104 STAT. 5218 PROCLAMATION 6098—FEB. 16, 1990 Franco-British War and averting conflict with Great Britain through Jay's Treaty in 1794, he also demonstrated the President's ability to lead in matters of foreign policy. In 1796, as his second term in office came to an end, President Washington urged the American people to cherish the Union. He reminded his listeners that the principles upon which our Nation was founded are rooted in faith, and he encouraged them to promote public virtue and the general diffusion of knowledge as means of preserving those ideals. "You have," he declared, "in a common cause fought and triumphed together." Washington hoped that the American people would always be united by their love for liberty and self-government. Today we know that Washington's efforts were not made in vain. "First in war, first in peace, and first in the hearts of his countrymen." These were the immortal words given in eulogy to George Washington shortly after his death in 1799. They are a fitting tribute to a great American patriot and President. NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby urge all Americans to observe the 258th anniversary of the birth of George Washington with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities designed to honor the memory of this great American. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this sixteenth day of February, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fourteenth. GEORGE BUSH Proclamation 6098 of February 16, 1990 Lithuanian Independence Day, 1990 By the President of the United States of America /' A Proclamation ' The birth of a nation is a momentous event that inscribes a people's name forever in the annals of history, motivating and inspiring those who live under its banner and ideals. Seventy-two years ago, on February 16, 1918, the people of Lithuania realized their long-denied dream of independence. The free Republic of Lithuania prospered until the tragic events of 1940—^when Soviet troops invaded and occupied the country as a result of the infamous Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact signed just 1 year before. Lithuania's struggle for liberty, and that of its neighbors in Estonia and Latvia, served as an inspiration to many who saw the collapse of old empires as a harbinger of peace and freedom for Europe. Later, when these heartfelt aspirations were crushed by totalitarian aggression, freedom-loving men and women around the world were rightfully outraged.
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