America's Message
by Raymond Pitcairn
Our Constitution and our history speak of
liberty and of the struggles and sacrifices by
which liberty was won. To all the world they
proclaim the glory of a nation created not to
make its leaders strong but to make its people
free. And to all Americans they hold a message vital in its import, compelling in its urgency.
With the privileges that liberty brings
comes the responsibility of upholding it. But,
runs a solemn assurance, in our battle to keep
men free, we do not fight alone. Behind each
of us is the past free life of America. Back of
all of us is the spirit of the Founders, which
our national shrines immortalize.
Washington is with us, and Jefferson and
Lincoln. All who fought for freedom, all who
knew the great devotion, are still our comrades and exemplars. With such a comradeship, we cannot hesitate. With such a leadership, we cannot fail. Under such a responsibility, we dare not falter. Wemust hold
high the light of liberty. That is America's
message to all her citizens.
American Heritage Library Table of Contents
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