Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the Second Session Thirty-eighth Congress, Part IV, Appendix to diplomatic correspondence of 1865; the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, late president of the United States of America, and the attempted assassination of William H. Seward, Secretary of State, and Frederick W. Seward, Assistant Secretary, on the evening of the 14th of April, 1865; expressions of condolence and sympathy inspired by these events

Temple Discussion Forum

London, undated

An address of condolence from the members of the “Temple Discussion Forum,” Fleet street, London, to the illustrious widow of the late President Lincoln.

Illustrious Lady: Illustrious by position, and still more by sorrow: We, the supporters and frequenters of the “Temple Discussion Forum,” Fleet street, London, approach you with liveliest sentiments of profound respect, sympathy, deep and unfeigned regret. Our society, which numbers in its ranks the representatives of all nations and forms of government throughout the civilized world, and in the free exercise of its opinions once evoked the censure of the most potent sovereign in Europe—established in dark and troubled days in the history of our country, for the fearless and open expression of opinion—has ever held in utter detestation the crimes of conspiracy and assassination, which in all ages have been the most deadly instruments which despotism could supply, and have ever been inimical to the cause of civil and religious liberty throughout the world.

In a society so constituted as ours, it is useless to say, a variety of opinions necessarily exist as to the merits of that mighty struggle which has marked with the furrows of age a glorious and youthful republic. But we rejoice to think not a single dissentient opinion exists in the condemnation of a deed which has taken away so cruelly and abruptly from this life, the husband, father, and uncrowned monarch of millions of men whose language is the language of Shakespeare and Milton.

Upon sorrow so sacred and so recent we will not presume further to intrude ourselves, hut, illustrious lady, he pleased to place upon that narrow bed of eternal rest where your own heart now lies entombed, this well-meant tribute of an ancient body, a tribute already sanctioned by the sorrows of our august sovereign, a tribute which the great ornament of our hereditary legislature declared in his senatorial place, “every man, woman and child agreed in.”

Praying that He who “tempers the wind to the shorn lamb,” and filled in the old days the stricken heart of the royal Psalmist with celestial rays of promised joy, may guard you from every ill and sustain you in your terrible bereavement,

We remain, illustrious lady, your devoted and faithful servants,

• WILLIAM CORNTIER, Proprietor.
• JOSEPH BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, Chairman.
• M. N. DEYBURGH,
  Scotchman, Editor of the Illustrated Times,
• EDWARD BAKER, London.
• JOEL H. TALUM, of Alabama.
• WILLIAM CHAPMAN,
  Citizen of Antwerp, Belgium.