Remarks at Ceremony Marking the Issuance of the First Stamp Bearing the Motto "In God We Trust."

General Summer field and distinguished guests:

The size and greatness, the influence of America have come to be an accepted fact in the modern world.

In trying to describe these characteristics and qualities of our country, we are often tempted to do it in terms of the height of our buildings, the extent of our roadways, the speed of our automobiles, the wonderful gadgets that we use in our houses.

But America was great, America was a symbol of hope to many millions of people long before these modern appliances were even discovered by the genius of man.

Throughout its history, America's greatness has been based upon a spiritual quality, which seems to me is best symbolized by the stamp that will be issued today, and in honor of which issuance we are here gathered.

The Flame of Liberty symbolizes the determination of America always to remain free, to remain a haven of the oppressed and a ready acknowledgement that all men in the attainment of human aspirations and worthy aspirations are dependent upon an Almighty.

It seems to me in these two concepts we have a true description of the greatness of America.

The reason that I was particularly honored to come here today, aside from the opportunity of meeting with friends, was to be a part of the ceremony which now gives to every single citizen of the United States, as I see it, the chance to send a message to another. Regardless of any eloquence of the words that may be inside the letter, on the outside he places a message: "Here is the land of liberty and the land that lives in respect for the Almighty's mercy to us." And to him that receives that message, the sender can feel that he has done something definite and constructive for that individual.

I think that each of us, hereafter, fastening such a stamp on a letter, cannot fail to feel something of the inspiration that we do whenever we look at the Statue of Liberty, or read "In God We Trust."