in preparing f today, i turned to the words of oliver wendell holmes. reflecting on his of a work spirit, he said, "to fight out a war, you must believe in something and want something with all your might, so much you do to carry anything else to a end is worth reaching." he went on, "more than that, you must be willing to commit yourself to a course, perhaps a long and hard one, without being able to foresee exactly where you will com out." amera does not fight for the sake of fighting. we abhor war. as one who is never experienced the field of battle, and i say that with humility, knowing the soldier above all others praise for peace, we fht because we must. we fight to keep our families and communities safe. we fight for the security of our allies and partners. america believes that we will be safer when our friends are safer. we will be stronger when the world is more just. cadets, a long and hard road awaits you. you go abroad because your services fundamental to our security back home. you go abroad as representatives of the values that this count

the other was oliver wendell holmes. [applause] his predecessor's aura louis brandeis and william o. douglas -- were louis brandeis and william o. douglas. you may have read about him in the past couple of weeks. i give you justice stevens. [applause] >> thank you very much. [applause] >> thank you very much. fellow judges, friends, members of the bar, and friends again, i am going to play my normal role tonight and talk to you very briefly what you are waiting to hear the principal speaker. i want to say, on her behalf, as she very kindly offered to let me go last. i said no, i will basically do what i have done for many, many years, which is open with comments that are not very profound. it occurs to me out of the blue that it was the 100th anniversary of the illinois bar association 25 or 30 years ago, and the president of the association referred to it as a ical occasion. this is such an occasion too. [laughter] i am going to make a couple of profound comment. the first is about 8 minute court that i attended -- abou

about that saying it was much more like paris not like new york failed of the class not like oliver wendell holmes. but what struck them however privileged to the people were in the beacon hill mansion nevertheless there were fully integrated the way french aristocrats were refusing to be including their own families in fact, the ancestors had created very well informed people asking questions much like there's that of silly underpinned said democracy in america. four examples quickly. john quincy adams, was an example of the old and dying by deal of civic virtue that you give your life selflessly for your nation, a party, a faction are noble and a new kind of populist potash garnering majority rule that jacksonian van yearend administration was repellent and tocqueville admired him rather than compromise the principal and really was an impressive noble monument of a man but at the same time a bit of a living fossil he no longer sit-in and very uneasy about the future of this country. having serious talks about slavery, a very many people told tocqueville one way or another this will lead to a cat

i turn to the words of oliver wendell holmes. he said,"to fight outta war, you must want sooething with all your might. more than that, you must be willing to commit yourself tooaa perhaps a long and hard waat where you will come out." america does not fight for the sake of fighting.3 the field of battle, and i say that with humility, we fight we fight to keep our families and communnties safe. we fight for the security of our allies and partners because america believes that we will be safer hen our friends are safe. . . >> finddng opportunity, forging a more perfect union. ourrachievements would not be possible, without the long lines that have sacrificed for duty, honoo, for country. years froo now -- [applause] >> years froomnoww when you return here, and the shadoos have grown longer, i have noo doubt you will have added your name o the book of history. i hhve no doubt that we ill have prevailed in the struggles of our time. i have no doubt that yoor legacy will be aa america that has emerged stronger, and a world that is mo

in preparing for today, i turned to the words of oliver wendell holmes. of a work spirit, he said, "to fight out a war, you mt believe in something and want something with all your might, so much you do to carry athing else to an end is worth reaching." he went on, "more than that, you must be willing to commit yourself to course, perhaps a long and hard onewithout being able to foresee exactly where you will come out." america does n fight for the sake of fighting. we abhor war. as one who is never experienced the field of battle, and i say that with humility, knowing the soldier above all others praise for peace, we fight because we must. we fight to keep our families and comnities safe. we fight for the security of our allies and partners. america believes that we will be safer when our friends are safer. we will be stronger when the world is more just. cadets, a long and hard road awaits you. you go abroad because your services fundamental to our security back home. you go abroad as representatives of the values that this country was foundeupon. when

the other was oliver wendell holmes. [applause] >> his predecessors were the louis brandeis and william douglas. for 16 years, he has been the senior associate justice. you may have read about him in the last few weeks. i give you justice stevens. [applause] >> thank you very much. fellow judges, friends, members of the seventh circuit bar, and friends again, i am going to play my normal role tonight, talking briefly while you are waiting to hear the principal speaker. on her behalf, she very kindly offered to let me go last and i pulled rank on her and said, no, i am going to do what i have done for many years. just a few comments that are not very profound. it occurred to me, out of the blue, i attended the 100th anniversary of the illinois bar association 25, 30 years ago. i remember the president of the association, because of the anniversary, said it was a nostological vacation. i am going to make two on profound comment. -- unprofound comments. the first is from a moot court in notre dame, which i meant to tell you