Speech #680083437

It was not that he had been a great President of tie United States. it was not that he had been ambassador to France in the hour of danger and difficulty facing the young American Republic. and it was not that he had been Governor of the great State of Virginia. No. when he came to die he wrote his own epitaph and he ordered written on his tombstone at MonticelloHere lies thebody of Thomas Jefferson. the author of the Declaration of Independence. of the statute of religious freedom in Virginia. and father of the University of Virginia. Three great achievements. all standing for human rights and human liberty. for freedom of men. and yet Nye have reached a time -when the great party to which I hold allegiance. the party.of Jefferson. the author of the :Declaration of Independence. the party of Mason. who wrote the Bill of Rights. the party of.Madison. the father of the Constitution. is .prelaring -to reverse the principle that it declared in Its platform of 1856APiL 16 and that is the foundation stone of the party to which we give allegiance--and exclude immigrants from this country. not because they endanger American civilization. not because they endanger labor at tle bread line. but. forsooth. because we have become so nice that we do not wish to associate with peopie coming from particular foreign countries. In other words. instead of standing for the great principles of human rights and human liberty. and freedom of conscience. we are going to tear down our standard and yield our cause to passion and to prejudice. On that ground I will not follow.