Mr. Perry to Mr. Hunter
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt, on the 11th instant, of the two circulars of the 17th of April, 1865—one circular giving a statement relative to the assassination of our lamented President and the attempted assassination [Page 345] of our honorable Secretary of State, and the other circular naming the insignia of mourning to be adopted by those subject to the orders of the department.
All the national vessels in this harbor had their flags at half mast three days, commencing on the 8th instant, in honor of our lamented President, and within an hour after receiving your circular (on the 11th instant) circulars to the same effect as yours were in the hands of all my colleagues, and the flags of all the nations here represented were hung in mourning. Last week each of my colleagues did himself and our nation the honor to call upon me with expressions of sorrow for our deceased President and wounded statesman, of indignation against the perpetrators of those crimes, and of congratulation upon our glorious victories and our prospects of peace.
I deem it inadvisable to trouble you with detailed accounts of the interest and sympathy awakened in this place by the recent events in our country. The Bey’s minister has replied to my circular with touching expressions of horror and sympathy. My colleagues have, most of them, written me long and interesting letters. A delegation from the Italian Masonic Lodge of this city waited upon me yesterday with an address, a copy of which I herewith enclose.
I have the honor to be, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. William Hunter, Acting Secretary of State.
(For enclosure see Appendix, separate volume.)