delegation named to represent the House of Representatives at the funeral of President John F. Kennedy. It was an awesome gathering. Three Presidents of the United States were there. Assembled were the great of the earth as man reckons greatness-potentates and presidents and princes and ministers of state. Death was there—and grief. And the most awesome presence of all—faith. Faith in the institutions of our Government which survive unscathed the blow of violence— and faith, as well, in the immortality which conquers even death. Symbol and substance of constitutional continuity is President Lyndon B. Johnson. In his stewardship as Chief Executive he is charged-by the oath he took so unexpectedly"to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." To the best of his ability. So help him God. He assumes that awesome responsibility and task with the sincere good will and earnest prayers of his countrymen. ADDRESS BY Hon. John M. Murphy OF NEW YORK Mr. Speaker, John Fitzgerald Kennedy on November 22 possessed everything a man could gain from this mortal life. He held the highest position afforded any man. He had a beautiful wife, two small children, wealth, power, brilliance, personality, and charm. In his body was a zest for living, a reason for existence, and work to be done. The cheering crowds which he so dearly loved, the smiles on the people's faces on which so much admiration was written were the last crowds and smiles he would see. In the darkness of ignorance, prejudice, one man sat among the books of learning, of democracy, squinting in the radiance of the sun. He aimed a cheap rifle with a cheap bullet in its chamber. He touched his finger on the trigger and in one second in endless time, snuffed out the light of brilliance. President John F. Kennedy was dead. John Kennedy lost all that the world could offer-but we too have lost. John Kennedy left much behind. In his short time of leadership in the New Frontier, he forged through the virgin woods of hate, ignorance, strife, and poverty. He felled trees, cleared the land, plowed and planted seeds-seeds of progress, of brotherhood, of peace. The task now rests upon all Americans to continue to nourish these seeds and reap from the foresight brilliance, and greatness of President Kennedy. Let us nourish seeds of newness and of courage. The pioneer of the New Frontier was the light of the bonded, the liberator of the chained and imprisoned, the hope of the diseased world, the inspiration of the free world, the friend of the friendless, the hope of the hopeless, and the courage of the weakened. From the many letters I have received from our fellow Americans, I want to quote from just a few. A grammar school girl: I could only cry. A high school senior: The world will long remember President Kennedy, our Nation will always revere him. It is a shame that it required his death for many people to wake up and realize his great achievements, something you and I knew from the beginning of his years in the White House. His desire for peace, yet without surrender; his desire for a better educated people; his work for civil rights; the prosperity of the economy, point toward one thing, as did his death, and that is his love of the United States and the betterment of it. I myself hold the opinion that no President since Abraham Lincoln worked as fervently for the Nation than did John Fitzgerald Kennedy. A new college graduate: I doubt that any man has had a more powerful in pact on the emotions of so many. In life he was re spected as well as questioned. In death, he has been elevated to an almost "God-like" quality. His demise has rekindled in the hearts of all Americans our real purpose-peace through justice. And a combat Army colonel: We in the Army have lost a great Commander in Chief-one who answered every challenge of the past 3 years in a true professional manner. History will prove John Fitzgerald Kennedy as worthy of a position aside Washington and Lincoln. And now the eternal flame burns brightly at Arlington National Cemetery where our beloved President rests. His memory shall burn brightly in each of us. His ideals have been etched in the hearts and minds of all people. Let us now proceed through the darkness using the torch of John F. Kennedy to light our torches. Let us not be content until all Americans hold the light of hope in their hands for the world to see until the world is freed from the chains of human bondage. In his Inaugural Address, President Kennedy said, "Let us begin"-we have begun and the road of our journey is infinite-let us continue-continue on the path he chose. Let us have the courage for correction, the desire for decision, and in his memory, move on to new frontiers. ADDRESS BY Hon. John Kyl OF IOWA Mr. Speaker, last week my home community, like almost every single community across the Nation, held memorial services for President John F. Kennedy. The several churches participating presented a service which provided a deep and meaningful experience. My own brief, inadequate address delivered during that service follows: Abraham Lincoln said it-in the month of November, exactly 100 years ago the words are as fresh, as true on this day, as they were a century ago. "It is for us the living to be dedicated here to the unfinished work. It is for us to be dedicated to the great task remaining before us." Sadness has walked the land. Our shock has been so great we are almost ashamed to seek solace, consideration, or comfort. We want to share the grief of the entire Nation. In these past days, Americans have shared a variety of emotions. First, every American shares a common, personal loss engendered by the death of the man who was our President-our leader. As President, because of the nature of this Nation and the nature of the man, John Kennedy held a close personal relationship with the citizens. This is always true, not because all individual Americans view a particular President in the same lightbut because we all view the holder of that high office with respect, with honor, and with love. These feelings are far deeper than the adulation we pay to celebrities in other fields of endeavor because the President is ours and we are his. He represents the people, deriving his powers from the consent of the governed. Of greater significance is the realization that for peoples of all the earth-the President's image is our image. We are identified in his identity. People of foreign nations see America-see us-in our President. Small wonder that Americans follow with interest what the President eats for breakfast-what the First Lady wears on a particular day. From the moment a newly elected President and his family step inside the White Georgian Mansion on 16th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue in your Nation's Capital, their personal, private life is lost. They live in public. They belong to the public. Every sniffle-every sneeze or headache becomes public business. The President becomes a personality without individuality. He becomes an almost indefinable something. His name could be anything, for he is Uncle Sam, who in reality is everybody. According to recent reports Dwight Eisenhower noted the fact in this manner. Just after his inauguration, his secretary reported that Gen. Omar Bradley was on the phone. The President picked up the phone and said, "Hello Omar." And then, General Bradley, classmate at West Point, comrade in arms, beloved friend, answered, "Mr. President, this is Omar Bradley." Then, said Mr. Eisenhower, I realized the lonesomeness of the job. I was no longer Dwight D. Eisenhower, I was "Mr. President." Harry Truman sometimes referred to the White House as the most lavish prison in the world, thus describing his separation from his former life. Is it any wonder then, this sense of personal tragedy which has enveloped us all as our young President, John Kennedy, has been taken from us? Is it any wonder that we so deeply appreciate the personal courage and majesty of our First Lady, Mrs. Kennedy, who has borne tragedy with such dignity through the trying hours-who twice, in only a few months, has walked with death? Too, our pride has been hurt. We say, "This sort of thing can't happen here." We must suppress those other emotions of hate, anger-the urge for revenge which surrounds the nature of our President's death. For if America is to be adversely judged by a lawlessness which prompted or permitted assassination of the President, the desire for, or the accomplishment of revenge compounds the essence of lawlessness. The other emotional aspect of the moment is our apprehension, our fear, our wondering about the present and future welfare of our Nation. You need harbor no fear. The greatness of the U.S. Government, the wisdom of those unbelievably understanding men who laid our foundations, have again been demonstrated. A free nation remains free because all men have an opportunity for greatness, for leadership and for service. This Nation, therefore, always has a reserve of leadership-trained, experienced, capable and devoted. President Lyndon Johnson knows America. He knows government. He has had opportunity to face both foreign and domestic prob 29-275 064 -32 lems, and to participate in decision-making. His perception is great. Perhaps some of you would have preferred a different leader. Be not dismayed. I have a favorite musical composition which I like so much that I have several recorded versions. I listen to one and I say, “This is perfect." Then I listen to another with a different conductor and find things I like better-some things I like less well. Our American symphony will have a different conductor, and the performance will be harmonious. On Wednesday, President Johnson will ask the Congress for cooperation and for understanding. This he will receive. It will be demonstrated for all the world that this Government is in business with strength, with leadership to do what is right for our people and for all the world's people. We cannot compare the assassination of our President with those acts of violence which occur so often in other lands where governments are overthrown. Our Government cannot be overthrown by a single act or a series of violent acts. It will not be lost until the people sleep. Asleep we are not. May I also note the renewed evidence that ours is a spiritual nation—a nation which automatically turns to God in time of need. Would that we could remember this need is constant and eternal-that in the words of the hymn, "I need Thee every hour." How weak is the flesh, how undying the spirit. It is ironic that our tragedy has occurred in the week of a national holiday-a family holiday with religious overtones-the season of Thanksgiving. Perhaps it is fortunate that we will soon be entering the holy season when all our feelings will be submerged in that all-pervasive, indescribable spirit of Christmas-the season of peace on earth, good will to all men. For that is the season when our feet return to the ground so our thoughts might be more lofty. Our President, John F. Kennedy, is gone. When he departed, he took something of us with him, and he left something of himself with each of us. Therefore, on this day, "Go not to ask for whom the bell tolls. It tolls for thee." I join all American citizens in praying that Almighty God will attend the needs of this great Nation of free men and that we may be ever worthy of His grace. ADDRESS BY Hon. Harold D. Cooley OF NORTH CAROLINA Mr. Speaker, strange and mysterious are the vicissitudes of human life. Frail and precarious are our best holds upon human happiness. A few short days ago a young man lived and labored and loved. By his life he beautified the altars of freedom. Wherever he went, throughout the troubled world in which we live, he made a broad thoroughfare for friendship. Today he sleeps in the solemn silence of the grave. Yes, his soul sleeps in peace. Until the end of time. men and women will cherish the memory of this illustrious man. We cannot beautify his character, nor can we dignify his life. We can only commune with his spirit. We shall always remember his genius, his labor, his wonderful achievements, and the beauty and simplicity of his life. His life was a blessing to the world in which he lived. Having known our late beloved President for many years, and having enjoyed his friendship. during the time he was our colleague here in Congress, I knew his true worth and I cherished his friendship. His record, though brief yet dynamic, was written on the hearts of men and women throughout the world. By the nobility of his soul and by the exalted purposes of his life he shall be remembered through countless ages. His contributions to the cause of peace were great and grand and all of those who love freedom owe him a debt of gratitude. He was a child of the universe and he believed that the world with all of its sham, drudgery and broken dreams was still a beautiful world. He never suffered fears born of fatigue and loneliness, but he always nurtured strength of spirit to shield him in misfortune, and with courage, vision and fortitude he stood forthright before the world as a champion of the cause of peace. By his life he made the world a better place in which to live and when his soul moved across the crystal sea into the great beyond the whole world grieved. Truly he was one of God's noblemen. When I think of our fears and our tears, I am reminded of something I heard on the floor of this House many years ago: They say that life is a highway; the milestones are its years, and here and there is a tollgate where we pay our way with tears. It's a high road and a rough road and it leads near and far. But it leads at last to the golden town where the golden houses are. When I think of the great sorrow we all have suffered, and of the life and the death of our beloved statesman, the first citizen of the world, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, my favorite song comes back to me: Oh, heart of mine, we should not worry so; What we missed of calm we could not have, you know, For we know not every morrow can be sad. Let us fold away our fears and put by our foolish tears, Just be glad that we have known and loved and here labored with Jack Kennedy whose soul has entered upon a new career in the regions of immortality. The tomb cannot enclose the fine virtues nor retain the influences of our departed friend. The unseen spirit will escape from the portals of the tomb to bless and enrich the lives of those who knew him and felt the tolerance and the kindness of his heart. His character was a tower of strength and his heart was the core of his greatness. To his lovely and lonely wife, may I express my sincere and heartfelt sympathy. I hope that the love and sympathy of his friends will soften the sorrow she is now suffering. May the Lord of Mercy bless and sustain her as she goes forth to face the world alone. ADDRESS BY Hon. Kenneth A. Roberts OF ALABAMA Mr. Speaker, on the night of January 19, 1961, Washington was visited by one of its heaviest snowstorms. Literally hundreds of cars were abandoned along the roads, streets, and boulevards in and around the Capital City. No one would have dared to predict that the next day would see bright sunshine and clear skies. Clear and bright came Inaugural Day. It seemed to symbolize the beginning of a new era in American Government. The new 43-year-old President, John F. Kennedy, did not disappoint the millions who witnessed the swearing in of a young vibrant new Chief Executive. His inaugural address was brief but full of challenge for the people of our times. He recognized the period of crisis which all mankind was facing. He recognized the problems of poverty at home and mass misery abroad. He painted in clear strokes the danger of total destruction. He asked that both sides "begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destruction unleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction." It was a speech that contained assurance for our friends and recognized the dangers from our enemies. He did not threaten our enemies nor did he give them any reason to believe that America was afraid. He welcomed the opportunity to serve his countrymen and the world. Especially did he, in a few words, call upon all Americans for their aid and support. These words will be repeated as long as America holds aloft the beacon light of freedom for all the world to see. Looking back to this day and the events which are now a part of history, I think all of us know what President Kennedy meant when he said: And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country. It was my privilege to be associated with this leader of men in an effort to do something about the twin problems of mental retardation and mental health. His great interest in this subject led to the enactment of a bill which will, I hope, become a landmark of legislative action in a totally new effort which will return millions of Americans to their homes as a result of new techniques, new drugs and adequate personnel in the long-neglected field of mental health. This legislation will bring hope to the hopeless and will enable millions of America's neglected children to have care and treatment for the first time in the history of this Nation. It would be difficult to select or choose the monument by which President Kennedy will be remembered but I believe that he would have chosen this effort as one of his contributions nearest his heart. I am grateful to have had a small part in this effort. The entire Nation shares in the bereavement of the entire Kennedy family and, particularly, his beloved wife, who, through a most trying time conducted herself in a manner reflecting one intimately associated with greatness. ADDRESS BY Hon. John H. Dent OF PENNSYLVANIA Mr. Speaker, at a time when one wishes to convey a most sincere expression of loss one becomes painfully aware of the inadequacy of words with which to give voice to true feelings. With millions of others around the world I grieve over the loss of our late President. Yet, this grief is tempered by the fact that our system is so organized as to prevent any gap in leadership. Therefore, my grief is occasioned even more by the loss of a great man, a kind man, a gracious man, a loving husband and father. For if our system provides for continuity of leadership, it cannot provide us with the characteristics and qualities which were uniquely those of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. I grieve because a dastardly act has deprived us, and untold future generations, of the many contributions which John Kennedy was destined to make for the benefit of all mankind. Most assuredly would those contributions have been made. For we know now how completely this sensitive man had committed himself to the ideal of the brotherhood of man. My heart is heavy with the realization that this courageous man should be the victim of so brutal and so cowardly an act. Those fanatical forces against which our late President stood so resolutely cannot claim other than a hollow and shameful and silent victory. Indeed, his death cannot and must not fail to have us band together to insure that his efforts shall not have been in vain. We must, by our reactions to the great loss we have suffered, give testimony to the fact that we are a people governed by the rule of law. While we permit and encourage diversity of opinion we can no longer by our inaction permit and encourage the growth of minds twisted by hate and bigotry and exploited by fanatical haters. Our task is clear. Let us be as resolute as was John Kennedy and let us heed the admonition of President Johnson to honor the late President's memory by acting now to remove from our national life all traces of hate and evil and violence. Finally, as we meet at this time of grief, let us make known that we shall not forget John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Let us make known that while future historians will judge him with a detached objectivity, we, here in this Chamber, judging on the basis of personal knowledge of our former colleague can and do attest to his greatness. ADDRESS BY Hon. John B. Anderson OF ILLINOIS Mr. Speaker, it is certainly with the utmost humility that I approach the task of offering a eulogy of our late President, John F. Kennedy. Literally millions of words have been written and spoken in both poetry and prose since the tragedy of his assassination. It is truly at a time like this that we remember the words of another President spoken almost a century ago: The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. And a little later in that same immortal address Lincoln said: It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. Now that some of the shock and horror has begun to subside we must nevertheless seek to take up the task of making America a better place in which to live and the world a more peaceful planet on which men may dwell without the constant dread of atomic annihilation. John F. Kennedy was taken from the American people and his high office by the bullets of an assassin, a self-confessed Marxist and Communist who was consumed with passion and hatred for a fellow human being. This is truly the tragedy of our age-that in a world which has enjoyed such unparalleled scientific and technological progress in recent decades-the ungovernable rages of men are still capable of causing acts of barbarism and violence of the most primitive nature. Can there be any doubt in anyone's mind that there are truly monumental tasks yet undone. |