Statement by the President: The Centennial of the American Civil War.

THIS COMING SUNDAY, we citizens of the United States begin observance of the 100th anniversary of the American Civil War. This observance affords us a special opportunity to pay tribute to those Americans whose heroism and sacrifice, a century ago, comprise a part of our national heritage.

America then was a nation divided; today she possesses a national and spiritual unity which has been nurtured and developed over the years, and sometimes defended at great price. This unity provides a base for all that we do as a people.

At the center of American greatness lies something far more than the breadth of our physical expanse with its rich endowment of natural resources. What makes America a leader among nations is a devotion to principle which endures any imaginable strain--a devotion which brings men and women to value something more than they value life itself. Out of that devotion comes an understanding of our national purpose and a deep determination to make that purpose endure.

No event in our history ever tested that devotion, that understanding and that determination more profoundly than did the American Civil War. The memory of that event is shadowed with its story of sacrifice, of loss, of dark tragedy long endured; yet somehow, today, it is the magnificent unity of spirit that came out of it--and the realization that every man is made for freedom and accountable for the freedom of his neighbor--that should be most clearly remembered.

Let us join in the forthcoming Centennial observances with pride. The tragedy is passed, but the way in which Americans of North and South met and eventually overcame that tragedy is a living memory forever.