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    "label": "Lincoln Day Dinner, Goldsboro, NC, February 3, 1968",
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    "id": "4526084",
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    "contentType": "document",
    "title": "Lincoln Day Dinner, Goldsboro, NC, February 3, 1968",
    "citationUrl": "https://catalog.archives.gov/id/4526084",
    "collections": [
        "Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers",
        "Speeches"
    ],
    "subjects": [
        "Pueblo Incident, 1968"
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    "seq": 1,
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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box D23, folder \"Lincoln Day Dinner, Goldsboro,\nNC, February 3, 1968\" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File\nat the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nDistribution mail, evening 2/2/68\nmaffice Copy\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\n--For Release at 6:30 p.m. Friday--\nFebruary 3, 1968\nExcerpts from a Lincoln Day Dinner Speech at Goldsboro, North Carolina.\n\"We live in the midst of alarms; anxiety beclouds the future; we expect\nsome new disaster with each newspaper we read. Are we in a healthful political\nstate? Are not the tendencies plain? Do not the signs of the times point plainly\nthe way in which we are going?\"\nWe are living today in a time when crisis follows upon crisis and solutions\nelude the Administration in power. The graphic lines I have just quoted might\nwell have been uttered today or yesterday, and the speaker might have been a\nmember of the Congress of either party.\nThe words are those of Abraham Lincoln, delivered at Bloomington, Indiana,\non May 29, 1853.\nYet they are chillingly appropriate to the present national and inter-\nnational scenes.\nRecently President Johnson gave the Congress and the Nation his appraisal\nof our national and international problems and accomplishments and outlined a\ncourse for the future.\nI know of no American who felt stirred by his words. There was no note\nof challenge, no clear call to Americans to \"rise up against a sea of troubles\"\nand vanquish them, no demand that Americans embrace a federal regimen of\nfinancial austerity to halt the steady deterioration in the value of the dollar\nand the dangerously heightened outflow of our gold supply.\nYet we are living \"in the midst of alarms\" and nearly every day a new\ncrisis confronts us.\nNorth Korea, a fifth-rate power, seizes a U.S. naval vessel and leads it\ninto the port of Wonsan by the nose. Communist terrorists fight us in the\nstreets of Saigon and hold the U.S. Embassy for six hours,\nWhere are the answers? Where is the leadership that will make us proud\nof America again?\nAfter a lengthy silence during which the credibility of the United States\nwas much in doubt, the President reported to the American people concerning\nNorth Korea's seizure of the U.S. Navy ship, the Pueblo.\nHe spoke briefly. We were employing diplomacy by making contingency\nQUERLO FORD LIBRARY\n(more)\nDigitized from Box D23 of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\n-2-\nmilitary preparations. Air reservists were being called up. Many questions were\nleft unanswered.\nWhy did we not rush jet fighters to the aid of the Pueblo? Why did the\ncaptain not immobilize his ship or scuttle her rather than to let an intelligence\nvessel with all manner of sophisticated electronic equipment on board fall into\nCommunist hands? Why did the crew not resist, even though they were outgunned?\nWhy was the Pueblo not more heavily armed? Why was it not accompanied by an\narmed escort?\nIn my view, North Korean seizure of the Pueblo should never have been allowed\nto happen.\nThere must be a full-scale investigation of the Johnson Administration's\nhandling of our spy ship activities and the Pueblo incident itself if the\nAmerican people are to have even a shred of confidence in the present\nAdministration's conduct of our international affairs.\nThe United States obviously was unprepared for an incident like the seizure\nof the Pueblo. The American people are entitled to know why. If our fighting\nforces are inadequate in Korea because 500,000 American military personnel are\npinned down in Vietnam, then the Administration must act to correct the situation.\nWe cannot permit ourselves to be humiliated in the eyes of the world by a\nfifth-rate power.\nCongress should move quickly to review, update, and strengthen our entire\npolicy in Southeast Asia.\nAmericans have always rallied behind their President in time of crisis,\nregardless of party. We are doing so now. But, in the words of President\nTheodore Roosevelt, it is \"not only unpatriotic and servile but it is morally\ntreasonable to the American public to announce that there must be no criticism\nof the President.\" He continued: \"Nothing but the truth should be spoken about\nhim or anyone else but it is even more important to tell the truth -- pleasant\nor unpleasant -- about him than about anyone else.\"\nI would add: It is also critically important that the President tell the\nAmerican people the truth. This he has not done -- else he could not create the\nillusion that success is near in Vietnam or talk of the \"prosperity\" of the\nSixties without noting that it feeds on war and inflation. This is false\noptimism and phony prosperity.\nAbraham Lincoln had great faith in the American people and in their ability\nto recognize the truth. I share that faith. It was in his last public address\non April 11, 1865, that Lincoln, a great Republican president, said: \"It is true\nthat you may fool all the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the\npeople all the time; but you can't fool all of the people all the time.\" Let\nthe present Administration take heed.\n# # #\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\n--For Release at 6:30 p.m. Friday--\nFebruary 3, 1968\nExcerpts from a Lincoln Day Dinner Speech at Goldsboro, North Carolina.\n\"We live in the midst of alarms; anxiety beclouds the future; we expect\nsome new disaster with each newspaper we read. Are we in a healthful political\nstate? Are not the tendencies plain? Do not the signs of the times point plainly\nthe way in which we are going?\"\nWe are living today in a time when crisis follows upon crisis and solutions\nelude the Administration in power. The graphic lines I have just quoted might\nwell have been uttered today or yesterday, and the speaker might have been a\nmember of the Congress of either party.\nThe words are those of Abraham Lincoln, delivered at Bloomington, Indiana,\non May 29, 1869.\nYet they are chillingly appropriate to the present national and inter-\nnational scenes.\nRecently President Johnson gave the Congress and the Nation his appraisal\nof our national and international problems and accomplishments and outlined a\ncourse for the future.\nI know of no American who felt stirred by his words. There was no note\nof challenge, no clear call to Americans to \"rise up against a sea of troubles\"\nand vanquish them, no demand that Americans embrace a federal regimen of\nfinancial austerity to halt/the steady deterioration in the value of the dollar\nand the dangerously heightened outflow of our gold supply.\nYet we are living \"in the midst of alarms\" and nearly every day a new\ncrisis confronts us.\nNorth Korea, a fifth-rate power, seizes a U.S. naval vessel and leads it\ninto the port of Wonsan by the nose Communist terrorists fight us in the\nstreets of Saigon and hold the U.S. Embassy for six hours,\nWhere are the answers? Where is the leadership that will make us proud\nof America again?\nAfter a lengthy silence during which the credibility of the United States\nwas much in doubt, the President reported to the American people concerning\nNorth Korea's seizure of the U.S. Navy ship, the Pueblo.\nHe spoke briefly. We were employing diplomacy by making contingency\nBERALD FORD LIBRARY\n(more)\n-2-\nmilitary preparations. Air reservists were being called up. Many questions were\nleft unanswered.\nWhy did we not rush jet fighters to the aid of the Pueblo? Why did the\ncaptain not immobilize his ship or scuttle her rather than to let an intelligence\nvessel with all manner of sophisticated electronic equipment on board fall into\nCommunist hands? Why did the crew not resist, even though they were outgunned?\nWhy was the Pueblo not more heavily armed? Why was it not accompanied by an\narmed escort?\nIn my view, North Korean seizure of the Pueblo should never have been allowed\nto happen.\nThere must be a full-scale investigation of the Johnson Administration's\nhandling of our spy ship activities and the Pueblo incident itself if the\nAmerican people are to have even a shred of confidence in the present\nAdministration's conduct of our international affairs.\nThe United States obviously was unprepared for an incident like the seizure\nof the Pueblo. The American people are entitled to know why. If our fighting\nforces are inadequate in Korea because 500,000 American military personnel are\npinned down in Vietnam, then the Administration must act to correct the situation.\nWe cannot permit ourselves to be humiliated in the eyes of the world by a\nfifth-rate power.\nCongress should move quickly to review, update, and strengthen our entire\npolicy in Southeast Asia.\nAmericans have always rallied behind their President in time of crisis,\nregardless of party. We are doing so now. But, in the words of President\nTheodore Roosevelt, it is \"not only unpatriotic and servile but it is morally\ntreasonable to the American public to announce that there must be no criticism\nof the President.\" He continued: \"Nothing but the truth should be spoken about\nhim or anyone else but it is even more important to tell the truth -- pleasant\nor unpleasant -- about him than about anyone else.\"\nI would add: It is also critically important that the President tell the\nAmerican people the truth. This he has not done -- else he could not create the\nillusion that success is near in Vietnam or talk of the \"prosperity\" of the\nSixties without noting that it feeds on war and inflation. This is false\noptimism and phony prosperity.\nAbraham Lincoln had great faith in the American people and in their ability\nto recognize the truth. I share that faith. It was in his last public address\non April 11, 1865, that Lincoln, a great Republican president, said: \"It is true\nthat you may fool all the people some of the time; you can even fool some of the\npeople all the time; but you can't fool all of the people all the time.\" Let\nthe present Administration take heed.\n###\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\n--For Release at 6:30 p.m. Friday--\nExcerpts from a Lincoln Day Dinner Speech at Goldsboro, North Carolina.\n\"We live in the midst of alarms; anxiety beclouds the future; we expect some\nnew disaster with each newspaper we read. Are we in a healthful political state? Are\nnot the tendencies plain? Do not the signs of the times point plainly the way in which\nwe are going?\"\nWe are living today in a time when crisis follows upon crisis and solutions\nelude the Administration in power. The graphic lines I have just quoted might well have\nbeen uttered today or yesterday, and the speaker might have been a member of the Congress\nof either party.\nThe words are those of Abraham Lincoln, delivered at Bloomington, Indiana, on\nMay 29, 1865.\nYet they are chillingly appropriate to the present national and international\nscenes.\nRecently President Johnson gave the Congress and the Nation his appraisal of\nour national and international problems and accomplishments and outlined a course for\nthe future.\nI know of no American who felt stirred by his words. There was no note of\nchallenge, no clear call to Americans to \"rise up against a sea of troubles\" and vanquish\nthem, no demand that Americans embrace a federal regimen of financial austerity to halt\nthe steady deterioration in the value of the dollar and the dangerously heightened out-\nflow of our gold supply.\nYet we are living \"in the midst of alarms\" and nearly every day a new crisis\nconfronts us.\nNorth Korea, a fifth-rate power, seizes a U.S. naval vessel and leads it into\nthe port of Wonsan by the nose. Communist terrorists fight us in the streets of Saigon\nand hold the U.S. Embassy for six hours.\nWhere are the answers? Where is the leadership that will make us proud of\nAmerica again?\nAfter a lengthy silence during which the credibility of the United States was\nmuch in doubt, the President reported to the American people concerning North Korea's\nseizure of the U. S. Navy ship, the Pueblo.\nHe spoke briefly. We were employing diplomacy but making contingency military\nFORD\npreparations. Air reservists were being called up. Many questions were left unanswered. BERART\nERAL\nMore\n- 2 -\nWhy did we not rush jet fighters to the aid of the Pueblo? Why did the captain\nnot immobilize his ship or scuttle her rather than to let an intelligence vessel with all\nmanner of sophisticated electronic equipment on board fall into Communist hands? Why did\nthe crew not resist, even though they were outgunned? Why was the Pueblo not more\nheavily armed? Why was it not accompanied by an armed escort?\nIn my view, North Korean seizure of the Pueblo should never have been allowed to\nhappen.\nThere must be a full-scale investigation of the Johnson Administration's handling\nof our spy ship activities and the Pueblo incident itself if the American people are to\nhave even a shred of confidence in the present Administration's conduct of our international\naffairs.\nThe United States obviously was unprepared for an incident like the seizure of\nthe Pueblo. The American people are entitled to know why. If our fighting forces are\ninadequate in Korea because 500,000 American military personnel are pinned down in Vietnam,\nthen the Administration must act to correct the situation.\nWe cannot permit ourselves to be humiliated in the eyes of the world by a fifth-\nrate power.\nCongress should move quickly to review, update, and strengthen our entire policy\nin Southeast Asia.\nAmericans have always rallied behind their President in time of crisis, regard-\nless of party. We are doing so now. But, in the words of President Theodore Roosevelt,\nit is \"not only unpatriotic and servile but it is morally treasonable to the American\npublic to announce that there must be no criticism of the President.\" He continued:\n\"Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or anyone else but it is even more\nimportant to tell the truth -- pleasant or unpleasant - about him than about anyone else.\"\nI would add: It is also critically important that the President tell the\nAmerican people the truth. This he has not done else he could not create the illusion\nthat success is near in Vietnam or talk of the \"prosperity\" of the Sixties without noting\nthat it feeds on war and inflation. This is false optimism and phony prosperity.\nAbraham Lincoln had great faith in the American people and in their ability to\nrecognize the truth. I share that faith. It was in his last public address on April 11,\n1865, that Lincoln, a great Republican president, said: \"It is true that you may fool all\nthe people some of the time; you can even fool some of the people all the time; but you\ncan't fool all of the people all the time.\" Let the present Administration take heed.\n#####\nRAAD LEORD"
}