    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 24 (Monday, June 19, 2006)]
    [Page 1163]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    Message on the Observance of Juneteenth

    June 12, 2006

        I send greetings to all those observing Juneteenth.
        President Lincoln called the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 the
    ``central act'' of his administration and ``the greatest event of the
    nineteenth century.'' The joyous news of freedom did not reach
    Galveston, Texas, until two and a half years after emancipation when
    Major General Gordon Granger arrived and announced that the Civil War
    was over and all slaves were free. Ever since, Americans have marked
    June 19th with special celebrations and traditions commemorating this
    historic moment.
        On this day, we honor the vision of President Lincoln, and we will
    keep striving to build a Nation where the dignity of every person is
    respected, where people are judged by the content of their character,
    and where the hope of the American dream reaches every neighborhood and
    every citizen. Together, we can continue to advance the ideals of
    liberty and justice that make our country strong and help more Americans
    realize the full promise of this great Nation.
        Laura and I send our best wishes on this special occasion. May God
    bless you, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.
                                                    George W. Bush

    Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of
    this message. This message was released by the Office of the Press
    Secretary on June 16.