No. 257.
Mr. Turner to Mr. Fish.
Legation of
the United States,
Monrovia,
Liberia, Jan. 24, 1872.
(Received Feb. 27.)
No. 35.]
Sir: I have the honor to convey to the
Department a knowledge of the fact that his excellency President Roberts
granted the several members of the diplomatic corps now near the
government of Liberia an audience on the 15th day of January, 1872, at
which time I received satisfaction in being formally received or
acknowledged by the President. Inclosed please find copy of assurances
offered by me upon that occasion.
I have, &c,
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Turner to Mr.
Roberts.
I have the honor, in the name of the Government of the United States,
now to approach your excellency, for the purpose of congratulating
the republic of Liberia upon your excellency’s attainment, for the
fifth time, to the chief executive, and therefore the most
responsible position in the gift of your countrymen. I avail myself
of the occasion to renew assurances of the sincere desire on the
part of the Government of the United States, in all directions
consistent with the honorable dignity of the two governments, to
strengthen and increase the real friendship and happy correspondence
now so happily subsisting between the governments of the two
countries, and again to acquaint the government of Liberia of the
earnest desire of the Government of the United States for the
prosperity of your republic. Having been specially intrusted by His
Excellency the President of the United States, by and with the
advice and consent of the honorable the Senate thereof, with the
responsible duty of contributing to the perpetuity of these
important relations, I find great pleasure in being able to assure
your excellency that during my official residence near the
government of your country it shall be my sincere object and
profound pleasure, to the best extent of my capacity, to discharge
the duties of my important trust. I shall find in the sameness of
the
[Page 330]
organic, systems of
the two governments, together with the-similarity of many of the
customs of the two peoples, facilities that will tend greatly to
simplify and aid the prosecution of my duties. Although largely
appreciated by me, I am happy to assure your excellency that these
influences cannot in the least affect my consistency of conduct, nor
abate my official zeal for the welfare of the two countries. I do
not refrain from here making reference to a truth. I am by no means
callous to the fact that my station places me officially between two
of the most remarkable characters of the nineteenth century; one of
whom is no less distinguished for marked justice and great practical
comprehension in his administration of the affairs of the Government
of the United States than for that peculiar talent which makes him
“first military captain of the century;” the other called by the
independent suffrages of his countrymen from the retirement of age
to preside on the affairs of the government of his country the fifth
time within two and a half decades. For this latter circumstance, I
think, there can be found no parallel in the history of democratic
institutions. I prefer to close this effort by rehearsing in your
excellency’s hearing the benediction pronounced in my letter of
credence, now on file in the archives of the department of state of
the government of Liberia, by your excellency’s good friend Ulysses
S. Grant, President of the United States:
“And I pray God always to have your excellency in His safe and holy
keeping.”
