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

The Bey to President Johnson

[Literal translation from the Arabic]

Praises to the only God!

To the excellence of the eminent personage whose merits are celebrated, and whose renown is universal, like the light of the sun, which cannot be hidden from the day; to the excellence of him who is the glory of great men, the cream of men of distinction, and whose virtues are above all praise; to our friend, Andrew Johnson, President of the United States of America: may he always he exalted, and may his days be ever prospered.

Having rendered due honor to the elevated rank and to the eminent character of your excellency, we inform you that we have heard the agreeable news of the fruitful victory gained by your government, and of the consequent re-establishment of peace and tranquillity in your great country. This news has rejoiced us beyond measure, and has awakened our warmest sentiments of gratitude by reason of the great and sincere friendship which unites our two governments; which friendship has been bequeathed to us as a heritage by our ancestors, to become stronger and stronger forever.

We were the more cheered by this news from having shared in the grief of the American people in the loss which they experienced in the death of their late President, Mr. Abraham Lincoln, a loss which we keenly felt. This grief would have remained unalterably fixed in our hearts but for the news of the re-establishment of tranquillity in your country; which news came to moderate and assuage our affliction.

We desire to present to your excellency and to your people our best compliments, with expressions of condolence in your affliction and sorrow, and with expressions of felicitations in your prosperity and joy. We despatch our envoy, the honorable, the beloved, the elect, our son, General Otman Hashem, to be the interpreter of our sentiments in the presence of your excellency and in your country. We send at the same time with him our portrait, to be a souvenir of our friendship.

May God preserve your excellency, and perpetuate the happiness and prosperity of yourself and of your illustrious nation.

Written by him who has for your excellency the highest consideration, the slave of his God, the Moosher Mohammed Essadek, Bashaw Bey, possessor of the Kingdom of Tunis.

Tunis , the 7th Rabi el tami, 1282. A. C., August 29, 1865.

[locus sigilli.]