Mr. Blaine to Mr. Hubbard.

No. 288.]

Sir: I have received your dispatch No. 548 of the 14th ultimo, in relation to the assassination of his excellency, Viscount Arinori Mori, the Japanese minister of education, by a religious fanatic.

This Department received with regret this intelligence from the minister of Japan at this capital, in February last, and observed to Mr. Mutsu, in reply, that the circumstance of such a tragical occurrence having had no other prompting than a diseased mind and being wholly devoid of personal or political motive, deprives the incident of any significance.

You will convey to the minister for foreign affairs a suitable expression of this Government’s condolence at the death of so eminent a statesman, whose services as the diplomatic representative of Japan at this capital from 1871 to 1873 are recalled with gratification.

I am, etc.,

James G. Blaine.