish from the earth.”
Our late, lamented President was impressed by this deep spiritual sense:
“We will win this struggle, and in victory we will search not vengeance, however the institution of a world order through which the spirit of Christ shall rule the hearts of males and nations.”
Thus we see that this nation has ever been impressed by important spiritual concepts. The doctrine of slavery which challenged these concepts inside our personal nation was destroyed.
Not too long ago, the philosophy of racism, which threatened to overwhelm them by assaults from overseas, was additionally met and destroyed.
In the present day these primary spiritual concepts are challenged by atheism and materialism: at residence within the cynical philosophy of a lot of our intellectuals, overseas within the doctrine of collectivism, which units up the dual pillars of atheism and materialism because the official philosophical institution of the State.
Impressed by a deeply spiritual sense, this nation, which has ever been dedicated to the dignity of man, which has ever fostered the expansion of the human spirit, has all the time met and hurled again the problem of these deathly philosophies of hate and despair. We have now defeated them prior to now; we are going to all the time defeat them.
How nicely, then, has de Tocqueville mentioned: “Chances are you’ll speak of the folks and their majesty, however the place there isn’t any respect for God can there be a lot for man? Chances are you’ll speak of the supremacy of the poll, respect for order, denounce riot, secession – except faith is the primary hyperlink, all is useless.”
Idealistic Component
One other ingredient within the American character that I might deliver to your consideration this morning is the idealism of our native folks – stemming from the sturdy spiritual beliefs of the primary colonists, developed as they labored the land.
This idealism, this mounted regard for precept, has been a component of the American character from the start of this nation to the current day.
Lately, the existence of this ingredient within the American character has been challenged by those that search to offer an financial interpretation to American historical past. They search to destroy our religion in our previous in order that they could information our future. These cynics are fallacious, for, whereas there could also be some reality of their interpretation, it does stay a truth, and a most essential one, that the motivating power of the American folks has been their perception that they’ve all the time stood on the barricades by the aspect of God.
In Revolutionary occasions, the cry “No taxation with out illustration” was not an financial criticism. Quite, it was immediately traceable to the eminently truthful and simply precept that no sovereign energy has the suitable to manipulate with out the consent of the ruled. Something wanting that was tyranny. It was in opposition to this tyranny that the colonists “fired the shot heard ’around the world.”
This perception in precept was expressed most impressively by George Washington on the Constitutional Conference in 1783. “It’s possible that no plan we suggest will likely be adopted. Maybe one other dreadful battle is to be sustained. If, to please the folks, we provide what we ourselves disapprove, how can we afterwards defend our work? Allow us to elevate a regular to which the sensible and sincere can restore, the occasion is within the fingers of God.”
This idealism, this conviction that our eyes had seen the glory of the Lord – that proper was proper and fallacious was fallacious – lastly led to the last word conflict at Bull Run and the lengthy purple years of the struggle between the States.
Once more, the cynics might apply the financial interpretation to this battle: the commercial North in opposition to the agricultural South; the battle of the 2 economies. Say what they may, it’s an indisputable fact that the Northern Military of Virginia and the Military of the Potomac had been impressed by devotion to precept: on the one hand, the suitable of secession; on the opposite, the idea that the “Union should be preserved.”
In 1917, this ingredient of the American character was stimulated by the slogans “Battle to Finish Battle” and “A Battle to Save Democracy,” and once more the American folks had as their chief a person, Woodrow Wilson, whose idealism was the normal idealism of America. To such a level was this true that he was in a position to say, “Some folks name me an idealist. Effectively, that’s the means I do know I’m an American. America is the one idealistic nation on the earth.”
It’s maybe true that the American intervention in 1917 may need been more practical if the case for American intervention had been represented on much less moralistic phrases. Because it was, the American folks ultimately got here to look upon themselves as giving meals and weapons to a common trigger through which all different folks had materials ends and through which they alone had ethical ends.
The idealism with which we had entered the battle made the next disillusionment all of the extra bitter and revealed a harmful side to this ingredient of the American character, for this bitterness, a direct results of our inflated hopes, introduced a radical change in our overseas coverage and a ensuing withdrawal from Europe. We did not make the adjustment between what we had hoped to win and what we really may win. Our idealism was too sturdy. We might not compromise.
And thus we delivered to our shoulders a lot of the burden of the accountability for World Battle II – a burden which we’d not then acknowledge however for which we’ve paid full worth in recent times on distant shores, on faraway fields and valleys and hills, on items of overseas soil which will likely be eternally ours.
It was maybe due to this failure that the second world struggle by no means did turn out to be a campaign as did the primary.
Our idealism had turn out to be tarnished, however extraordinary efforts had been made to evoke it, and it’s indubitably true that the good majority of Individuals had sturdy convictions as to which aspect spoke for the suitable earlier than our entry into the struggle.
It’s now within the postwar world that this idealism – this devotion to precept–this perception within the pure legislation – this deep spiritual conviction that that is really God’s nation and we’re really God’s folks – will meet its biggest trial.
Our American idealism finds itself confronted by the old-world doctrine of energy politics. It’s assembly with successive rebuffs, and all this may occasionally lead to a brand new and much more bitter disillusionment, in one other ignominious retreat from our world future.
However, if we stay devoted to the American custom, our idealism will likely be a steadfast factor, a relentless flame, a torch held aloft for the steerage of different nations.
It is going to take nice religion.
Our idealism, the second ingredient of the American character, is being severely examined. Now, solely time will inform whether or not this ingredient of the American character will likely be true to its historic custom.
Patriotic Component
The third ingredient of the American character that I might deliver to your consideration this morning is the good patriotic intuition of our folks.
From our pioneer days, maybe as a result of we had been a individuals who developed from a beachhead on an amazing continent, this American patriotism has all the time had as its core a wierd and nearly mystical love of the land.
Early in our historical past we acquired, as James Truslow Adams has identified, “a way of limitless vitality nose to nose with limitless assets.”
Land, land, land, stretching with unbelievable richness throughout half a world. Its sheer vastness has made it a problem to the American spirit. The infinite land stretching to, the western solar caught the creativeness of males who based this nation and woke up the patriotic spirit that has turn out to be a attribute of the American folks.
Within the phrases of America’s poet, Walt Whitman, we notice this deep sense of the land:
“Land of the pastoral plains, the grass-field of the world, land of these sweet-air’d interminable plateaus!
Land of the herd, the backyard, the wholesome home of adobe!
Land the place the northwest Columbia winds, and the place the southwest Colorado winds!
Land of the japanese Chesapeake! Land of the Delaware!
Land of Ontario, Erie, Huron, Michigan! Land of the Previous 13! Massachusetts land! Land of Vermont and Connecticut!
Land of the ocean shores! Land of sierras and peaks!
Land of boatmen and sailors! Fishermen’s land!”
This preoccupation with the land information itself within the catalogue of the colonists’ grievances in opposition to George III. It has all the time been mirrored within the highest moments of our patriotism, for, all through the years, within the early days right here at residence and in recent times overseas, Individuals have been ever able to defend this place of origin.
From the start of the nation to the current day, from the Heights of Dorchester to the broad meadows of Virginia, from Bunker Hill to the batteries of Saratoga, from Bergen’s Neck, the place Wayne and Maylan’s troops achieved such martial wonders, to Yorktown, the place Britain’s troops surrendered, Individuals have heroically embraced the soldier’s various of victory or the grave. American patriotism was proven on the Halls of Montezuma. It was proven with Meade at Gettysburg, with Sheridan at Winchester, with Phil Carney at Honest Oaks, with Longstreet within the Wilderness, and it was proven by the flower of the Virginia Military when Pickett charged at Gettysburg. It was proven by Captain Rowan, who plunged into the jungles of Cuba and delivered the well-known message to Garcia, image now of tenacity and dedication. It was proven by the Fifth and Sixth Marines at Belleau Wooden, by the Yankee Division at Verdun, by Captain Leahy, whose final order as he lay dying was “The command is ahead.” And in recent times it was proven by those that stood at Bataan with Wainwright, by those that fought at Wake Island with Devereaux, who flew within the air with Don Gentile. It was proven by those that jumped with Gavin, by those that stormed the bloody seashores at Salerno with Commando Kelly; it was proven by the First Division at Omaha Seashore, by the Second Ranger Battalion because it crossed the Purple Coronary heart Valley, by the a hundred and first because it stood at Bastogne; it was proven on the Bulge, on the Rhine, and at victory.
Wherever freedom has been at risk, Individuals with a deep sense of patriotism have ever been prepared to face at Armageddon and strike a blow for liberty and the Lord.
Individualistic Component
The American character has been not solely spiritual, idealistic, and patriotic, however due to these it has been basically particular person.
The best of the person in opposition to the State has ever been one in all our most cherished political ideas.
The American Structure has set down for all males to see the basically Christian and American precept that there are particular rights held by each man which no authorities and no majority, nonetheless highly effective, can deny.
Conceived in Grecian thought, strengthened by Christian morality, and stamped indelibly into American political philosophy, the suitable of the person in opposition to the State is the keystone of our Structure. Every man is free.
He’s free in thought.
He’s free in expression.
He’s free in worship.
To us, who’ve been reared within the American custom, these rights have turn out to be a part of our very being. They’ve turn out to be a lot part of our being that the majority of us are liable to really feel that they’re rights universally acknowledged and universally exercised. However the unhappy truth is that this isn’t true. They had been dearly gained for us just a few quick centuries in the past they usually had been dearly preserved for us within the days simply previous. And there are massive sections of the world at this time the place these rights are denied as a matter of philosophy and as a matter of presidency.
We can’t assume that the battle is ended. It’s endless.
Everlasting vigilance is the worth of liberty. It was the worth yesterday. It’s the worth at this time, and it’ll ever be the worth.
The traits of the American folks have ever been a deep sense of faith, a deep sense of idealism, a deep sense of patriotism, and a deep sense of individualism.
Allow us to not blink the truth that the times which lie forward of us are bitter ones.
Could God grant that, at some distant date, on at the present time, and on this platform, the orator could possibly say that these are nonetheless the good qualities of the American character and that they’ve prevailed.
Picture: Wikimedia Commons
