On the night of Tomb-sweeping Day five years ago, a thunderstorm broke suddenly, symbolizing to the Chinese people the advent of an earthshaking event. This was the time of President Chiang Kai-shek's departure from us. Our compatriots at home and abroad were overcome by poignant grief which was a long time in subsiding. These occurrences and this scene remain fresh in our minds.
While the people were caught up in their grief, rapid changes took place in the world. The Indochina peninsula quickly fell to the Communists. Many countries in the Asian and Pacific region were considered to be in imminent danger. The worldwide economic crisis dealt us heavy blows and plunged the world community into panic. Some countries even debased themselves to the point of throwing open their doors to outlaws. In these more than 1,800 days, the Republic of China has received far heavier buffetings and suffered far more devastating hardships than other countries. Notwithstanding this, and inspired by the late President's instruction to seek "self-reliance with dignity" and to "plan carefully and make wise decisions," we were able to remain "calm in the time of crisis." Regardless of how other people of the world were disquieted, we remained careful, firm and patient. As Indochina was collapsing, the Republic of China served as a rock in the rapids and quieted the agitation in neighboring countries. As the world economy was plagued by one crisis after another, we were able to strive unitedly for basic national construction, thereby curbing the tendency toward economic recession and sustaining economic growth. When the United States recognized the Chinese Communist regime and tore up its defense treaty with us, we were grieved but not frightened. Our unity has provided national resilience. The people of the world can clearly see these developments of the past five hard but hopeful years. Possibly they have been surprised and impressed. Or some may have been suspicious and thrown mud at us. In any event, no one can deny that these five years have shown that the Chinese people are responsive to humiliation, can exert themselves and will never allow themselves to be bullied. The people also have attested that the Republic of China will steadfastly adhere to its principles and can never be shaken by others. These five years prove that the whole people can persevere with one heart and one mind and cannot be unnerved regardless of environ mental obstacles or the perplexities, harassments, deceptions and threats engendered by the enemy. With this assurance, we know we are strong enough to break through all barriers, overcome any adversity and continue our march toward the overall goal of victory in the National Revolution.
People of the world who underestimated us have begun to 1sk how we could come back more strongly after each setback. Our answer is that we have drawn on our dynamic "national staying power."
This staying power was conceived in our profound national sentiments and passed down to us through our traditional national culture. These national sentiments and this national culture are also reflected in our national spirit, which originates from "benevolence".
We all know that the National Revolution based on Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Three Principles of the People is part of the continuum stretching down to us from the tradition of the Emperors Yao, Shun, Yu, Tang, Wen and Wu, the Duke of Chou and Confucius. This is the embodiment of Chinese culture. The late President inherited the past and opened up the future by assuming as his duty the carrying out of the Three Principles of the People and the development of Chinese culture. Our National Father, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, said: "We undertake the Revolution for love of humankind." The late President affirmed that "The essential task of the Revolution is the practice of loving humankind." The National Revolution therefore inspires and unites all comrades and righteous people at home and abroad in the spirit of love and Justice. As the result of the refining of this national staying power, the greater the number of difficulties we face, the stronger we shall be united; the greater the number of frustrations that afflict us, the stronger our perseverance and loyalty.
The political philosophy of our national culture is so profound and sincere as to surpass by far the human rights advocacies of people in our time. In his lifetime, Dr. Sun tolerated and forgave everything, but he rejected absolutely any confusion of revolution with rebellion. The late President said: "I have no political enemies" and "Those who are not enemies are comrades." He allowed no confusion of great right and great wrong. Confucius said: "There are two ways: benevolence and malevolence." Our current anti-Communist great undertaking for national recovery is a life-or-death struggle between benevolence and malevolence. Anyone who thinks about it must conclude that the slavery of the Chinese people on the mainland and the terrible ordeal of the Vietnamese boat people are a heavy responsibility for all conscientious people. If we cannot now draw a line between benevolence and malevolence in our struggle against the enemy, and if we cannot persist in opposing extreme malevolence with our extreme benevolence, then the enemy will succeed in substituting hatred for love, will tyrannize humanity under the pretense of assuring human rights and will in the end pull up our national roots. Can anyone think for a moment that the Chinese Communists have forsaken their attempts at so-called "liberation" and ''unification? " What do they mean by these two words? They mean the breaking up of families, the prohibition against private property, the necessity of permits to travel and the requirement of coupons for food and clothing. They want to transform millions upon millions of people into beasts of burden fitted with blinders so as to continue their "unified" terror for millions upon millions of years. Anyone may ask further: If even the smallest Communist trick of instigation, alienation, infiltration or subversion is concealed and allowed to become the fuse for catastrophic explosion, how shall we be able to maintain our peaceful life in this land of freedom? How can our national history and culture be perpetuated?
"To attack extreme malevolence with extreme benevolence" is to eliminate "hatred" with "love" and is our common responsibility. Regardless of the motive, any act that engenders "hatred" will eventually be used by the Chinese Communists to extinguish love and as a weapon to destroy social tranquillity and trigger social violence. All of us must clearly distinguish right from wrong, love from hatred, good from evil and revolution from rebellion. No one can be permitted to undermine our free society by shouting slogans of freedom, to destroy our democratic foundation by flying banners of democracy and to suppress our human rights and commit the crime of rebellion under the pretense of human rights. False symbols and actions which engender hatred are tinder that has been placed among us for Communist use in detonating an explosion. Each of us has the responsibility of heightening vigilance and safeguarding justice so as to prevent disaster.
Some people have in the past deliberately sought to separate the interests of the government from those of the people. The government does not have interests. There are only national interests and people's interests. This is made evident in the consistent activities of the government. The government has never done anything that is not in the interest of the people. So the people are obviously free to speak of anything that is on their minds. If government and people can get along with each other in a spirit of goodwill and sincerity, there can be no room for alienation. The late President said: "Love can never be overcome by hatred; only love can eventually eliminate hatred." This is irrefutable. If we can think always of upholding benevolence and love, matchless courage and faith will well up in our hearts. Consequently, I believe that the future of our nation and our people is surpassingly bright. Benevolence has no enemy.
I want to point out solemnly that in compliance with the instruction in President Chiang Kai-shek's last testament to "remain in the democratic camp," we shall proceed without hesitation to carry out democratic and constitutional government internally while externally we continue to stand for human rights and freedom in keeping with the usages of the international community.
Finally, I wish to quote Confucius: "Let there be circumspect performance of the funeral rites for parents, and let these be followed with ceremonies of sacrifice. Then the virtue of the people will be restored to its proper excellence." Tomorrow is Tomb-sweeping Day and again the occasion for the observing of our rites and ceremonies. The resumption of moral excellence is the starting point for further development of our national staying power. If we can trust each other, forgive each other and counsel each other, thus assuring our common progress at this starting point, we shall generate within ourselves the sense of responsibility for carrying out national recovery and reconstruction and shall give rise to a new era replete with hope. As the late President told us: "Not only our national destiny but also the peace and security of the world are in our hands."