Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1865-04-28
The New British Minis,er.

WAsH1NGToN, Thursday, April 20, 1865.
Sir Frederick w. A. Bruce was to-day intro
duced to the President by the Acting Secreta-
ry Of State, and presented his credentials as
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipoten-
tiary Of her Britannia Majesty to this Govern
ment. Sir Frederick made the following re-
marks upon the occasion.
HIS REMARKS:
Mr.. PRESIDENT: II is with deep and sin
cere concern that have to accompany my first
official act with expressions OF coincidence. On
Saturday last the ceremony that takes place to-
day was to have been performed, but the gra-
cious intentions of the late lamented President
were frustrated by events which have plunged
this country into CONSERVATION and affiiction,
and which will call forth in Great Britain feel
ings of horror as Nell as profound sympathy
for the victims. II becomes, therefore, my
painful duty, sir, 10 present the letter from my
Sovereign, of which l am bearer, to you as
President of the United States, and it is with
pleasure that convey the assurances Of regard
and good will which Her Majesty entertains
towards you, sir, as President Of the United
States. l am further directed to express Her
Majesty's friendly disposition toward the great
her hearty good wishes for its peace, prosperi-
ty and welfare.
Her Majesty has nothing more at heart than
to cultivate those relations OF amity and good
understanding which have so long and so hap
PLY existed between the two kindred nations
of the United States and Great Britain, and it
is in this spirit that am direced TO perform
the duties of this important and honorable pos,
confded to me. Permit me to say, sir, that il
shall be the object of my earnest endeavors tc
carry out my instructions faithfully in that re-
spect, and express the hope, sir, that you vii
layorably consider my attempts to meet your
appreciation. And to give effect to the friendly
intentions of the Queen and Her Mejesty's
Government, l have the honor, sir, to place ir
your hands the letter of credence conlided to
me by Her Majesty.
THE PRESIDENTS REPLY.
To which the President replied as follows
Sir Frederick A. w. Bruce Sir: The cordia
and friendly sentiments which you have ex
pressed on the part of her Britannia Majesty
give me great pleasure. Great Britain and the
United States, by the extended and varied
forms of commerce between them, the contigu
ity Of portions Of their possessions and the sim.
ilarity of their language and laws are drawn
into contrast and intimate intercourse at the
same time. They are from the same causes ex-
posed to frequent occasions of misunderstood
ing, only to be averted by mutual forbearance
So eagerly are the people of the two countrie,
engaged throughout almost the whole world ir
the pursuit of similar commercial enterprises
accompanied by natural rivalries and jealous.
les, that at first sight it would almost seem
that the two governments must be enemies, or
at best, cold and calculating friends So de-
voted are the two nations throughout all their
dominion, and even in their most remote ter
rtora and colonial possessions TO the princi-
pies of civil rights and constitutional liberty,
that, on the other hand, the superficial observ-
er might enormously count upon continued
concert of action and sympathy, amounting to
an alliance between them. Each is charged
with the development of the progress and lib
erty of considerable portion of the human
race. Each, in its sphere, is subject TO diff
culties and trials, not participated in by the
other. The interests of civilization and of hui
manity require that the two should be friends
have always known, and accepted it fact
honorable to both countries, that the Queen o
England is q sincere and honest well-wisher tc
the United States. l have been eqally' frank
and explicit in the opinion that the friends hil
of the United States toward Great Britain i
enioined Ly all the considerations of interes
and of sentiment, affecting the character o
both. You will therefore be accepted as
minister >friendly, and well disposed to thu
maintenance of peace and the honor of boti
countries. You will find myself and all my as
sociates acting in accordance with the same en-
| lightened policy and consistent sentiments
and SO am sure that it will not occur in youi
case that either yourself or this Government
will ever have cause to regret that such an i'm
portant relationship existed at such a crisis.