    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1999, Book I)]
    [March 4, 1999]
    [Page 311]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Death of Harry A. Blackmun
    March 4, 1999

        Justice Harry Blackmun, who died this morning, was a great American
    citizen. In 24 years on the Supreme Court, Justice Harry Blackmun served
    with compassion, distinction, and honor. Every decision and every
    dissent was firmly grounded in the Constitution he revered and his
    uncanny feel for the human element that lies just beneath the surface of
    all serious legal argument.
        You can see his mind and heart at work in the landmark decision he
    wrote protecting women's rights to reproductive freedom and in his
    decisions to make the promise of civil rights actually come alive in the
    daily existence of the American people.
        Hillary and I were deeply privileged to know Justice Blackmun and
    his wonderful wife of 58 years, Dottie, for
    quite a long while. I saw up close Harry Blackmun's intense passion--his
    passion for the welfare of the American people, for defending our
    liberties and our institutions, for moving us forward together. We send
    our respect and our prayers to Dottie and to his three daughters.
        To the millions of Americans whose voices he heard and whose rights
    he defended, to the countless numbers of us who knew and loved him,
    Harry Blackmun's life embodied the admonition of the prophet Micah: He
    did justice, and he loved mercy. And now, he walks humbly with his God.

    Note: The related proclamation is listed in Appendix D at the end of
    this volume.