emotion. In thousands of homes in America, in millions of homes around
the world, there are vacant chairs. It would be a shameful confession
of our unworthiness if it should develop that we have abandoned the
hope for which all these men died. Surely civilization is old enough,
surely mankind is mature enough so that we ought in our own lifetime to
find a way to permanent peace. Abroad, to west and east, are nations
whose sons mingled their blood with the blood of our sons on the
battlefields. Most of these nations have contributed to our race, to
our culture, our knowledge, and our progress. From one of them we
derive our very language and from many of them much of the genius of
our institutions. Their desire for peace is as deep and sincere as our
own.

Peace can be contributed to by respect for our ability in defense.
Peace can be promoted by the limitation of arms and by the creation of
the instrumentalities for peaceful settlement of controversies. But it
will become a reality only through self-restraint and active effort in
friendliness and helpfulness. I covet for this administration a record
of having further contributed to advance the cause of peace.

These were the more tangible determinations of the election, but beyond
them was the confidence and belief of the people that we would not
neglect the support of the embedded ideals and aspirations of America.
These ideals and aspirations are the touchstones upon which the
day-to-day administration and legislative acts of government must be
tested. More than this, the Government must, so far as lies within its
proper powers, give leadership to the realization of these ideals and
to the fruition of these aspirations. No one can adequately reduce
these things of the spirit to phrases or to a catalogue of definitions.
We do know what the attainments of these ideals should be: The