The Norfolk post. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1865-1866, 1866-03-19
THE NEWS. !

RECEPTION OF THE BELGIAN MINISTER.
Baron Aleinor BeauIiett, Envoy Ex-
traordinary and Minister PIenipoten-
tiary of his Majesty the King of Bel
GUM to the Germanic Confederation,
| was to-day introduced to the President
by the Secretary of State, and delivered
| letters from his sovereign announcing
| sion of Leopold III. to the throne. ~
The Baron made the following re-
marks on the occasion 81 st -ae
MIR. PRESIDENTS: have been entrust-
ed by the King, my sovereign, with the
mission of notifying your Excellency OF
| the death of his venerable father and
his own accession No the throne Of Bel
GUM. lf 4a} e8 gfs6
The late King had evinced on many
occasions the true interest he took III
the affairs of your country. His success
sor, King Leopold H., entertains the
same sentiments He is a sincere and
affectionate friend to the United States,
and the great and good thugs they have
done are the objects Of his warmest adj
miratioii. f,ls n. .e5t
His Majesty's most ardent desire is
not only to maintain the cordial rela-
tons which Belgium, since her indie
| pendence, has established with this
great Republic, but also to increase ard
| enlarge them for the welfare and the
4 commercial interest of both countries,
| which, having free institutions, have
| natural and great affinities in common.
| Belgium occupies but small place on
| the map of Europe, but on that spot is
concentrated population whose motto
Is religion, labor, liberty-thOse real re
sources Of true civilization and moral
greatness. By all this feel confident,
Mr.. President, that the assurances OF
friendship and good will have the mis-
sion to express will be echoed here. AL
low me to add, in my own behalf, how
proud and honored feel at having been
| chosen by my sovereign to convey these
| ASSURANCES to this country, with which
| former mission, twenty years ago, had
made me familiar, and which, in the in
| terval, has grown SO much in material
greatness as well as internal power e
Ihave the honor of presenting toyour
| Excellency two letters containing my
credentials and the notification have
spoken of.
TO which the, President, replied as
| follows: 1
Baron: Belgium is chiefly known in
history as country which has contin-
ually suffered by being involuntarily
chosen for battle-ground on which
L
| irreconcilable ideas and ambitions. For
that reason l never meet represe u ta-
tive of Belgium without feeling desire
to congratulate him upon the repose, the
tranquility, the prosperity and the dig
nifty which his country at last attained
under the sway of her sovereign Lee
Opold.
which we are living will show that the
Government and people of the United
States duly appreciated the friendship
with which we were favored by the
Belgians during that reign. Il am pro-
foundly affected by the good will and
kindness which have moved the new
King to give us an assurance, at the be-
ginning of his administration, and in 50
marked manner, that he ente rtains for
the United States the same sentiments
of sincere and afiectionate friendship by
which his predecessor was inspired. it
is little that the United States can do
directly to reciprocate benefits with
European states. in rl
Indirectly, however, all those states
may derive advantages from the prac-
tice Of a wise, just and liberal policy on
this side of the .Atlantic. dgE b6f
| We endeavor to respect the rights OF
sovereign states to be exempt from for
| eign Intervention or dictatIoD. We seek
to illustrate how a people can be free,
nd yet abstain from aggression. How,
| W ithout forming entangling alliances, O
| Fl ee people can cooperate with other
II. stions in advancing the great interests
of civilization, and how nations may,
| from time to time, become persuaded Il
bring within the reach of appeal to lust
and peaceful arbitration, controversies
4 that otherwise must necessarily be re-
ferred to the trial of force. s,iaH
/ reserve for some other occasion and
a more conventional manner a special
answer TO the letter of his majesty
which you have delivered to me.,i In the
meantime, Iwilfthank you to inform him
that Ii will be the desire of this Govern.
ment to pres erve and cherish the mos
friendly relations between the United
and Belgium. st g a alam .
THE ALLEGED KIDNAPPING .oP,FREEDMEN
The President sent message to tn,
Senate to-day in answer to resolution
requesting him to communicate any in
formation in the possession of the Elk
ecutiye in relation to the alleged kidnap
ping of colored persons In the Southern
States, for the purpose of selling then
as slaves in Cuba or elsewhere. -
1t appears from the documents trans
mitted, and in 4 letter written by Gen
Candy, that three colored children wer
. abducted from New Orleans and carrie
to Havana. or some other port of Cub