[Translation.]

Mr. Yrisarri to Mr. Seward.

The undersigned, minister plenipotentiary of the republics of Guatemala and Salvador, has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the note of his excellency the Secretary of State of the United States of America, dated the 5th instant, in reply to that from the undersigned of the 26th of last month.

As his excellency the Secretary of State signifies that it has caused some surprise to the government that the undersigned should, in the first place, have based his diplomatic communication on informal conversation of the chief of the executive power related in the public papers, and in the second place, that there should have been attributed to his excellency the President a wish to colonize any class of persons in the states represented by the undersigned, or in any other in Central America, without previously obtaining the consent of such states, the undersigned requests his excellency the Secretary of State to be pleased to accept his excuse for having based his communication on such grounds, even though they coincided with what was set forth by Senator Pomeroy, who has appeared publicly as a commissioner of his excellency the President to organize the colonization of persons of color in Central America. It is true that [Page 885] these facts have reached the knowledge of everybody through the medium of the newspapers; but not on that account have they failed to acquire that degree of notoriety, authenticity, and certainty, which, in the opinion of the undersigned, entitled them to be considered as beyond doubt. However, the undersigned allowed twelve days to pass after the publication of the speech, which was said to have been delivered by his excellency the President on the 14th of last month; but not having been contradicted during all that time, it seemed to the undersigned that the fact was unquestionable, and that, being so, it was entitled to such consideration as its importance demanded. In regard to having attributed to his excellency the President the purpose of colonizing persons of color in Guatemala and in Salvador, without the consent of those governments, the undersigned protests that he had no intention of offering this insult to the chief of this republic, but that he merely endeavored to make known in advance to this government that, as respects those two republics, such colonization cannot take place, because it does not suit the views of those governments. There it is desired to have, as in these United States, colonists of a different class, who may have had a more liberal education than can be acquired in a state of slavery. In proof of what is said, the undersigned has the honor to communicate to his excellency the Secretary of State that he has received, by the last steamer which brought letters from Central America, a despatch from the minister of foreign relations of Salvador, in which, transcribing the official note of the minister of foreign relations of Nicaragua, a copy of which is annexed, he orders the undersigned to take suitable steps towards averting from Central America the evils which are apprehended there from such a colonization. His excellency the Secretary of State of the United States will thus perceive that if the undersigned had not addressed to him the note of the 26th ultimo, in relation to this matter, he would now find himself under the necessity of doing so in compliance with the orders which he has received from the government of Salvador, embracing the wishes of the government of Nicaragua.

The undersigned does not doubt that the government which he represents, as well as all the others of Central America, will be fully satisfied with the equity and justice which are manifested by this administration, at the conclusion of the note of his excellency the Secretary of State of the United States, in which he declares that at no time will this government proceed to carry into effect any colonization without the previous consent of the authorities of those countries; nor was less to be expected from a government which professes the principle of respecting the unquestionable rights of all nations, without making any difference between the most and the least powerful.

On this occasion the undersigned has the honor to repeat to his excellency the Secretary of State of the United States of America the assurances of his highest consideration.

A. J. DE YRISARRI.

His Excellency William H. Seward, Secretary of State of the United States of America, &c., &c., &c.