Office of the Historian

No. 599.
Mr. Schuyler to Mr. Blaine.

Legation of the United States,
Bucharest, April 7, 1881. (Received April 23, 1881.)
No. 57.]

Sir: Referring to my previous dispatches No. 46, dated March 12, No. 50, dated March 26, and No. 51, dated March 30, with reference to the proclamation of the kingdom of Roumania, I have the honor to inform you that in recognizing the new title Belgium was followed by Monaco, Greece, Turkey, Italy, England, and Servia. The form of recognition generally adopted was to congratulate the King and government on the proclamation of the kingdom and to promise a formal reply on the receipt of the formal announcement. On the 2d of April I telegraphed you, “England, Italy, and four others recognize kingdom.” On the 3d of April I received your telegraphic reply, saying, “If great powers of Europe unite in recognizing new government you will join with them and express congratulations of the President. Await their action.”

An understanding having been arrived at between the great powers that there was no objection in principle to the new title, it was recognized [Page 985] by France, then by Holland, and yesterday morning by the three empires of Russia, Austria, and Germany, who had agreed to act simultaneously. In compliance with your instructions I at once presented to Mr. Boeresco the congratulations of the President and have to-day been received in audience by the King. His Majesty in reply desired me to express his thanks at the prompt and friendly action of the United States.

In the absence of a Roumanian representative at Washington I have been requested to forward to you the formal letter from the King to the President. I inclose it herewith with the usual office copy and translation.

I have, &c.,

EUGENE SCHUYLER.
[Inclosure in No. 57.—Translation.]

Letter of the King to the President.

Very Dear and Great Friend: I esteem myself happy to be able to announce to you that the Roumanian nation by the organ of its regular representatives has decided that the sovereign power would find in the royal dignity an expression conformable to the interests and needs of the country and in relation to the incontestable progress and the political importance of the Roumanian state. I have considered it a duty towards my country to answer its call and I have taken for myself and my successors the title of King of Roumania. Not doubting the interest the Government of the United States bears towards Roumania, I am persuaded that it will receive the announcement of this happy event with sympathy, and that it will see in it serious guarantees for a good European understanding on the Lower Danube.

I eagerly seize this agreeable occasion to give to you the assurance that all my efforts will tend to draw closer and closer the bonds that unite our two countries and to give you constant proofs of the high esteem and the sincere attachment with which I am, very dear and great friend,

Your sincere friend,

CHARLES.

Bucharest, April 3, 1881.