第11部分(第1/6 页)

his　country　any　self　respecting　agreement　between　majority　and　minority　for　a　concerted　effort　toward　the　national　welfare。　Such　a　plan　for　us　would　be　but　the　shadow　not　the　substance　of　unity。　Our　American　unity　cannot　be　made　with　words；　or　with　gestures。　It　must　be　forged　between　the　ideas　of　the　Opposition　and　the　practices　and　the　policies　of　the　Administration。　Ours　is　a　government　of　the　principles；　and　not　one　merely　of　men。　Any　member　of　the　minority　party　though　willing　to　die　for　his　country　still　retains　the　right　to　criticize　the　policies　of　the　government。　This　right　is　embedded　in　our　constitutional　system。　We　who　stand　ready　to　serve　our　country　behind　our　mander�in�Chief；　nevertheless　retain　the　right；　and　I　will　say　the　duty；　to　debate　the　course　of　our　government。　Ours　is　a　two�party　system；　should　we　ever　permit　one　party　to　dominate　our　lives　entirely　democracy　would　collapse　and　we　would　have　dictatorship。　To　you；　who　have　so　sincerely　given　yourselves　to　this　cause；　which　you　chose　me　to　lead；　I　say　your　function　during　the　next　four　years　is　that　of　the　loyal　opposition。　You　believe　deeply　in　the　principles　that　we　stood　for　in　the　recent　election；　and　principles　are　not　like　a　football　suit　to　be　put　on　in　order　to　play　a　game；　and　then　taken　off　when　the　game　is　over。　It　is　your　constitutional　duty　to　debate　the　policies　of　this；　or　any　other　administration；　and　to　express　yourselves　freely　and　openly　to　those　who　represent　you　in　your　state　and　national　government。　Now　let　me　however；　raise　a　single　warning；　ours　is　a　very　powerful　opposition。　On　November　5；　we　were　a　minority　by　only　a　few　million　votes；　but　let　us　not　therefore　fall　into　the　partisan　error　of　opposing　things　just　for　the　sake　of　opposition。　Ours　must　not　be　an　oppositio