Mr. Burton to Mr.
Seward
No. 194.]
Legation of the United States, Bogota
,
October 13, 1865.
Sir: As directed by your No. 126, I, on
yesterday, in public audience, delivered to his Excellency the citizen
President of Colombia, the message of gratitude for the condolence and
sympathy tendered by the Colombian government and people on the
bereavement sustained by the death of the lamented Abraham Lincoln, late
President of the United States, with which I had been intrusted.
As other bodies in the republic had followed the example of the
constituent convention of Bolivar, I ventured to extend the message to
the whole country; his excellency the secretary of foreign relation
communicated it in a note to each body. The annexed papers will explain
how I have attempted to fulfil your instructions.
I was received on the occasion by the military in full dress, and by
bands of music. The attendance at the audience, as well as the whole
proceedings, was highly flattering.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
Mr. Burton to Señor Santiago Perez
Legation of the United States of
America, Bogota
,
October 10,
1865.
The kind condolence and sympathy tendered by the government and
people of Colombia to the country of the undersigned in the
bereavement it has sustained by the death of the lamented Abraham
Lincoln, its late President, having been made known to the
government of the undersigned, he has been specially charged to
assure his Excellency the citizen President of the Colombia Union of
the lively sentiments of friendship and gratitude with which the
good offices of this nation have been accepted by the government and
people of the United States of America, and will thank his
excellency the secretary of the interior and foreign relations to
inform him when his Excellency the citizen President will be pleased
to hear said communication.
The undersigned prays his excellency Señor Secretary Perez to accept
the assurances of his most distinguished consideration.
His Excellency Señor Santiago Perez,
Secretary of the Interior and Foreign
Relations.
[Page 454]
[Translation.]
Señor Santiago Perez to Mr. Burton
United States of Colombia,
Department of the Interior and Foreign Relations,
Bogota
,
October 11, 1865.
The undersigned, secretary of the interior and foreign relations of
the United States of Colombia, had the honor to receive the note in
which the honorable minister of the United States of America makes
known his having received instructions from his government,
directing him to communicate to the citizen President the lively
sentiments of friendship and gratitude produced in the minds of the
American people and government by the unmistakable demonstrations of
grief caused in the Colombian Union by the death of Abraham Lincoln,
and soliciting at the same time a special audience of the first
magistrate for the purpose of making to him said communication by
order of his government.
The citizen President has designated Thursday next for such
reception, and being profoundly grateful for this mark of
consideration on the part of the American government and people, he
will have the pleasure to manifest again and officially the profound
feeling which has been caused throughout this union, by the
unfortunate death of that honest and virtuous citizen, who, so
honorably for the republican world, sustained the just union and
true liberty of the great republic.
The undersigned renews to the honorable Mr. Burton the assurances of
his very high consideration.
Hon. Allan A. Burton, Minister Resident of the United States of America.
Mr. Burton to Señor Perez
Bogota,
October 11, 1865.
The minister of the United States of America has the honor to present
his most respectful compliments to his excellency Señor Santiago
Perez, secretary of the interior and foreign relations of the
Colombian Union, and to enclose a copy of the remarks which he will
have the honor to address to his Excellency the citizen President at
the audience with which he is to be honored on Thursday next.
Mr. President: The kind condolence and
sympathy tendered by this nation to my country in the bereavement
sustained by the death of its late President, the lamented Abraham
Lincoln, having been made known to my government, I am specially
charged to assure your Excellency, and to request that the same be
communicated to the citizens of this republic, that the generous
tribute of the Colombian government and people in connection with
that melancholy event has been accepted with the most lively
sentiments of friendship and gratitude by the government and people
of the United States of America.
[Translation.]
Mr. Minister: It is very flattering and
pleasing to the government and people of Colombia to know that the
American people and government should have been gratified at the
expression of sorrow and kindly sympathy emitted by us, when we
heard that a crime had deprived your country of one of its most
enlightened citizens, as a victim offered up on the altar of duty.
And these frequent manifestation of sympathy between the two
countries are very grateful to me, because they tend to strengthen
the mutual esteem which ought to exist between republican peoples
living on the same continent.
