Memorandum by Mr. Seward.
On the 17th day of July, 1865, the Marquis de Montholon called at the Department of State, and said that a special agent had arrived at Washington from Mexico, and that he was the bearer of a letter signed Maximilian, and addressed to the President of the United States, a copy of which the Marquis submitted to the Secretary of State, saying that the agent was instructed to deliver the letter if it should be agreeable to the government of the United States. He also said that the agent brought papers to make explanations and adopt proceedings in relation to certain transactions on the Rio Grande, upon which the United States government had made representations to the imperial government of Prance.
The Secretary replied, that, inasmuch as the letter referred to was directly addressed to the President of the United States, the Secretary would reserve himself until he should have had a conversation with the President upon the subject.
On the 18th the Secretary of State delivered back the copy of the letter to the Marquis de Montholon, and said that the United States are in friendly communication now, as heretofore, with the republican government in Mexico, and, therefore, cannot depart from the course of proceeding it has heretofore pursued towards that country, and of course that the President declined to receive the letter, or to hold any intercourse with the agent who brought it.