. to hasten the re-establishment of the great American Union, and to remove the last remaining obstacles to the complete emancipation of the slaves. The conscientious portion of humanity had already declared for the North, because it upheld a just and holy cause, and it will become bolder advocates after this horrid crime that has soiled southern partisans; and we are happy in thinking that the greater part of the rebels themselves will wash their hands of this stain, and hasten to recognize the legitimate authority of their country and its proper laws. 1 Have the kindness, sir, to be the interpreter of our sympathies to Mrs. Lincoln and to the American nation, and accept for yourself the expression of our respectful and devoted sentiments. G. DE FELICE, D. D., Professor of Theology at Montauban. FRANK COURTOIS, Banker in Toulouse. ARMAN COURTOIS, Banker in Toulouse. Although I do not belong to the committee for slave emancipation, I am happy to join in the sentiments expressed by my friends in the preceding letter, and take pleasure in embracing this occasion to manifest my profound affection for the American people. LAFORGUE, President of the Toulouse Consistory. The UNITED STATES MINISTER, Paris. [Translation.] Lodge of St. John of Jerusalem to the United States Minister at Paris. NANCY, May 24, 1865. SIR: If the savage crime perpetrated upon your illustrious President has excited the indignation of all civilized nations, much more sensibly has it been felt by the great masonic association that gloried in calling Mr LINCOLN one of its children. Sprung from the people, he won the highest position in his country by his industry, merit, and intelligence, and honored it by his deeds. Unwavering in the terrible struggle, in his gentleness he forgot and pardoned in the hour of victory; and, like a truly great man, by his persevering energy united a nation dismembered by egotism and ambition; and by severing the chains of slavery, had the honor of restoring to the human race one branch of the family too long neglected. His glory is now united to that of George Washington and Benja min Franklin, his immortal countrymen. The Freemasons belonging to the LA FLIZE, the Venerable. B. TISSERAND, S. W. By order of the secretary: L. FRANK. [Translation.] NIMES, May 3, 1865. To the United States Minister in Paris: We have the honor of transmitting to you in this envelope the address of our house, on the occasion of the death of the great American citizen, whom we and the whole world lament. We join in this universal manifestation of sorrow, and ask you to send our homage to its address. Receive the respectful greeting of your very humble servants, LOUIS & CASIMIR DIDETT. FATHER AND SON, Hat Manufacturers in Nimes [Translation.] MADAM LINCOLN: Will you have the goodness, madam, to receive the expression of our sincere regret, and permit us to lament with you the immense loss which you have just experienced in the person of the greatest and most honest citizen in the universe. Yes, we deeply lament the loss of the man who, sprung from the laboring class, has, by his intelligence, energy, and virtue, earned the glory of creating equality in his country by the abolition of slavery. Let all America accept the wishes which we sincerely feel for the prosperity of her noble country; and let the family of that great man believe in our affectionate sentiments, with which we have the honor to be your devoted servants. [Here follow thirty-three signatures.] NICE, FRANCE, May 1, 1865. To his Excellency Andrew Johnson, President of the United States: The undersigned, Americans residing at Nice, desire to express to you the profound sorrow they feel in hearing of the abominable crime which has deprived the United States of the pure and noble-hearted ABRAHAM LINCOLN. Their faith remains unshaken, however, that under God's protection the republic, already victorious over a wicked rebellion, will come out of its trials purer and stronger than it ever has been, and they earnestly pray that God may bless and sustain you to complete the great work so faithfully carried on by your lamented predecessor. No. 86.] Mr. JOHN WURTS, New York. Mrs. JAMES LESLEY, Philadelphia. R. M. DEL CASTILLO, Louisiana. Mrs. ISAAC R. ELWOOD, New York. FRANK W. ELWOOD, New York. Mrs. E. C. KINNEY. ALBERT DABADIE, Philadelphia. Mrs. F. A. DEPAU, Philadelphia. COUNTESS BOUXHOWDEN, Bordentown, N. J. JULIA P. PILATTE, Virginia. CHARLES O. HALL, Massachusetts. Mrs. CHARLES O. HALL, Massachusetts. Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Seward. LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: An aide-de-camp of the Emperor called early yesterday morning at the legation, officially to testify the horror and sorrow which his Majesty experienced on learning the crime which had just deprived the United States of its President. On the receipt of the first report his Majesty had refused to credit it, but a second despatch, later in the evening, left no room to doubt its correctness. It was then too late to send to the legation, but the aide-de-camp was instructed to come at an early hour the next morning to express the sentiments of his Majesty, and to request, on behalf of the Emperor, that I would transmit an expression of them to the Vice-President. It is my duty to add my conviction that his Majesty, in the communication which he has requested me to make, is but a faithful interpreter of the sentiments of his subjects, who have received the intelligence with a unanimous expression of horror for the crime and of sympathy for its victims. You will find some of the evidence of this in the journals which I send you. I have been occupied most of the afternoon in receiving deputations from students and others, who have called to testify their sorrow and sympathy. Unfortunately, their feelings were so demonstrative in some instances as to provoke the intervention of the police, who would only allow them in very limited numbers through the streets. One of the delegations told me that there were three thousand of them who would have wished to have united in a formal expression of their feelings, if the police had not stopped them. I am sorry to hear that some have been sent to prison in consequence of an intemperate expression of their feelings. I can now count sixteen policemen from my window patrolling about in the neighborhood, who occasionally stop persons calling to see me, and in some instances, I am told, send them away. I had no idea that Mr. LINCOLN had such a hold upon the heart of the young gentlemen of France, or that his loss would be so properly appreciated. I have received many letters of condolence already from distinguished citizens, of which I send copies of two; the first from his excellency Drouyn de Lhuys, and the second from his Imperial Highness Prince Pierre Napoleon Bonaparte. I must reserve for another mail the expression of my own feelings under a dispensation which has almost paralyzed me, and which yet seems to me like the revelation of a troubled dream. I hope this may find you recovering from your wounds, and mercifully sustained under the great trials with which God has been pleased to visit you and yours. I am, sir, with great respect, your very obedient servant, SIR: His excellency the minister of foreign affairs was kind enough, on Saturday last, the 29th of April, to read, and at the same time to hand me, a copy of a communication which he had made, by order of the Emperor, to the French minister at Washington in reference to our recent national bereavement. His excellency also informed me that it would be communicated to both of the legislative branches of the government on the Monday following. It would have been communicated on the day it was shown to me if the corps legislatif had been in session. As I had been notified, his excellency Mr. Vuitry, minister president of the council of state, at the opening of the senate yesterday, and by order of the Emperor, read the despatch to which I have referred, and added that he hoped the members of the senate would unite in the sentiments which the Emperor had charged him to testify to them. The president of the senate, M. Troplong, replying in the name of the assembly to the commissioner of the government, declared that the senate shared entirely the views of the Emperor; that it had been struck with the same sorrow, and even indignation, when it heard of the attempt made upon the person of a citizen borne to the supreme power by the free choice of his country; that this sorrow could only be increased by the recollection of the noble sentiments of moderation and of conciliation manifested in the recent proclamation of President LINCOLN. The president, Troplong, then proposed, and the senate unanimously voted, its adhesion to the sentiments of the despatch to the French minister at Washington, in the usual form. The same communication was simultaneously submitted to the corps legislatif by his excellency Monsieur Rouher, minister of state, with a few impressive remarks. The vice-president, Schneider, interpreting the feelings of the assembly, expressed its horror at the crime which had been thus brought to their notice, and announced that the corps legislatif shared completely the sentiments of the government. * * I am, sir, with great respect, your very obedient servant, Hon. WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State, &c., &c., &c. No. 90.] Mr. Bigelow to Mr. Seward. [Extract.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: At my suggestion a meeting was held at this legation on Tuesday, the 2d instant, which appointed a committee of nine to prepare an address that should express the feelings inspired among them by the horrible crimes perpetrated at the seat of government on the night of the 14th of April. On Tuesday, the 9th instant, the committee, at the legation and in the presence of a large concourse of our country people, presented me the address, which they had prepared in compliance with their instructions, and which was signed by several hundred Americans. * * ? |
