Speech #880072470

Doesnt this sound like the man who demands privileges for himself when he is out of power but denies them to others when he is in power? I would like to call to your attention a most interesting statement by Secretary of State Dean Rusk on the role of law. "The purpose of law in a free society." he said. "is to enlarge freedom. by letting each know what kind of conduct to expect from the other. And it is through our laws that personal -freedom is not only protected but constantly enlarged. so we can pursue our orbit with a minimum of collisions." In other words. in our system. law is not a "A Nation of Immigrants." he sharply critdevice to restrict freedom. to block new ideas icized the quota systemthe system of ador to sterilize the human spirit. Instead. in mitting immigrants on the basis of fixed a marvelous paradox. it does precisely the annual quotas for different races and naopposite. If all men. in your country and tionalities. The system is heavily weighted mine. shared this conception of law. how in favor of northern Europeans. much better life would be. (Now. as President. John F. Kennedy has And why cannot the same spirit form the acted to carry out the ideas of "A Nation basis for our international relations? Free- of Immigrants." He has called on Congress dom through law is surely preferable to the to abolish the quota system. Under his prolawlessness of subversion. agitation. and posed law. 165.000 immigrants (the present "wars of liberation" which inevitably cause ceiling is 156.700) would be allowed in each collisions between our orbits. year without regard to racial or national For generations. we Americans have origins. dreamed of making the world safe for de- (Here are excerpts from Mr. Kennedys mocracy. Your leaders dream of the even- story of immigration to America.) tual triumph of communism. On these mat- Since the first settlers reached the New ters we stand unalterably opposed. World. some 40 million people have migrated But on this much we must agree: We must to America.