America is in a period which for good or ill is a turning point in her history. Her duty and her responsibility are equally as great as her opportunity. Shall we rise to its full potentiality, both in a material and in a moral sense?
The words of an English poet come to my mind:
"We've sailed wherever ships can sail, We've founded many a mighty state, God grant our greatness may not stale Through craven fear of being great."
It is not "craven fear" that will prevent us from attaining the summit of the greatness which it is open to America to reach, for fear has never kept back Americans--any more than Englishmen--and never will.
Indifference, slackness and sloth, lack of breadth and depth in thought and planning; the softening of our fibre through easy prosperity and luxury; unwise or hampering laws, inadequacy of vision and of purposeful, determined effort, individual and national, are what we have to guard against.
God grant America may not fail to grasp and hold that greatness which lies at her hand!
***END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NEW YORK STOCK EXCHANGE AND PUBLIC OPINION
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