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 the Argentine Republic

[Translation.]

Rio de Janeiro, May 18, 1865.

The undersigned, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the Argentine republic, hastens to present to his excellency General Webb, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the United States of America, the testimony of his profound grief caused by the sad incident that has put all the citizens of the United States in deep mourning—the undersigned being on this occasion, in the feelings that he transmits to his excellency, the true exponent of the sincere sorrow that will be felt by the Argentine people and government when they hear of the unfortunate event which happened on the 14th of April in the country of their greatest sympathies.

The Divine Providence which has protected the destiny of the United States in this the most trying epoch of its history, will know how to make of his martyrdom a new encouragement for the faith and heroism of the American citizens in the holy war, in which they defend, along with the institutions of their country, the highest principles of human dignity.

The funeral of that great citizen will be morally accompanied by all the free countries of the universe. And be it allowed to the undersigned to assure his excellency General Webb that no country will more sincerely and spontaneously regret this event than the citizens of the Argentine republic. And again presenting his excellency the plenipotentiary of the United States the expression of his profound sorrow, the undersigned begs, at the same time, your excellency to accept the expression of his highest esteem.

J. MARMOL

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J. Watson Webb, Esq., Minister of the United States.