[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 35, Number 10 (Monday, March 15, 1999)]
[Page 416]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

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Message on the Observance of Saint Patrick's Day, 1999

March 12, 1999

    Warm greetings to everyone celebrating Saint Patrick's Day. Each 
year on this special day dedicated to Ireland's patron saint, I am proud 
to join millions of Americans in remembering our Irish heritage. We 
remember with pride our ancestors who stood on Ireland's western shores, 
yearning for the promise of America. Fleeing famine and injustice, they 
longed for a new world of opportunities. Millions of these courageous 
men and women set sail from Ireland to seek the promise of America. They 
gave to their new homeland their strength and spirit, sinew and 
determination, eloquence and wit. In return, America offered them the 
opportunity for a better life, the chance to rise above poverty and 
discrimination, and a future where they could live out their dreams.
    The Irish who came to America endured many hardships, but they 
prospered and helped to build our country with innumerable physical and 
intellectual contributions. Irish Americans seized the opportunity of 
freedom that America promised. They gave us Presidents and patriots, 
judges and journalists, social reformers, peacekeepers, artists, labor 
leaders, and educators. From their grand literary tradition to their 
deep religious faith, Irish Americans and their descendants have 
enriched every facet of American history. But this celebration is a time 
to look to the future as well as to the past. Today as we pay tribute to 
Saint Patrick and his example of faith and determination, we rejoice 
that the faith and determination of the Irish people have brought about 
the promise of peace in Northern Ireland and the resolve to approach 
differences not with weapons, but with words. Americans are a vital part 
of the process in Northern Ireland by virtue of our shared heritage and 
shared goal of lasting peace and a better future for all God's children. 
By lending our hearts, minds, and prayers to the work of peace, we can 
best fulfill our obligation to the generations of Irish men and women 
who have given so much to our Nation's life and history.
    Best wishes to all for a wonderful celebration.
                                                  Bill Clinton

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