Mr. Moran to Mr.
Seward
No. 70.]
Legation of the United States,
London,
July 8, 1868.
Sir: With respect to your dispatch No. 12, of
the 16th ultimo, I have the honor to state that I have forwarded to Lord
Stanley the two volumes to which it refers, containing expressions of
condolence and
[Page 321]
sympathy on the
assassination of President Lincoln, one being intended for the British
government, and the other for Earl Russell, who at the time of the
murder was her Majesty’s principal secretary of state for foreign
affairs. I transmit copies of the notes relating to these volumes which
passed between me and Lord Stanley in the performance of the duty of
forwarding them to his lordship under your directions. As bearing upon
the recognition by the Congress of the United States of the expressions
of sympathy from England on the assassination of President Lincoln, I
inclose copies of two notes arising out of the transmission by myself of
one of these volumes, with a note from you to Tom Taylor, esq., the
author of the ode on Mr. Lincoln, which appeared in the London Punch of the 6th of May, 1865. Mr. Haswell, of
the department, had asked me to ascertain the name of the author of the
poem and send the book to him. Through a friend I learned that Mr. Tom
Taylor was the writer. I trust that his hearty letter, acknowledging the
recognition by you of that ode, will not be unwelcome to you and to
Congress.
I have the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.
Mr. Moran to Lord Stanley
Legation of the United
States. London,
July 2,
1868.
My Lord: By direction of my government I
have the honor to forward herewith two copies of a volume containing
expressions of condolence and sympathy inspired by the assassination
of Abraham Lincoln, late President of the United States.
One of these volumes I have the honor to forward as a present from my
government to that of her Majesty, and I will thank your lordship to
cause the other to be presented in the name of the United States to
the Right Honorable Earl Russell, who at the death of President
Lincoln held the post of her Majesty’s chief secretary of state for
foreign affairs.
I have been instructed to inform your lordship that in forwarding
these volumes the Department of State acts in pursuance of a
resolution of the Congress of the United States, approved March 2,
1867, and that these testimonial volumes are presented to foreign
governments, corporations, associations, and individuals, as a mark
of the grateful appreciation in which the generous expressions of
condolence and sympathy in their national bereavement, received from
them respectively, are held by the people of the United States.
I inclose two copies of the resolution of Congress above referred to,
which I will thank your lordship to cause to be placed with the two
volumes transmitted herewith.
Renewing the assurances of my highest consideration, &c.,
&c., &c.,
The Right Hon. Lord Stanley, &c., &c., &c.
Lord Stanley to Mr. Moran
Foreign Office,
July 4, 1868.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your note of the 2d instant, forwarding two volumes, one
of which, in pursuance of a resolution of the United States
Congress, is intended as a present to her Majesty’s government from
that of the United States, as a mark of the grateful appreciation
entertained by the people of the United States of the generous
expressions of condolence and sympathy which they received from this
country on the melancholy occasion of the assassination of Mr.
Abraham Lincoln, late President of the United States.
In requesting you to convey to your government the thanks of that of
her Majesty for the highly interesting correspondence contained in
the volumes in question, I have to add that her Majesty’s government
fully appreciates the kindness of the government
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of the United States in presenting
them with such a record of the general feelings, shared in most
deeply by this country, which the assassination of Mr. Lincoln
called forth.
I beg to add that I have forwarded to Earl Russell the volume
intended for his lordship.
I have the honor, &c.,
Benjamin Moran, Esq., &c., &c., &c.
Mr. Moran to Mr. Taylor
Legation of the United
States, London,
July 6, 1868.
Sir: I have the honor to forward herewith a
volume containing expressions of condolence and sympathy inspired by
the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, late President of the United
States, together with a letter from the Secretary of State of the
United States, which I have been requested to transmit to you as a
recognition of the sentiments which pervade the ode written by you
on the death of Mr. Lincoln, which appeared in Punch of the 6th of
May, 1865.
Trusting that the volume and letter will be acceptable to you, I have
the honor to be, sir, your obedient servant,
Tom Taylor, Esq., 8 Richmond Terrace, Whitehall.
Mr. Taylor to Mr. Moran
Local Government Act
Office, 8 Richmond Terrace,
Whitehall, S. W., July 7, 1868.
Sir: I have much pride and pleasure in
receiving at your hands the volume containing expressions of
condolence and sympathy inspired by the assassination of the late
lamented President of the United States, which has been forwarded to
me by direction of Mr. Secretary Seward.
The ode, reprinted from Punch of May 6, 1865, and written by me, has
at least the merit of expressing the sincere feelings of the author
on the character of Lincoln, the nobleness with which he rose to the
height of a great position, the grand self-forgetfulness of his
life, and the sadness of the catastrophe which struck him down at
the moment he was achieving the work to which he had devoted
himself.
Knowing no nobler character since Washington, and being unable to
conceive a worthier successor of that pure statesman, I feel proud
and grateful that my poor lines should be connected with so
venerable a memory.
I have to request that you will convey to Mr. Secretary Seward my
deep sense of the honor he has done me in printing my tribute in
this volume, and of his courtesy in sending it to me. I have to
thank you personally also for the kindness of your own letter,
transmitting Mr. Secretary Seward’s letter and the volume to which
it refers, and I have the honor to be your obedient and obliged
servant,
Benjamin Moran, Esq., &c., &c., &c.
