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

Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Seward .

[Extract.]

Legation of the United States,
Paris , May 3, 1865.

No. 87.]

Sir: His excellency the minister of foreign affairs was kind enough, on Saturday last, the 29th of April, to read, and at the same time to hand me, a copy of a communication which he had made, by order of the Emperor, to the French minister at Washington in reference to our recent national bereavement. His excellency also informed me that it would be communicated to both of the legislative branches of the government on the Monday following. It would have been communicated on the day it was shown to me if the corps legislatif had been in session.

As I had been notified, his excellency Mr. Vuitry, minister president of the council of state, at the opening of the senate yesterday, and by order of the Emperor, read the despatch to which I have referred, and added that he hoped the members of the senate would unite in the sentiments which the Emperor had charged him to testify to them.

The president of the senate, M. Troplong, replying in the name of the assembly to the commissioner of the government, declared that the senate shared entirely the views of the Emperor; that it had been struck with the same sorrow and even indignation when it heard of the attempt made upon the person of a citizen borne to the supreme power by the free choice of his country; that this sorrow could only be increased by the recollection of the noble sentiments of moderation and of conciliation manifested in the recent proclamation of President Lincoln.

The president, Troplong, then proposed, and the senate unanimously voted, its adhesion to the sentiments of the despatch to the French minister at Washington in the usual form.

The same communication was simultaneously submitted to the corps legislatif by his excellency Monsieur Rouher, minister of state, with a few impressive remarks. The vice-president, Schneider, interpreting the feelings of the assembly, expressed its horror at the crime which had been thus brought to their notice, and announced that the corps legislatif shared completely the sentiments of the government. * * * * *

I am, sir, with great respect, your very obedient servant,

JOHN BIGELOW.

Hon. William H. Seward,
Secretary of State, &c., &c., &c.