America is all things to all men. and the portrayal of it has defied and will continue to defy the greatest of writers. But what is of the greatest importance today is that the American story has been largely written by foreignborn hands. It is of more than passing moment that the soil of America has been enriched by the blood. the sweat. and the tears of a great many immigrants to this bright new world. men and women of character. courage. and foresight. who dreamed a dream of a new empire in which human dignity and freedom were to be the twin cornerstones of greatness. Our national history can be spelled out in terms of human sacrifice by the foreignborn. to whom no obstacle was too great to overcome on the trail from Ellis Island. Certainly. as the gentleman from New York so ably put it. this measure should and must be determined upon its merits as legislation. rather than upon any consideration of racial or religious question. There are none of us upon the floor of this House. to the best of my knowledge. who trace a straight and distinguished lineage from Pocohontas. so It is only fair to state that we are all in one way or another indebted to our immigrant forefathers for whatever privileges. rights. or prerogatives we now enjoy In our treasured citizenship. My own family came here from England three generations ago. and joined with other immigrants of other lands. other creeds. and other faiths in the greatest construction job the world has ever knownthe building of a new Nation and the drafting of a new concept of the relationships between men and government. To those men and women of character. determination. and faith. we. who are the repositories of their courage and their foresight. owe a great debt of eternal gratitude. They gave us. among other things. the American spirit of independence. the urge to creative and individual effort. the tradition of free enterprise under law. which we. on the majority side of the aisle. at least. cherish and do our best to nurture. I think that I am qualified to speak with some degree of authority on the question of the foreignborn and their merit as citizens. I was born and raised in South Dakota. which great State is not only ably represented in this great body. but which also numbers thousands of foreignborn among its fine citizens. I well know the industry. the thrift. and the conscientious devotion to God and their new country which these immigrants brought with them to their new homes on the plains and the prairies of our Middle West. This is a good bargain that we propose to make with our national purse. our national conscience. and our great traditions. If we take 200.000 men and women who refused to live in slavery. who defied the menials who aspired to mastery. we take into our midst human beings who know what the mailed fist and the heel of despotism really mean.
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immigrant immigrants