[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George H. W. Bush (1992, Book I)]
[May 13, 1992]
[Page 766]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



[[Page 766]]

Remarks at the State Dinner for President Patricio Aylwin of Chile

May 13, 1992
    Ladies and gentlemen, President Aylwin and Mrs. Aylwin, Barbara and 
I are just delighted to welcome you both to the White House and to try 
to return the warm reception that you gave to me, sir, and to our 
daughter when we had the honor of visiting you in Chile.
    Among my memories of my visit to your country was a lunch that we 
shared at that lovely home of yours in Santiago. And I still recall with 
pride and delight that you took in your children and your grandchildren. 
We did a little arithmetic yesterday, and between us, we have 10 
children and 23 grandchildren. Perhaps we could arrange for a soccer 
game out on the South Lawn. [Laughter]
    It has been said, Mr. President, that the greatest glory of a free-
born people is to transmit that freedom to their children. Your 
country's bright future lies in the hands and hearts of a free-born 
people, determined to see their children born free, passing liberty from 
mother to daughter, father to son.
    Today I was reminded how your father, an esteemed Supreme Court 
Justice, passed his love of law and liberty to his son, you, yourself a 
revered legal scholar. I thought of how more than 60 years ago our Louis 
Brandeis observed that the final end of the state was to make men free 
to develop their faculties. And he added that ``Those who love freedom 
know liberty to be the secret of happiness and courage to be the secret 
of liberty.''
    Justice Brandeis could find no better example of courage in pursuit 
of liberty than the Chilean people and their leader. Today, Chileans are 
``free to develop their faculties'' to the fullest, having at last 
inherited the political and economic rights their parents worked to 
achieve. They've also assumed liberty's responsibilities, the knowledge 
that freedom taken for granted can become freedom taken away. Chile 
continues the hard work of freedom, defending democracy in Venezuela and 
Haiti and Peru, promoting peace in Central America and in the Middle 
East.
    Mr. President, I know that Chile will continue to export its 
material goods. I know also it will export its dreams, the courage, 
hope, the imagination of free markets and free peoples. Chile teaches 
others that political differences never excuse indifference to the law 
and that social needs are better met by the invisible hand of the free 
market than by the iron fist of regulatory control and bureaucracy.
    President Aylwin and I share a vision of free trade for all the 
hemisphere. The United States is now negotiating a free trade agreement 
with Mexico and Canada as a first step toward that goal. And as a result 
of our discussions today and in recognition of Chile's economic 
accomplishments and achievements, I want to announce that the United 
States intends to negotiate a comprehensive free trade agreement with 
Chile upon the conclusion of the North American free trade agreement. 
And I intend to send notification to the Congress in accord with the 
fast track procedures at that time.
    Thirty years ago, President Eisenhower spoke to your people saying, 
``We in the Western Hemisphere are still young nations still growing, 
still experimenting.'' And I really believe that's still true today 
because democracy is young as our children, as all the children of the 
world.
    Mr. President, may I propose a toast to you. And may I suggest we 
rise and lift our glasses: To you, Mr. President, to Mrs. Aylwin, to 
Chile, and to the bonds of friendship between our two people.

                    Note: The President spoke at 8:13 p.m. in the State 
                        Dining Room at the White House.