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

Minister of France to Mr. Burton.

[Translation.]

Bogota, June 20, 1865.

The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of his Majesty the Emperor, has received the note of to-day by which his excellency Mr. Allan A. Burton, minister of the United States of America, has made known to him the death of Abraham Lincoln, President of the Union.

The undersigned has learned with feelings of the most profound regret of this sorrowful event, which happened under circumstances rendering it, if possible, still more afflicting. The minister of the Emperor loses no time in praying his excellency Mr. Allan A. Burton, minister of the United States of America, to freely accept the sincere expression of the pain the legation of his Majesty the Emperor has experienced, and to assure him that he will perform the duty of uniting with the representatives of the United States of America in hoisting the flag of the empire at half-mast through to-morrow.

The undersigned takes this sad occasion to renew to his excellency the assurances of his high consideration and esteeem.

BARON GOURY DU ROSLAN.

His Excellency Mr. Allan A. Burton,
Minister of the United States of America, &c., &c., &c.