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. Rösing to Mr. Hunter .

Hanseatic Legation, Washington , April 16, 1865.

Sir: It was with deep commotion and profound sorrow that I learned the sad events of which your note of yesterday bears intelligence.

The death of President Lincoln will be lamented throughout this country not only, but throughout the world.

My heartfelt sympathies are with the much-tried Secretary of State and the Assistant Secretary. A benign Providence may spare their precious lives and let them witness their nation’s resurrection from the mortal blow it has suffered.

I trust President Johnson will inherit the people’s respect and confidence of which his predecessor was possessed to such a remarkable degree.

With feelings of high personal regard, sir, I have the honor to be your most obedient servant,

JOHANNES RÖSING

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Hon. William Hunter
Acting Secretary of State of the United States, Washington.