Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-04-21
OUR FOREIGN RELATIONS.
Addresses Of the Diplomatic Corps
President johnson

uals as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
66iendpoIentiary OF Her Britanic Majesty TO this
| government Sir Frederick made the follow
| ing remarks upon the occasion:
MR.. PRESIDENT: 1t is with deep and sincere
concern that l nave to accompany nay first
official act with expressions Of confidence
On Saturday last the ceremony that takes
place 70. day was to have been performed.
But the gracious intentions of the late lamented
President were frustrated by events which
have plunged this country into CONSERVATION
and atllIction, and which will call forth in
Great Britain feelings OF horror as well as pro-
found sympathy for the victims.
1t becomes, therefove, my duty, sir, to pre-
sent the letter from my sovereign, Of which
am the bearer. to you as President OF the United
the assurances of regard and good will which
her Majesty entertains toward you, sir, as
President of the United States.
am further directed to express her MaJesty's
friendly disposition toward the great nation of
which You are the Chief Magistrate, and her
heT hearty good wishes for It's peace, prosperity
Her Majesty has nothing more at heart than
10 cultlyate 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 directed to perform
the duties OF the important and honorable post
Permit me, sir, to say that 1t shall be the OBJ
ject of my earnest endeavors to carry out nv
instructions faithfully in this respect, and to
express the hope, sir, that You will favorably
consider my attempts to merit your approba-
iion and to glEs e1hffGGt ea1fGG OF nsf Mfssys Gov
eminent.
1 have the honor, sir, to place in Your hands
the letter OF credence confided to me by her
Majesty.
To which the President replied as follows:
SIR FREDERICK w. A. BRUCE: The cordial
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 be-
thaY~n tha tim
possessions, and the similarity of their Ian
s~.ea and laws, are drawn into constant and
are from the same causes exposeu " freauont
occasions OF MISUNDERSTANDING only to be
averted by mutual forbearance. So eagerly
'r" the people OF the TIVE countries engaged
throughout almost the whole world in the pur-
suit Of similar commercial enterprises, accom-
panied by natural ri ivalries and jealousies, that
~ 80 ---o-Id almost seem that the two
Governments must be enemies,
and calculating friends. SO devoted are the
two nations, throughout all their domain, ana
even in their most remote territorial and COLO
nia possessions, TO the principles OF civil rights
and constitutional liberty, that, on the other
hand, the superficial observer might errone-
ously count upon a continued concert OF action
and sympathy, amounting to an alliance be-
tween them.
the progress and liberty OF q considerable por-
ton of the human race. Each in It's sphere Is
subject to difficulties and trials not parucl-
pated in by the other. The interests OF civili-
zation and of humanity require the TWO snould
he friends l have always known and ac-
cepted it as fact honorable to to 6otn countries,
| honest we'll -wisher to the United States. L
have been equally frank and explicit In the
opinion that the friendship of the United States
| toward Great Britain is enjoined by all con-
| siderations of interest and of sentiment Affect
! ing the character of both. You will, therefore,
be accepted as Minister friendly and well
| disposed to the maintenance of peace and the
| honor of both countries. You will find my self
! and all my associates, acting in accordance
with the same enlightened policy and con.
| sisten. sentiments, and so am sure that it
| will not occur in your case that either yourself
| or this Government will ever have cause to
| regret tina. such an important relationship ex.
| listed at such q Crisis.
| Shortly after the reception of Sir Frederick
| Bruce the various members of the diplomatic
| body were presented to the President by the
| Acting Secretary Of State. AS dean or the
| body, Baron Won Gerelt, the Minister OF Prus-
| sia, addressed the President as follows:
| MI. President: The representatives Of for
| eign nations have assembled here to express
| to your excellency their feelings at the deplo-
| rable events OF which they have been wit
| nesses, to say how sincerely they share in the
| national mourning for the cruel fate Of the
| late President, Abraham Lincoln. and how,
| deeply they sympathiZe with the Government
| and people Of the United States in their great
| affliction.
With equal sincerity we tender to you, Mr..
| President, our best wishes for the welfare and
Personal be4Hf 4f the United States, and for your
May we be allowed also, Mr. President, to
give utterance on this occasion to our slncerest
| hopes for an early re-establishment Of peace in
| this great country, and for the maintenance OF
| the friendly relations between the Govern
| ment of the United States and the Govern
| ments which we represent.
To which the President replied:
/ Gentlemen Of the Diplomatic Body:-I heart
| lily thank you on behalf of the Government
| and people of the United States for the sym :
| pathy which you have so feeIingly expressed
| upon the mournful events to which you refer
The good wishes, also, which you SO kindly
| offer for the welfare and prosperity of the
| United States, and for my personal health and
| happiness, are gratefully received.
Your hopes for the early restoration Of peace
| in this country are cordially reciprocated by
me, and you may be assured that shall leave
| nothing undone toward preserving those rela-
| tions of friendship which now, fortunately
exist between the United States and all foreign
| powers.