The famous “Lansdowne portrait” by Gilbert Stuart (1796). Image credit: National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution

In honor of President’s Day, Just Security will be on an abbreviated schedule with a lower volume of posts than normal. If any major, time-sensitive developments occur, we will do our best to address them. The Early Edition, our morning news roundup, will be back tomorrow (sign up here to receive it in your inbox each morning). And don’t forget to follow us on Twitter (@just_security) and Facebook for the latest.

While we colloquially refer to today as “Presidents Day,” the holiday actually commemorates George Washington’s birthday. On February 19, 1862, in the midst of the Civil War, President Lincoln issued Proclamation 87, urging Americans to “assemble in their customary places of meeting for public solemnities on the 22d day of February instant and celebrate the anniversary of the birth of the Father of his Country by causing to be read to them his immortal Farewell Address.” We agree that Washington’s Farewell Address has many lessons that are worth reflecting on and we encourage you to read the full address.