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https://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/files/original/403a193089c21d00b04870f083b62f12.pdf
bf7359fb8dfd766fad4118c4f20a1d08
PDF Text
Text
Case Number: 2006-0459-F
'"
FO lA
MARKER
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This is not a textual· record . This is used as an
administrative marker qy the Clinton Presidential
. Library Staff.
Folder Title:
Ireland Trip-Arrn:agh Crowd Speech 9/3/98
·-
l
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Staff Office-Individual:
Speechwriting-Blinken
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Original OAIID Number:
3378
Row:
48
Section:
Shelf:·
Position:
Stack:
9
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�~/.ZJ
8/31/98 8:50m
PRESIDENT WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON .
REMARKSTOTHEPEOPLEOFARMAGH
ARMAGH, NORTHERN IRELAND
SEPTEMBER 3, 1998
[acknowledgments]
Three years ago, I became the first American Pr~sident to visit Northern Ireland when I came to
Belfast and Londonderry. Today I am proud to be the first President to visit Armagh [ar-MAH].
Many presidential ancestors came to the l;Jew.World from Northern Ireland. Andrew Jackson's ·
father left Carrickfe~gus in County Antrim. Woodrow Wilson's grandfather left Dergalt [DERgult] in County Tyrone. Other ancestors left from other counties, north and south of the border.
My ancestors were so humble and hard-working that no one knows exactly where they were
from. Some speculation has fixed on County Fermanagh [fer-MAN-uh], to the west of here ...
so let me save the genealogists a lot of trouble by simply saying it's good to be home.
I am proud to be with you today in a pl~ce that is a spiritual home to Irish people of both
religious traditions, and to millions of Irish-Americans as well. Armagh is a city on a hill in
. every sense ... and your faith and tolerance are making a new era of peace possible.
When I came to Northern Ireland in 1995, I saw a place filled with promise. Mter decades of
torment, the people were demanding peace .... and they took steps to make it happen .. In three
.
.
short years, the dream has become reality. For all the world, you are renewing confidence that
decency can triumph over hatred. You have inspired the rest of us to aim a little higher. I thank
�you, and America thanks you, for the precious gift you have given all ofus ... a gift of hope
redeemed and faith restored.
I am· tempted, in this city of saints and cathedrals, to call the peace of 1998 a miracle. Mter all,
it was delivered on Good Friday. But it emphatically was not a miracle ... at least, not in the
conventional sense. You did it yourselves. It c~me from hard work. It came from honest talk.
It came from courageous leaders overcoming their differences fo~ the common good.
Even more, it came from the demands of ordinary citizens like you who communicated your
longing for peace before, during and after the agreement. ·You gave the leaders the confidence to
move forward. You made it clear to all who would listen ... enough is enough. Three decades
of strife have not advanced the interests of Northern Ireland - or its people. It's time to try a new ..
way. It's time to give up the past tense, and speak the language of the future.
Armagh has stood for these better aspirations throughou! its long history. If there is a recurring
theme to this seat of learning and religion, it is largeness of spirit. Here a Briton, St. Patrick,
devoted himself to the cause of Ireland and left a legacy of faith and compassion. Here the Book
.
.
of Armagh preserved his message and the gentleness of the gospels.
Today, the two cathedrals that dominate the landscape stand for the idea that communion is
better than competition. Two proud traditions can exist side by side, bringing people closer to
God, and closer to each other. I salute the leadership of Dr. Sean Brady [Catholic Archbishop of
Armagh] and Dr. Robin Eames [Church·oflreland [Anglican] Archbishop of Armagh], who for
�3
years have walked together when it counted. I also salute the Presbyterians and Methodists who
have worked hard for peace, and the men and women of all denominations. There have been
difficulties here' as elsewhere, but the historic streets of this old town remind us of a fundamental
fact: Armagh has many traditions, but they encircle a single community. [town lias old
medieval circular streets around cathedrals}
Now an untried path is before you, and before every community of Northern Ireland. There will.
be false steps and disappointments. The question is not ![the peace will be challenged ... but
how you will respond when it~ challenged. We do not have to look far .... the bomb that tore at
the heart of Omagh was a blatant attack on all of Northern Ireland and all people who support
peace. Once again, innocent families were slaughtered. But you responded with swift,
unanimous condemnation ... giving hope that this time is different, and the peace will hold.
Only time will tell. Only you can decide. There is real strength that flows from the resolve to
make peace - and the knowledge of what peace can bring you. ·Think what it will feel like to
walk freely through Armagh, without anxiety about what street you walk down or whom you talk
to. Think how beautiful this city can be. without barbed wire and burned churches.
Peace will bring peace of mind. It will bring prosperity. It will bring new friends eager to see
this historic and compelling land for the first time. People were once afraid to come to Armagh
and Northern Ireland. Now they will be hard pressed to stay away.
�.~
.
I wanted to come here in person to thank you for your peace. Because you have strengthened the
hand of everyone working to make the world a little better. When I go to other troubled places, I
point to you as proof that peace is no idle daydream. Your·peace is real. And it resonates with
people around the world. When I meet Palestinians and Israelis, I say, "look at Northern
Ireland." When I meet Albanians and Serbs, I say, "look at Northern Ireland." When I meet
Indians and Pakistanis, I say, "look at Northern Ireland.". They did it ... now it's your turn.
Americans have learned from our own history that democracy is hard. Uniting different ·
traditions and peoples is hard. Our record is far fr()m perfect. As we strive to live up to the
words of our Constitution, "to form a more perfect union", we know that these old words are
continually given new meaning by our evolving understanding of our union. The job of forming ·
a more perfect union is never done.
The clergyman and poet John Donne wrote, "No
~an
is an island." That idea applies to nations
as well. We might even say "no island is an island" ... anymore. On this island, Northern
Ireland is obviously connected to the Republic. Both are ·connected, in different ways, to
England, Scotland and Wales. All are increasingly connected to Europe, and to the rest of the
world. Ideas, information and money fly around the globe at lightning speed. Each of us is, in
Donne's words, "a piece of the continent, a part of the main." Technology is redefining
geography ... connecting the best traditions of the past with the limitless promise of the future.
America's only Irish-Catholic President, John F. Kennedy, loved to quote a British Prime
Minister. "Courage," Winston Churchill said, "is rightly ~steemed as the first of all human
�qualities because it is the quality which guarantees all the others," Courage was at the heart of
·,
your vote for peace~ It was an act of bravery .... an act of faith: Now the hard part: you must
.
.
·'.
keep the faith against those who are too timid or too spiteful or too afraid to build the hard peace.
We Americans will do what we can to support i just peace for alL Our people share a common.
past. From Armagh, Omagh, Portadown and eveJ;y other community ori this island, menand ·
'I
women left to become Americans, to buil~ a new nation from humble beginnings. They were a
·source of immense strength in our early history, their voices prominent in the debate over how to
achieve Cl: responsible democracy, balanced among different parties and interests. We have not.·
forgotten our debt to Ulster. Millions of Americans trace their mimes and families here. Every
.
.
.
'
'
one of these millions is with you inspirit as you ,undertake the journey ahead.
I said three years ago that if you chose the path of peace, .Am~rica would walk with you. You
made that choice. And we will walk with you, .step. by. step, day by day, year by year. It will
.
. .
.
,•
-
take time ... but we are with you for the long haul: We will not forget the springtime of hope
you gave the world- and for reminding us of'one of the best lessons of our shared history ... that
it is never too late to strive for a new beginning. A l~ng day is ending.
,
. .
.
'
Anew one starts
.
· tomorrow. On behalf of our ancestors, on behalf of our descendants ... let us seize the moment.·
.
.
·,
.
###
c.
.· .. :
�Gray, Wendy E.
From:
Sent:
To:
Cc:
Subject:
Widmer, Edward L. (Ted)
Tuesday, August 25, 1998 12:25 PM
@NSA - Natl Security Advisor
@PLANNING - Strat Plan & Comm; @EUROPE- European Affairs
~~agti1sp~~~f[ffi~~~SRI~.n:~0]·.;
~~~jf,(lg,\¢l',t1,y;)Gjli...¥.
l>:J
. •
.
.
,
.
"f}~~~'\\:>?~
Armagh.doc
For SRB/JS review. JS changes inserted. Comments to Widmer.
·
�8/25/98 12:25 pm
PRESIDENT WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON
REMARKSTOTHEPEOPLEOFARMAGH
ARMAGH, NORTHERN IRELAND
SEPTEMBER 3, 1998
[acknowledgments]
Three years ago, I became the first American Pres!dent to visit Northern Ireland when I came to
Belfast and Londonderry. Today I am proud to be the first President to visit Armagh [ar-MAH].
Many presidential ancestors
c~me
to the New World from Northern Ireland. Andrew Jackson's
father left Carrickfergus in County Antrim. Woodrow Wilson's grandfather left Dergalt in
County Tyrone .. Other ancestors left from other counties, north and south of the border.
My ancestors were so humble that no one knows exactly where they were from. 'Some
speculation centers on County Fermanagh, to the west of Armagh ... so let me save the
genealogists a lot of trouble by simply saying it's good to be home.
I am proud to be with you today in a place that is a spiritual home to Irish people of both
religious traditions, and to millions of Irish-Americans as well. Armagh is a city on a hill in
every sense ... and your faith and tolerance are making a new era of peace possible.
When I came to Northern Ireland in 1995, I saw a place filled with promise. After decades of
torment, people were demanding peace .... and taking steps to make it happen. In three short
years, that dream has become reality. You have renewed confidence that decency can triumph
/
�2
over hatred ... that even the most intractable division can be overcome. You have inspired the
world to aim a little higher. I thank you, and America thanks you, for the precious gift you have
given all of us ... a gift of hope redeemed and faith restored.
I am tempted, in this city of saints and cathedrals, to call the peace of 1998 a miracle. After all,
it was delivered on Good Friday. But it was emphatically not a miracle ... at least, not in the
conventional sense. You did it yourselves. It came from hard work. It came from honest talk
It came from courageous leaders laying aside their differences for the common good.
Even more, it came from
th~
demands of ordinary citizens like you who communicated your
longing for peace before, during and after the agreement. You gave the leaders the confidence to
move forward, remembering that peace is a process, that the work never ends. You made it clear
to all who would listen ... enough is enough. Three decades of strife have not advanced the
interests of Northern Ireland- or its people. It's time to try a new way. It's time to give up the
past tense, and speak the language of the future.
Armagh has stood for these better aspirations throughout its long history. If there is a recurring
theme to this seat of learning and religion, it is largeness of spirit. Here a Briton, St. Patrick,
.
devoted himself to the cause of Ireland and left a legacy of faith and compassion. Here the Book
of Armagh preserved his message and the gentleness of the gospels.
Today, the two cathedrals that dominate the landscape stand for the idea that communion is
better than competition. Two proud traditions can exist side by side, bringing people closer to
"'
�3
God, and closer to each other. I salute the leadership of Dr. Sean Brady [Catholic Archbishop of
Armagh] and Dr. Robin Eames [Church oflreland [Anglican] Archbishop of Armagh], who for
years have walked together when it counted. I also salute the Presbyterians and Methodists who
have worked hard for peace, and the men and women of all denominations. There have been
difficulties here as elsewhere, but the historic streets of this old town remind us of a fundamental
fact: Armagh has different traditions, but they encircle a single community.
\
Now an untried path is before you, and before every community of Northern Ireland. There will
be false steps and disappointments. The question is not if the peace will be challenged ... but
how you will respond when
it~
challenged. We do not have to look far .... the bomb that tore at
the heart ofOmagh was a blatant attack on all ofNorthern Ireland and all people who support
peace. Once again, innocent families were slaughtered. But you responded with swift,
unanimous condemnation ... giving hope that this time is different, and the peace will hold.
Only time will tell. Only you can decide.
You have discovered real strength in your resolve to make peace - and in the knowledge of what
peace can bring you. Think how much you can do without the dark clouds of hatred and
violence looming over your heads. Think how much you can do without the terror of bomb
threats and vigilante intimidation. Think what it will feel like to walk freely through Armagh
without intenuption, without anxiety about what street you walk down or whom you talk to.
Think how beautiful this city can be without barbed wire and burned churches.
-
�4
Peace will bring peace of mind. It will bring prosperity. It will bring new friends eager to see
this historic and compelling land for the first time. It will bring you into constant dialogue with a
world of possibilities. People were once afraid to come to Armagh and Northern Ireland. Now
they will be hard pressed to stay away.
I wanted to come here in person to thank you for your peace. Because you have not only
strengthened yourselves, you have strengthened my hand and the hand of all those who are
working for peace around the world. When I go now to other troubled places, I can point to you
as proof that peace is no idle daydream. Your peace is real. And it resonates with people around
J
the world. When I meet Palestinians and Israelis, I can say, "look at Northern Ireland." When I
meet Albanians and Serbs, I can say, "look at Northern Ireland." When I meet Indians and
Pakistanis, I can say, "look at Northern Ireland." They did it ... now it's your turn.
Americans have learned from our own history that democracy is hard. Uniting different
· traditions and peoples is hard. Our record is far from perfect. As we strive to live up to the
words of our Constitution, "t o form a more perfect union", we know that these old words are
continually given new meaning by evolving circumstances and our evolving understanding of
our union. The job of forming a more perfect union is never done. But you have to keep going.
You have to make choices. You have to take risks because peace and progress demand a new
approach now and then . . . and they are worth the effort.
The clergyman and poet John Donne wrote, "No man is an island." That idea applies to nations
as well. We might even say "no island is an island" ... anymore. On this island, Northern
�5
Ireland is obviously connected to the Republic. Both are connected, in different ways, to
England, Scotland and Wales. All are increasingly connected to Europe, and to the rest of the
world. Ideas, information and money fly around the globe at lightning speed with the touch of a
keypad. Each ofus is, in Donne's words, "a piece of the continent, a part of the main."
Technology is redefining geography ... connecting the best traditions of the past with the
limitless promise of the future.
America's only Irish-Catholic President, John F. Kennedy, loved to quote a British Prime
Minister, Winston Churchill:· courage "is rightly esteemed as the first of all human qualities
because it is the quality which guarantees all the others." Courage was at the heart of your
decision to vote for peace. It was an act of bravery, and an act of faith. Now you must keep the
faith.
We Americans will do what we can to support a just peace for all. Our people share a common
past. From Armagh, Omhgh, Portadown and every other community on this island, men and
women left to become Americans, to build a new nation from humble beginnings. They were a
source of immense strength in our early history, their voices prominent in the debate over how to
achieve a responsible democracy, balanced among different parties and interests. We have not
forgotten our debt to Ulster. Millions of Americans trace their names and families here. Every
one of these millions is with you in spirit as you undertake the journey ahead.·
I said three years ago that if you chose the path of peace, America would walk with you. You
made that choice. And we will walk with you, step by step, day by day, year by year. It will
�•
6
take time ... but we are with you for the duration. We thank you for the springtime of hope you
gave the world - and for reminding us of one of the best lessons of our shared history ... that it is
never too late to strive for a new beginning. With perseverance ... with patience ... with
unshakable faith, let us begin again the journey that has united us before ... the journey to
explore a new world of possibilities.
###
�
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Title
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Speechwriting Office - Antony Blinken
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Antony Blinken served in the Clinton Administration as the chief foreign policy speechwriter in the National Security Council Speechwriting Directorate from 1994 thru 1998.</p>
<p>Blinken prepared remarks for President Clinton, Anthony Lake, Samuel Berger, James Steinberg, and General Donald Kerrick. His speechwriting topics cover a variety of subjects for various audiences including but not limited to: foreign trips or head of state visits, United Nations General Assembly addresses, and State of the Union and weekly radio addresses. As an NSC speechwriter, Blinken produced speeches on major foreign policy actions during the Clinton Administration on Haiti, Iraq and Bosnia. The documents in the collection consist of speech drafts, newspaper and magazine articles, memos, correspondence, schedules, and handwritten notes.</p>
<p>This collection was made available through a <a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/freedom-of-information-act-requests">Freedom of Information Act</a> request. </p>
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National Security Council
Speechwriting Office
Antony Blinken
Date
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1994-1998
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<a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/36017" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="http://research.archives.gov/description/7585787" target="_blank">National Archives Collection Description</a>
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2006-0459-F
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Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
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Adobe Acrobat Document
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941 folders in 39 boxes
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Ireland Trip - Armagh Crowd Speech 9/3/98
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National Security Council
Speechwriting Office
Antony Blinken
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2006-0459-F
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Box 37
<a href="http://clintonlibrary.gov/assets/Documents/Finding-Aids/2006/2006-0459-F.pdf" target="_blank">Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="http://catalog.archives.gov/id/7585787" target="_blank">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Provenance
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Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
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9/17/2014
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42-t-7585787-20060459f-037-029-2014
7585787