Mr. Asboth to Mr. Seward.

No. 1.]

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of dispatch No. 1, of April 11th ultimo, from your department to this legation, informing me that the Senate had been pleased to confirm my nomination as minister resident to Uruguay, and inclosing my printed personal instructions; a sealed letter of credentials, with an office copy of the same; a circular letter on the duties of keeping up the records of the legation; and a list of the diplomatic and consular officers of the United States.

Before proceeding to acquaint you with my action in consequence of this dispatch, permit me to express my high sense of the further favor thus manifested to me. It was an honor which I felt deeply when, although only an adopted son of the great republic, I was commissioned to represent it abroad near the government of the Argentine Republic.

The additional trust now committed to me inspires feelings of profound gratitude, which I hope to be spared to evince by the zealous attention to the interests of the United States, for which the department so kindly gives me credit.

At the moment of receiving your dispatch No. 1, there was such an abatement of the sickness which has so long prostrated me as to afford hope that in a short time I might be able, in conformity with my insructions, to proceed to Montevideo.

Finding, however, that I was unable to travel, on the 6th September, ultimo, I opened communication by letter with Señor Don Alberto Flangini, the Uruguay minister of foreign affairs, which resulted in the reception of my credentials by the provisional governor of that republic; the address of a letter by him to the President of the United States, and the issue of a decree, under date of October 2d, ultimo, recognizing me in the character of minister resident of the United States to Uruguay.

I have the honor to inclose herewith, marked A, the above-mentioned sealed letter of the provisional governor of Uruguay to the President of the United States, and to annex a full copy of my correspondence with Señor Flangini, of my address to the provisional governor, and of his decree above alluded to, viz:

[Confidential.]

No. 1.]

Legation of the United States, Buenos Ayres, September 6, 1867.

Sir: I have the honor to inform your excellency that the President of the United States of America was pleased to nominate, and, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, has appointed me to he minister resident of the United States of America to the republic of Uruguay, in addition to my present mission here.

Fully sensible of the importance of the high trust confided to me by my government, and convinced of the mutual benefits that will accrue to both republics from the establishment of more close and friendly relations between them, nothing would have given [Page 995] me greater gratification than, on the receipt of my commission, to have proceeded at once to Montevideo, the capital of the republic, there to ascertain, through your kind offices, the pleasure of his excellency the provisional governor, General Venancio Flores, as to the presentation of the letter accrediting me in my new official capacity.

A long protracted illness has, however, confined me for several months to a sick bed; and, as I am still unable to leave my room, I venture herewith, confidentially, to request that your excellency may be pleased to inform me whether, under these peculiar circumstances, which render impossible at present my haying the honor to deliver my credentials personally into the hands of the chief magistrate of the republic, his excellency General Flores would consent to a deviation from the established rule, and permit me to present them through your excellency by an official letter.

I beg to inclose a certified copy of these my credentials, and avail myself of this opportunity to assure your excellency of the distinguished consideration with which I have the honor to be your excellency’s obedient servant,

A. ASBOTH.

His Excellency Señor Don Alberto Flangini, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Montevideo.

[Confidential.—Translation.]

Mr. Minister: I have had the honor to receive your excellency’s confidential note, dated the 6th instant, No. 1, in which you are pleased to communicate to me that his excellency the President of the United States of America has thought proper to appoint you his minister resident near my government, manifesting at the same time the material impossibility in which you find yourself of delivering personally the letter accrediting you in the above-mentioned character, a copy of which is inclosed by your excellency.

Having brought this communication to the knowledge of his excellency the provisional governor of the republic, Brigadier General Don Venancio Flores, he has desired me to say to your excellency, in reply, that the Oriental government, being anxious to cultivate, in all sincerity, and to bind closer the relations of friendship which happily exist between the two republics, views with the highest gratification your excellency’s appointment as the worthy representative of the great North American republic in the Oriental Republic.

I have, at the same time, the satisfaction to make known to your excellency that, in consequence of the motives given in the note to which I am now replying, with regard to the delivery of the credentials, although, as your excellency states, the form proposed by you is a deviation from the established rule, nevertheless, the Oriental government, out of deference to your excellency, consents that the credentials alluded to should be remitted to this office to be duly recognized.

With this, it is highly gratifying to me to offer to your excellency the assurances of my grateful consideration and distinguished regard.

ALBERTO FLANGINI.

His Excellency Don Alexandro Asboth, Minister Resident of the United States of America, Buenos Ayres.

No. 2.]

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency’s communication on the 13th instant, in which you reply to my confidential note of the 6th instant. Your excellency is pleased to state that the Oriental government, in kind consideration of the circumstances which render my removal from my sick room at present impossible, is willing to deviate from the existing general rule and sanction the presentation of my credentials, accrediting me as United States minister resident in the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, through your excellency’s good offices, by an official letter.

I have, in consequence, the honor to forward herewith a sealed letter from the President of the United States of America to his excellency the provisional governor of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay accrediting me to its government, as well as an address from myself to his excellency Brigadier General Don Venancio Flores, both of which I would request your excellency to deliver into the hands of his excellency the chief magistrate of the republic for official consideration.

And while acknowledging my high sense of the personal obligation implied in the readiness with which the Oriental government has acceded to my request, I have more [Page 996] particularly to beg that your excellency will accept my special and most sincere thanks, and will also allow me to assure you again of the high consideration with which I have the honor to be your excellency’s obedient servant.

A. ASBOTH.

His Excellency Señor Don Alberto Flangini, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Montevideo.

[Untitled]

Address of General A. Asboth, in presenting his credentials as minister of the United States of America near the government of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, to his excellency Brigadier General Don Veenancio Flores, chief magistrate of the Oriental Republic.

General: I have the honor to present herewith to your excellency my credentials as minister resident of the United States of America, and in so doing I beg leave to assure your excellency that, fully sensible of the honor that has devolved upon me of inaugurating, for the first time, official diplomatic relations between the United States of America and the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, it will not only be my duty but my highest pleasure to uphold and foster, both officially and personally, in a spirit of true friendship and harmony, those relations which, I sincerely trust, may lastingly be productive of mutual benefits to the two sister republics.

Your excellency will therefore permit me, in thus placing in your hands my letter of credence from the President of the United States of America, to assure your excellency that the sentiments therein expressed will always find in me a faithful exponent. And I beg to add my heartfelt desire and earnest hope, that the day may soon arrive in which the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, crowned with a profound, substantial, and lasting peace, shall be free to pursue its noble career of progress and humanity, and, by faithfully advancing the interests of republican institutions, steadily develop the prosperity and happiness of its people.

May Almighty God preserve your excellency many years in His safe and holy keeping.

[Translation.]

Mr. Minister: I have had the honor to receive your excellency’s note, dated 17th ultimo, inclosing the letters of credence accrediting you in the character of minister resident of the United States of America in this republic, as well as your excellency’s address on your reception.

These documents have been laid before the provisional governor. He has charged me to thank your excellency, in his name, for the terms in which your address is conceived; assuring you, at the same time, that he feels the highest satisfaction in cultivating and strengthening through your excellency the sincere and cordial relations which must always subsist between both republics.

I hereby inclose to your excellency a certified copy of the decree issued this day by Ms excellency the provisional governor, recognizing your excellency in the above mentioned character, and I beg at the same time that you may be pleased to forward to its address the letter which, with the customary copy, I remit to your excellency for the United States of America.

Having thus fulfilled the order of his excellency the provisional governor, I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to your excellency the assurances of my highest consideration and regard.

ALBERTO FLANGINI.

His Excellency Don Alesandro Asboth, Minister resident of the United States of America, Buenos Ayres.

Certified copy of the decree recognizing General A. Asboth, in the above mentioned character as minister of the United States of America to the republic of Uruguay.

[Translation.]

DECREE.

The provisional governor of the republic decrees:

Article 1. Don Alesandro Asboth is hereby recognized in the character of minister [Page 997] resident of the United States of America, in accordance with the credential letters he has presented.

Art. 2. Don Alesandro Asboth is, moreover, declared to hold and enjoy the prerogatives and exemptions to which he is entitled by public right.

Art. 3. Let this be communicated, published, and inserted in the corresponding register.

FLORES.

ALBERTO FLANGINI.

Under date of October 13th, ultimo, I addressed a further note, No. 3, to Señor Flangini, acknowledging the courteous manner in which my credentials had been received by the provisional governor of Uruguay, announcing my formal entry on the duties of minister resident of the United States to that republic, and informing him of the reply of the President to the letter of the provisional governor declining, on the part of Uruguay, the mediation proffered by the United States in the war between the allies and Paraguay. The following is a copy of the said note:

No. 3.]

Legation of the United States, Buenos Ayres, October 13, 1867.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency’s favor of the 2d instant, in reply to my official request marked No. 2, and dated September 15th, relative to submitting my credentials as minister resident of the United States of America to the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, and my own address to his excellency Brigadier General Don Venancio Flores, chief magistrate of that republic, for his official consideration.

In this communication your excellency was good enough to inform me of the kind manner in which his excellency the provisional governor of the Oriental Republic had been pleased to receive those official documents, and the assurance of the high satisfaction which his excellency feels in cultivating and strengthening the most sincere and cordial relations between the two sister republics.

At the same time your excellency was pleased to inclose a certified copy of the decree issued on the 2d instant by his excellency Brigadier General Don Yenancio Flores, recognizing me in the above-mentioned character of minister resident of the United States of America near his government, together with a letter from his excellency the provisional governor to the President of the United States of America.

Having thus been duly installed through your excellency’s kind offices in my diplomatic mission near the government of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, I have the honor hereby to enter formally upon the duties connected with this my new office.

In doing so, I beg leave to inform your excellency that I have been officially advised by the Secretary of State of the United States of America that he has had the honor to receive from your excellency a communication, in which, while your excellency in the name of the Oriental Republic declines the good offices proffered by the United States for the restoration of peace in the countries of the La Plata, your excellency expresses at the same time a high appreciation of those good offices, and assigns the reasons for the course which the Oriental Republic feels itself bound to pursue.

I am further instructed by the Secretary of State to mention that your excellency’s communication has been laid before the President of the United States, and that, while the President regrets the failure of his efforts to secure the restoration of peace, he hopes at the same time that that consummation may be speedily reached in some manner which will be honorable and satisfactory to the respective belligerents, and that he will hold himself at all times ready to contribute to that end in any way which shall seem likely to be agreeable to the parties concerned, and at the same time effective.

Having thus fulfilled the orders of my government, I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to your excellency the assurances of the high consideration and regard with which I have the honor to be your excellency’s obedient servant,

A. ASBOTH.

Señor Don Alberto Flangini, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Montivideo,

I venture, in conclusion, to offer to you, sir, personally, the tribute of my warm and grateful acknowledgments of the renewed confidence reposed in me; and I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

A. ASBOTH.

Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.