The Portland daily press., 1886-02-23
THE CONGO STATE.
Correspondence Between King Leo.
poId and President Cleveland.

WASHINGTON, Feb 22.-Included in some
diplomatic correspondence recently sent to
Congress is the following letter from King
Leopold of Belgium to President Cleveland,
written at the time the King assumed the
title of Sovereign Of the Independent State
of Congo.
OsTEND, August l, 1885.
Te1y Dear and great Friend
The government of the Republic of the United
flag of the International Association of the Congo
as that of a friendly nation at the time of the
signing of the general act of the conference Of
Berlin. The president and members of that high
citation to the acts of that conference manifested
their sympathy for its enterprise. Today the pO
Sition of the association is fixed III an interna-
tiona point of view. That its Territorial constitu
ti0n Is established and that its mission has need
Of encouragement am prepared to bring to
your notice and to that of the Republic of the
United States of America. that the possessions of
the International Association of the Congo will
hereafter form an independent State of the Congo
l have at the same time the honor to inform you
and the government of the Republic of the Uni
ted States of America that | am authorized by
the Belgian. legislative Chambers to become the
chief OF the new State have taken, in accord
ance with the wish of the association, the title OF
Sovereign of the Independent State OF Congo.
The union between Belgium and that State will be
exclusively personal The new State, am firm
y convinced, Will fdlfll the expectations of those
powers which have in a measure greeted in adj
vance its entry into the family of nations. shall
endeavor to guide it in that course, and enter
tain the hope that you will be pleased as well as
the government of the Republic of the United
States of America, to facilitate my task by giving
a favorable reception to the present notification.
eagerly seize this occasion to offer you express
ions of high esteem and of inviOlable friendship,
with which am, very dear and great friend, your
sincere friend, LEOPOLD.
President Cleveland sent the following
reply:
Esteemed and Great Friend:
have had much pleasure In receiving your
majestyS letter of the first OF August last an
nomcing that the possessions OF the International
independent State of Congo, and that your
majesty under the authorization of the Belgium
legislative Chambers, and in accord with the
Association, has assumed the title of Sovereign of
the Independent State of the Congo. / observe
your maiesty's further statement that the
is exclusively personal; This government,
at the outset, testified its lively in
tereSt in the we'll being and future progress of the
vast region now committed to your Majestys wise
care, by being the first among the powers to rec
ognize the flag of the International Association
that the progress of events has brought with it a
general recognition of the jurisdiction OF the as
ISOLATION, and opened way for its Incorporation
as an Independent sovereign State, have great
satisfaction in congratulatlng your majesty on
being called to the chief magistracy of the
newly formed government The government
and people of the United States, whose only con-
cern lies in watching with benevolent expectation
the growth Of prosperity and peace among the
committ eeS to whom they are Joined by ties of
good government the people of the Congo region
VIII adv ance in the paths OF civilization and de-
serve the good will of all these States and peoples
who may be brought into contact with them. j
am my esteemed and great friend, your faithful
friend, GROVER CLEVELAND.