Mr. Clayton to Mr. Hay.

No. 357.]

Sir: Referring to my dispatch No. 356, of yesterday, concerning the instruction contained in Mr. Hill’s telegraphic message of the same day directing me to express the regret of the President of the United States that circumstances had arisen causing President Diaz to abandon his visit to Chicago, etc., I have the honor to report that I called upon the President at the National Palace at 5 o’clock yesterday afternoon, and in the execution of the aforesaid instruction I addressed the President as follows:

Mr. President: I am charged by the President of the United States to express to you his sincere regret that circumstances have arisen which prevent your excellency from carrying out your intention to visit Chicago on the occasion of the laying of the corner stone of the United States building in that city, and to assure your excellency of his sympathy on account of the illness of Señora Diaz, and his hope for her speedy recovery. The President also directed me to say that Mr. Mariscal, as the personal representative of Your Excellency, will receive every consideration due to his high office and his distinguished representative character.

The President replied that he thanked the President of the United States for his kind expressions conveyed through me, and requested me to say that he regretted very much that existing circumstances prevented his accepting the invitation of the Chicago committee, because he felt confident of the fact that had he been able to go it would have been conducive to furthering relations between the United States and Mexico.

I have, etc.,

Powell Clayton.