the peoples of the world unite in identifying this act as despicable, as horrible, as heinous. We know good and we know bad. And we know people, or at least we know one person, ourselves.

And we know that we are good. We know that we are not murderers. We know that we are not evil.

We know that we are not murderers, except that we do hate and our Lord has called such hate "murder of the heart." We are not evil. We are not bad. Except with the Apostle Paul we must cry out "The good that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not, that I do."

When are we to learn that good is good? That there is right? And that bad is bad? That there are wrongs, and no matter how one rationalizes or excuses them from their lives, they remain wrong? And that we, the people, are both? When will we learn to distinguish between the sin and the sinner? When will we learn that the greatest tragedy that can befall a man is not death, but to be isolated from his fellows by hate? When will we learn that hate breeds hate even when of self, and leads only to destruction? When will we learn that people beginning with ourselves are both good and bad?

The death of our President must be attributed to a warped mind. Only such a one could have done such a thing. That the accused man is of the political far left may save the face of many. But political far left or political far right, both have evidenced a contempt and a hate that leaves one anxious of his Nation, fearful of his people. If we are involved in either of these extremes the hate that finds expression through them must be revealed. What causes these pockets of hate to be so difficult to confront is the political and religious cloak behind which they hide. That cloak has been ripped from the face of our land since early Friday afternoon. We Christians, citizens of this land, must lead the way. We must stop the mouth of the slanderer. We must halt the malicious and destructive hatred of men wherever we find it beginning with ourselves. This may mean that soon, perhaps today, you and I are going to confront a friend or a neighbor or perhaps a stranger with-"You are wrong. You have misjudged. You are involved in a deep hate." And more honestly we are going to be confronted by a friend, perhaps a neighbor, or only the voice of a stranger over the television saying-“We are wrong. We have misjudged. We are involved in a deep hate."

Some mornings we stride into this sanctuary ready to lift our voices in robust praise to Almighty God. The stronger and more vigorous the hymn the more it encourages the expression. To offer a prayer of confession fits neither the mood nor the theology. Another morning we confront the whole service with only the need to be cleansed, to be forgiven, to be loved once more. Both are needed, for we are children, children of the light and children of the dark.

WHEN WILL WE LEARN THAT CHRIST'S GOSPEL OF GOD'S LOVE IS FOR THE WHOLE WORLD?

The women was an adulteress. "Go and sin no more." The man was a tax collecter. "Come and follow me." The rich man was confused. "Sell, give and come." The holy man was unctuous. "Pray simply-Our Father-."

The brother was a prodigal. "Kill the fatted calf and come let us be merry."

The disciples were afraid. "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give unto you."

Who were those people to whom the good news was brought? Who were these people that responded? Who went and sinned no more? Who forsook all and followed after? Who sold and gave? Who learned to pray humbly? Who lost their fears and found only courage? They were people. People in and of the world who needed to know and to feel the love of someone for them. It is incomprehensible that God should love all. We cannot understand what this love is or means. What we can understand is that God loves us, loves me. And as significantly, loves you. It is this love that is for the whole world.

Love has an odd characteristic. It shrivels, dies into hate if it finds no expression, no sharing. The love of our God can never be dogmatized. Can never be ritualized. Can never be held in a stone building or a rigid denominational pattern. The love of God denies dogma, for someone not worthy of love is always loved. The love of God forsakes ritual for its forms are as varied as we are. The love of God escapes the tabernacle, even when built to his glory, for in its shadows outside its walls hover the "beloved of the Lord." And his love has no name except our own.

What dare we feel for Mrs. Kennedy and her children? Her life and her tragedy? Deep grief. And we weep with her. Her loss is ours and the world's. But more, we know God's love for her shall not fail. His love for us shall not fail. "Faith, hope, love abide, these three, but the greatest of this is love."

Paul writes to the Christians at Rome:

"Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. But how are men to call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear unless there is a proclaimer. And how can men proclaim unless they are sent."

How can the love of God for the world be made known unless there are those who believe? How can the love of God for the world be told except those who believe be sent. How is the love of God to be taken to the world unless and except we take it? Will we learn, we who are Christ's followers, that the love of God is for the whole world, but it must be taken to that world? The message needs messengers. The gospel needs tellers. The love needs vehicles. When we learn, then we shall indeed be Christ's men-God's ambassadors.

When will we learn that Christ's Gospel, the good news of God's love, is for the whole world? The President is dead. His soul we commend to the care and love of Almighty God.

To whom shall we commend the soul of this our Nation? In whom shall we find her life? It is in us, the people of this man and the people of God, that the answer must be found.

In a speech never given, the President quoted the second verse of the 127th Psalm.

"Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."

Mr. Speaker, the tragic assassination of President John F. Kennedy has brought unparalleled grief and sorrow to our Nation and, indeed, the world. Gone from our midst is an outstanding citizen and a leader who was the personification of the youth, vigor, and vitality of the country. which selected him as its President.

My hometown in Birmingham, Ala., joins the Nation and world in an expression of sorrow to the family of the late President Kennedy and a voice of hope and unity for tomorrow to President Lyndon Johnson.

Through a letter dated November 26, 1963, Mayor Albert Boutwell sent to the members of the Alabama delegation, first, statement of the mayor of the city of Birmingham, November 22, 1963; second, city of Birmingham proclamation dated November 23, 1963; third, statement of the mayor to the council, November 26, 1963; and fourth, resolution adopted by the Birmingham City Council on November 26, 1963.

I respectfully insert the above-named documents on behalf of the city of Birmingham. STATEMENT OF THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF Birmingham, NOVEMBER 22, 1963

I sincerely believe that almost every man, woman, and child in Birmingham, regardless of how deep their personal political feelings may run, are shocked and saddened as I am by this terrible tragedy.

I speak for the city government of Birmingham, for myself, as mayor, and for President M. E. Wiggins and his fellow council members, in expressing to the President's personal and official families the depth of the sorrow and sense of tragedy that we share with them and with the people of the United States. In the name of the city government and the people it represents, I have sent a telegram of condolence to the President's wife and children, to express to them our sympathy in this time of their personal loss and personal grief.

Whatever forces may lie behind this terrible event, whatever persons may have inspired the striking down of a President of the United States, we can have no other feeling than one of sorrow and deep regret.

For the President's wife and children and the members of their families our hearts go out. We pray to Almighty God that He will, in His infinite compassion, comfort and strengthen them. And for the Nation we pray that divine providence will watch over and guide us in the troubled hours that will be the inevitable consequence of this sad day.

CITY OF BIRMINGHAM PROCLAMATION

Whereas the President of the United States of America has made the supreme sacrifice to which the courageous conduct of his office exposed him, as it has other great Americans and other Presidents; and

Whereas his death, in the very prime of life, at the hands of a traitorous assassin, strikes a blow not only to our Nation but to the whole free world; and

Whereas this city, its government and all its people, out of a deep and unalterable respect for the great office of the Presidency of the Nation, and out of sincere and human sympathy for the President's wife and his children and the members of their respective families, bows with them in sorrow; and

Whereas John Fitzgerald Kennedy's death in line of duty has wiped out, for these hours of mourning and remembrance, all temporal differences or partisan feelings and united the whole free world in regretful sorrow:

Therefore, I, Albert Boutwell, as mayor of Birmingham and by the privilege vested in that office, do proclaim, with the concurrence of the president of the City Council of Birmingham and such members of the council as I have been able to consult, and do declare that the 30 days, beginning November 22, 1963, and ending at sundown December 21, 1963, shall be for the city of Birmingham a period of mourning and respect, during which the flags of the United States flown upon public buildings and other official flagstaffs of the city shall be flown at half-mast; and, that the city hall of Birmingham, and all other of its buildings, not essential to the services of public protection, shall be closed Monday, November 25, 1963, in observance of a day of prayer for the comfort of the President's family, and the blessing and guidance of Almighty God for the newly succeeding President in his administration of the affairs of our Nation;

I hereby request the effects of this proclamation to be observed by all the boards and agencies of the city, not essential to the maintaining of necessary services to the people of this city;

I further order that a copy of this proclamation be engrossed by the city clerk of the city of Birmingham, affixing upon it the great seal of the city of Birmingham and that the same shall be forwarded to Mrs. John F. Kennedy so that the bereaved family may know the sympathy and sorrow of our city in their hour of personal grief;

And, finally, I order that copies, similarly engrossed and sealed, shall be posted, together with appropriate floral wreaths upon the principal doors of the city hall of Birmingham, and there remain until sundown, November 25, 1963.

Given under my hand at Birmingham, Ala., this 23d day of November 1963.

STATEMENT OF THE MAYOR TO THE COUNCIL,
NOVEMBER 26, 1963

Mr. President and members of the council, I wish at this time to offer for your consideration a proposed joint resolution of the mayor and the council of the city of Birmingham.

There is no need to recall to anyone the tragic event of last Friday. Actions taken by your city government to express our deep and lasting sorrow and to condemn the senseless and inexpressably evil act of violence that took the life of President John F. Kennedy have already been conveyed to the last President's wife and widow and to the Nation.

The time of mourning that loss to ourselves and the Nation is not ended. Indeed, it will cast its shadow over a long time to come. But, mourning, as we still are, the undeniable reality of this hour is that a nation, reunited by tragedy, must now proceed upon its destiny under the leadership of the man the Nation chose, along with the martyred President, as its Vice President.

I, therefore, as mayor, offer the following resolution to the council for its concurrence, so that it may be presented to President Lyndon B. Johnson as a unanimous expression of our support and confidence as he proceeds in the tasks which destiny has thrust upon him.

"Whereas on November 22, 1963, the cowardly act of an assassin fatally struck down John F. Kennedy, President of the United States of America; and

"Whereas on that same day, by virtue of his earlier election by the people as Vice President of the United States, and by the provisions of the Constitution, Lyndon Baines Johnson, after illustrious service in both Houses of the Congress and in the Vice Presidency, has now assumed the highest office and honor of Chief Executive of the Nation, and leader of the free world; and

"Whereas in the performance of that office, he has earnestly and humbly evoked the support of this Nation, and the blessing and guidance of Almighty God for its successful accomplishment: Therefore be it

"Resolved by the government of the city of Birmingham, on behalf of all its citizens of all races and creeds, That we do hereby declare our unstinting support in all that he may seek to do to accomplish what is good for this Nation, and to lead it in the paths of peace and prosperity; and be it further

"Resolved, That we convey to the President of the United States our confidence in his leadership, and in the high ideals and principles that have characterized his public actions in the past, and predict his future direction; and, finally, be it

"Resolved, That we, as a government and a people, do join our prayers with his and with the Nation and with the prayers of free peoples everywhere, that Divine Providence may counsel him in wisdom, imbue him with unfaltering strength of mind and courage, and bless him with continuous good health against all the trials that lie before him, before us as a Nation. And finally do we pray that the God of peace and good will among men, will bless this Nation, under its new leadership, with lasting peace among the nations of the earth, and the material blessings of plenty to us and all mankind."

STATE OF ALABAMA, Jefferson County:

I, Judson P. Hodges, city clerk of the city of Birmingham, do hereby certify that the above and foregoing is a true and correct copy of a resolution duly adopted by the Council of the City of Birmingham at its meeting held November 26, 1963, and as same appears of record in minute book C-1 of said city.

Given under my hand and corporate seal of the city of Birmingham, this the 26th day of November 1963. Albert Boutwell, Mayor; John E. Bryan, Councilman; Alan T. Drennen, Jr., Councilman; John Golden, Councilman; Don A. Hawkins, Councilman; Judson P. Hodges, City Clerk; M. E. Wiggins, President of the Council; Nina Miglionico, Councilman; Dr. Eleazer C. Overton, Councilman; George G. Seibels, Jr., Councilman; Tom W. Woods, Councilman.

TRIBUTE BY

Hon. Ben F. Jensen

OF IOWA

Mr. Speaker, tributes to our late President have taken many sensitive and touching forms. We are, after all, a mature nation, and the loss of a Chief Executive strikes deeply at our national consciousness.

Those who composed some expression of their grief have contributed much to the heartbeat of America, this blessed land.

One such contributor to the dramatic narratives that welled up throughout America when our citizens learned of John F. Kennedy's death was the Honorable Folsom Everest, of Council Bluffs, a judge of the 15th Iowa judicial circuit, and a friend of mine for more than a quarter of a century.

To my colleagues I commend this stirring eulogy to our late martyred President, and cite also Judge Everest's equally moving tribute to the genius of our form of government.

There will be fewer faint hearts about the future of this noble country if good people will strive to relearn and be fortified by the towering majesty of our Constitution as so earnestly illustrated by Judge Everest. The eulogy follows:

A TRIBUTE TO OUR LATE PRESIDENT, JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY

There are times when language is a totally inadequate method of expression. This is such an occasion. All over our country in places such as this men are trying to describe the gallant and admirable qualities of our murdered, martyred President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Few will succeed, and they, only because of a more intimate knowledge of him than can be gleaned from the columns of the press. This, coupled with true capacity to paint a word picture, may lead one or two toward the goal but for me to venture far in that area is to pretend to a knowledge I do not have and an eloquence I do not possess.

A few outstanding things all of us know. We understand that he possessed great physical courage. This he demonstrated through combat service in time of war and in facing up to excruciating pain and suffering since the war. These are qualities shared with many others. That he had a brilliant intellect is apparent from the manner in which he absorbed and digested facts about new and strange situations. Amazing qualities of leadership were essential to his success not only in his chosen field of politics but in his earlier Navy career. For a stranger to

go further than to point out these obvious characteristics would be presumptuous indeed.

The shocking but dramatic manner of his passing has been sufficiently depicted by radio, television, and press. The utter futility of the act committed can hardly be overemphasized. The motivation of the accused assassin may be suspected but never really known, for he in turn has been gunned down by a foolish man who could not wait for the orderly processes of the law to exact payment for so foul a crime. Oswald never admitted committing the assassination much less the reasons why he did it but if it be assumed that he sought to modify in some degree or fashion the attitude of our country toward Castro's Cuba the only result has been a worsening rather than a lessening of the severity of our attitude in that respect. If he sought to create confusion in Government by murdering the Chief of State then he failed of the objective for the act served to unite rather than disrupt the people responsible for our policy. We have already seen the almost instant transference of authority to President Johnson who took the oath of office within less than 2 hours of the shooting of President Kennedy. We have witnessed the wisdom with which he sought and has obtained the allegiance and support of the leaders of both parties in the Senate and House and you may be sure that during the opening weeks of his Presidency he will be free from partisan criticism while feeling out the strength and weakness of the opposing leadership in the cold war. If it be assumed that the killer sought modification of attitude on the civil rights program of legislation the issues there are too well drawn for Presidential attitudes to change them in any important respect. The Legislature and the courts will make the decision which the Executive can do little more than implement.

Perhaps it is not amiss for a moment to dwell briefly on the strength of the form of government devised for us by the Founding Fathers and implemented through the Constitution which they wrote and persuaded the States to adopt. It was not perfect. Being drawn by mortals it partook of their mortality. Like all legislation it was the product of compromise but as it went before the people it expressed the fundamentals of separation of church and state; separation of powers of the executive, the legislature, and the judiciary; delegation of powers by the States to the Federal Government and government of the people, by the people, and for the people. It required almost immediate amendment through the adoption of the Bill of Rights which assured protection of the individual against the arbitrary exercise of power. Through the years it has not only been amended but interpreted and as a written document it is properly the subject of interpretation. Seldom has this been done without arousing passionate protest on the part of some and this was true in early days as well as modern times but the essential elements remain. Other nations have similar documents but ours alone has stood the test of time and stress. It accommodates itself to crises such as the assassination of Presidents or their sudden demise. In all the times this has happened there has never been the suggestion of other than an orderly transference of power. The ugly head of dictatorship has never reared itself nor has the military sought to interfere with civilian authority. These have been

common corollaries in other lands and other places. In all probability we shall never know the true motives of the assassin but the result is a senseless killing, a depraved expression of hatred-incapable of rationalization. We deplore the deed and the reflection it casts on our vaunted civilization. Those of us who have been exposed to the intensities and passions of the battlefield recognize that the veneer of civilization is thin and rubs off under such pressures but this act has no such excuse. We are tempted to regard such a killer as insane but the stupid act of another killer makes such a determination impossible and leaves only the field of speculation. The answer we may never know.

The words of John Masefield, poet laureate of England, appeared in the press this morning:

"All generous hearts lament the leader killed,
The young chief with the smiling, radiant face,
The winning way that turned a wondrous race
Into sublimer pathways, leading on.
Grant to us life that though this man be gone
The promise of his spirit be fulfilled."

TRIBUTE BY

Hon. Charles S. Joelson

OF NEW JERSEY

Mr. Speaker, the enclosed article from the Paterson Evening News of December 6, 1963, was sent to me by my distinguished predecessor, the Honorable Gordon Canfield.

It well describes the reaction of Peace Corps volunters in Peru, as well as of the Peruvian people at the tragic death of President John F. Kennedy.

Mary Ellen Patterson, who is referred to in the article, is presently with the Peace Corps in Peru. She is the daughter of Mrs. Dorothy Patterson, who was formerly an aid to Congressman Gordon Canfield on Capitol Hill. Idealistic and deeply patriotic Peace Corps volunteers such as Mary Ellen Patterson make those of us who supported the Peace Corps most grateful.

The article follows:

PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER REPORTS PERUVIAN SHOCK AT KENNEDY'S DEATH

Weeping Peace Corps volunteers in Latin America were comforted by men and women in the villages they serve when word of President Kennedy's assassination reached their lonely outposts.

One such volunteer, Mary Ellen Patterson of 181 East 33d Street, in a letter home has told of the dark day and

the spirit of kindness with which their Latin American friends reached out to them in their sorrow.

Miss Patterson lives in Urubamba (Quechua translation is Valley of Snakes), a tiny community 2 hours by jeep along a windy, steep-cliffed road in the Department of Cuzco, Peru.

She wrote: "The news hit hard here in South America. We did not find out until 5:30 p.m. and at first we thought the man was joking. Then another and another told us. Still unbelieving we went to the Normal School to see if Annie Achetelli, another PCV (Peace Corps volunteer) had heard anything. Upon arrival we found everyone huddled around a shortwave radio. We knew then it was no joke.

"SHED TEARS

"We joined Annie and the Peruvians, mourning with and for us. The school flag was lowered to half mast. We stayed and listened to the Voice of American and everything we could find. Our Peruvian friends were wonderful. They brought dinner to us and almost all were in tears.

"We were to have dinner that night with two PCV's in Yucan, and we started off very late. While we were walking, a truck stopped and asked if we wanted a lift to Urubamba. We told the driver we were going to Yucan and he said 'no importa,' turned his truck around and took us right to the door. If only all the world could always perform as our Peruvian friends did that day what a wonderful place it could be.

"My Peace Corps home for 2 years, Cuzco, was the capital of the Inca Empire, embracing in its most flourishing days territory which today constitutes all of Peru and the major part of Bolivia, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Colombia. It was in other words, the Rome of South America.

"Peace Corps volunteers cannot speak for such a large area nor do we consider ourselves experts in foreign aid, but as one lives in the hearts, homes, and towns of the recipients one gathers bits of knowledge.

"LIKE FREE AID

"The people without question like the free food for peace and the tractors. They like the new roads and the free schools built for their children. But Indians sometimes look at us with disdain and question, 'Why do you send your soldiers here to train our soldiers in the art of killing campesinos?' (Campesinos in general are Indians.) "Yes, they like our profusion when it is in their favor. "Today, many are worried it will stop.

"What isn't free means work, or do without. "Some are grateful to the United States. Others are not. These see through the eyes of envy and not of friendship.

"Kennedy's death has brought fears and questions to