Introduction, by president truman. Some people see the president seated in the back, taking it easy, and waiting for the speech to begin. Mister president , ladies and gentlemen of the convention, my fellow citizens. I accept your nomination and your program. I should have preferred to hear those words uttered by a stronger, wiser, a better man than myself. But after this president speech, i even feel better about myself. None of you, my friends, can really appreciate what is in my heart. I can only hope that you understand my words. They will be few. I have not sought, the honor you have done me. I could not seek it, because i aspire to another office, he which was the full measure of my ambitions. And one does not treat the highest office within the gift of the people of illinois as an alternative, or as a consolation prize. I would not seek your nomination for the presidency because theyre britains of the office have staggered imagination. Its potential for good or evil, now and in the years of our lives, smothers exultation and converts vanity into prayer. I have asked the principal father, the father of us all, to let this cup pass to me. But from such dreaded responsibility, or one does not drink in self interest, or in false humility. So, if this cup may not pass for me, i except i drink it, i will be done. That my heart has been troubled, but i have not sought this nomination, but i could not seek it in good conscience, but i would not seek it in honest self appraisal, is not to say that i value with the less. Rather it is that i revere the office of the of the presidency of the united states. And now my friends that you have made your decision, i will fight to win that office with all my heart and my soul. And with your help, i have no doubt that we will win. You have summoned me to the highest mission within the gift of any people. I could not be more proud, sentiment and i were on hand for this mighty task, and i owe to you, and to them, every resource of my district that i possess to make your deep today a good one for our country, and for our party. Eggy i am confident, as well, that your selection for a candidate for Vice President will strengthen the party in measurably, in the heart of the work that lies ahead of us. I know you join me in gratitude and respect for the great democrats, and the leaders of our generation whose names we have considered here, in this convention, whose vigor and character, and devotion to the republic we love so well, have wonder respect of countless americans and have enriched our party. I shall need them, we shall need them, because i have not changed in any respect since yesterday. Your nomination, awesome as i find, it has not enlarged my capacities. So i am profoundly grateful, and by their comradeship, and i am deeply moved by their expressions of goodwill and support. And i cannot, my friends, resist the urge to take the one opportunity that has been awarded me to pay my humble respects to a very great, and good american, whom i am proud to call my kinsmen, barkley, of kentucky. Let me say to that i have been heartened by the conduct of this convention. You have argued, and disagreed, because as democrats you care and you care deeply. But you have disagreed and argued without calling each other liars and thieves, without destroying our best provisions. You have not spoiled them in any naked struggles for power. And you have written a platform, that neither equivocate,s contradicts, nor evades, you have restated our partys records, its principles and purposes, and language that none can mistake. And with a Firm Confidence and justice, freedom, and peace on earth, that will raise to hearts in the hopes of mankind for that distant day, when no one rebel to saber, and no one drags the chain. For all these things i am grateful to you. But i feel, no exultation, no sense of triumph. Our troubles are all ahead of us. Some will call us abusers, others will say that we are the war party, some will say we are reactionarys, others will say that we stand for socialism. There will be inevitably cries against us, it is time for a change, and so, on and so on. We will hear all of those things, and many more besides, but we will hear nothing that we have not heard before. I am not too much concerned with partisan denunciation, with epithets, and abuse, because the working man, the farmer, the thoughtful businessman, all know that they are better off than ever before, and they all know that the greatest things are the Free Enterprise in this country, which died when the great depression, under the hammer blows of the Democratic Party. Eight and normally afraid that theyre precious two party system is in danger. Certainly, the Republican Party looked brutally alive a couple of weeks ago. And i need both republican parties. [laughs] nor am i afraid that the Democratic Party is old and fat and indolent. After 150 years, it has been old for a long time. And it will never be indolent, as long as it looks forward, and not back. As long as it commands the allegiance of the young in the hopeful, who dreamed the dreams and see the visions of a better america, and a better world. You will hear many sincere, and thoughtful people, expressed concern about the continuation of one party in power for 20 years. I dont belittle this attitude. But change for the sake of change has no absolute merit in itself. If our greatest , it is the part of wisdom to change for the sake of change, to a party with a split personality. To a leader whom we all respect, but who has been called upon to minister to our hopeless case, of political schizophrenia. If the fear is corruption in official position, do you believe, with hughes, they yelled his personal and knows no party, do you doubt the power of any political leader if he has a will to do so, sit his own house in order without his neighbors having to burn it down . What does concern me, in common thinking partisans, are both parties. Its not just winning this election, but how it is one. How well we can take advantage of this great opportunity to debate issues, sensibly, and so really. I have open praise that we democrats, win or lose can campaign not in a crusade to exterminate the opposing party, as our opponents seem to prefer, but as a great opportunity to educate and elevate eight people whose destiny is leadership, power along for the rich and prosperous in the past, now they have a world ahead. And my friends, even more important, then winning the election is governor the nation. That is a test but a political party, the final test, when the tumult and the shouting die, when the bands are going, and the lights are dame, there is a stark reality of responsibility. In our history, the gaunt spectators of strike, and materialism at home, and ruthless inscrutable and hostile power abroad. The ordeal of the 20th century, the bloodiest most turbulent era of the whole christian age is far from over. Sacrifice, patience, understanding, and in pickable purpose for a lot of years to come. Lets face it, lets talk to the american people, lets tell him the truth, that there are no gains without pain. That we are now on the eve of great decisions. Its not easy decisions, like resistance when you are attacked, but along patient costly struggle, with the gray triumphal against the enemy of men. Poor, tyranny, and the assault upon Human Dignity which are the most grievous consequences of each. Lets tell them that what weve won in the 20th century, important to the golden age, mocks the pretentious of individual human and ingenuity. For it is guarded by thick wolves and ignorance, in distress, which do not fall before the trumpets blast, or the politicians implications, or even the generals but on. They are, my friends, wolf that see the stars by the host of courage, and, morality and vision. Standing shoulder to shoulder on afraid of ugly truth, contemptuous of lies, half truths, circuses, and demagoguery. The people are wise, wiser than the republicans think. And the Democratic Party is deep peoples party, not the labour party, not the farmers party, not the employers party, it is the party of no one, because it is the party of everyone. That, i think its our ancient mission. Where we have deserted, we have failed. With your help there will be no desertion now, better we lose the election, then mislead the people, and better we lose then miss covering the people on. Help me to do the job in this order, with conflict in the campaign, help me do the jobs for the years of crisis, which come be on the horizon of tonights division. And we will justify our glory, and the silent millions who look to us, for a campaign, for unexpected. Plus, we will serve our great today shuns greatly. I ask of you, all you have, i will give you are right now, even as he who came here tonight and honored me, as he has honored you, the Democratic Party, by a lifetime of service and bravery, that imperishable page in the history of the republic, and of the Democratic Party, president truman. And finally, my friends in the staggering task that you have assigned me, i shall always try to do justly, to love mercy, and a more complete with my god