No. 560.
Mr. Foster
to Mr. Evarts.
Legation of
the United States,
St.
Petersburg, June 7, 1880.
(Received June 22.)
No. 5.]
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that Her
Majesty, the Empress, died on Thursday, the 3d instant. I telegraphed the
news of this sad event on that date, and upon the 5th I received your reply
expressing the sympathy of the President with the Emperor in his great
affliction. On the same day Mr. Hoffman communicated the substance of your
telegram to Mr. de Giers, with the request that the sentiments of the
President might be made known to His Majesty, and yesterday he received
[Page 875]
Mr. de Geirs’s reply. I have the
honor to inclose a copy of Mr. Hoffman’s note, and a translation of Mr. de
Giers’s reply. I have added copies of the two telegrams above referred to
the death of the Empress has necessarily postponed for a few days my
reception by the Emperor, which had been fixed for the 5th instant.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 5.]
Legation of the United States,
St. Petersburg, June 5,
1880.
Excellency: Mr. Foster did not fail to
telegraph to Mr. Evarts the sad news of the death of Her Majesty the
Empress.
I have now the honor to inform your excellency that he is to-day in
receipt of a telegraphic reply.
Mr. Evarts instructs him to say to your excellency that the President of
the United States deeply sympathizes with His Majesty the Emperor in the
great loss which he-sustains in the death of Her Majesty the
Empress.
Will your excellency kindly communicate the expression of the President’s
sympathy to the Emperor, and permit Mr. Foster and myself to add the
expression of our own deep sympathy and condolence with His Majesty in
his irreparable loss.
I take, &c.,
[Inclosure 2 in No.
5.—Translation.]
St.
Petersburg, May 25–June 6, 1880.
Sir: I made it my duty to place before His
Majesty the Emperor the letter in which you informed me that
instructions had been given by Mr. Evarts to Mr. Foster to express to
His Majesty the sentiments of the sympathy of the President of the
United States, on the occasion of the sad loss the Imperial family has
suffered. His Majesty the Emperor was much touched by them, and has
ordered me to express to you all his thanks, begging Mr. Foster to have
the kindness to transmit them to the President of the United States.
Receive, sir, &c.,
[Inclosure 3 in No.
5.—Telegrams.]
Evarts, Washington, District of Columbia:
St. Petersburg, June 3, 1880.
Empress died this morning.
Foster, Minister, St. Petersburg:
Washington, June 4, 1880.
The President deeply sympathizes with His Majesty in the great loss which
he sustains by the death of the Empress.
