No. 355.
Mr. Biddle to Mr. Fish.
Legation of the
United States,
San
Salvador, June 30, 1873.
(Received July 26.)
No. 140.]
Sir: Referring to your instruction No. 55, I have
the honor to inform you that pursuant thereto I requested an audience with
President Gonzalez,
[Page 824]
through the
minister of foreign relations, for the purpose of presenting my letter of
recall, and that of this date the same was duly delivered, with a brief
address, which was kindly received, as by the accompaniment hereto.
The president showered upon me every manifestation of cordial good will,
sending his private carriage to conduct me to and from the ceremony, and at
its conclusion he tendered me a public banquet as a mark of his personal
regard.
He is an enthusiastic admirer of President Grant, and spoke of him with the
blunt frankness of a brave soldier.
I shall leave for the United States by the earliest opportunity, and avail
myself of this occasion to express to you, and to all connected with the
Department of State, my grateful obligations for the unvarying courtesy and
kindness of which I have been the recipient.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure 1.]
Mr. Biddle to Mr. Castillo
Legation of
the United States,
San
Salvador, June 24,
1873.
Señor Minister: I have the honor to commnnicate
to yon herewith an office copy of a letter from the President of the
United States, addressed to President Gonzalez of Salvador, relative to
my return to my country, and expressive of his sincere desire to
strengthen and extend the friendly intercourse now happily subsisting
between the two governments, and to secure to the people of both
countries a continuance of the benefits resulting from that intercourse,
and to request the appointment of a time and place at which I may have
audience with the president for the purpose of presenting the original
in person.
I avail myself of this occasion to express to you, señor minister, the
very high consideration with which I have the honor to subscribe
myself,
Your obedient servant,
[Inclosure 2.—Translation.]
Mr. Castillo to Mr.
Biddle
Ministry of
Foreign Relations of Salvador, June 28, 1873.
Sir: I have had the honor to receive your
polite dispatch dated the 24th instant, accompanying the autographic
letter addressed by the President of the United States to the president
of this republic, upon the occasion of your return to your native
country.
The marshal president, without prejudice to the reply which he may make
when he receives the original letter from your hands, has instructed me
to declare here that the kindly sentiments expressed by General Grant
toward the Salvadorean government and people correspond with the
enthusiastic sympathy and admiration of Salvador and its government for
the great American nation, and to the illustrious chief who now guides
its destinies, and to an ardent desire to strengthen and extend more and
more the friendly and sincere relations which so happily exist between
both governments.
The marshal president has designated for the audience of leave which you
have requested 1 o’clock on the last day of the present month in the
reception room of the provisional palace.
I hope that this selection may be convenient and acceptable to you.
With the assurances of the very highest appreciation and
consideration,
I have, &c.
[Page 825]
[Inclosure 3.]
Memorandum of address of Mr. Biddle to President
Gonzalez
Señor President: I have the honor to present a
letter addressed to you by the President of the United States upon the
occasion of my return to my country.
In taking leave, I desire to express my grateful appreciation of the
constant and unvarying kindness and consideration, both in official and
personal relations, which I have experienced from you, and it affords me
gratification to be the medium of conveying the assurance of the sincere
desire of President Grant to strengthen and extend the friendly
intercourse now happily subsisting between the two governments, and to
secure to the people of both countries a continuance of the benefits
resulting from that intercourse.
Praying that peace may long continue to shed its blessings upon Salvador,
and that its growing material prosperity may reward your energy and
patriotic guidance. I can invoke for this fertile state no greater
blessing than that in religion, liberty, peace, happiness, and wealth it
may ever merit its Indian appellation, “Cuzcatlan”—the land of
plenty.
[Inclosure 4.—Translation.]
Reply of the President of the republic to the farewell
address of the Minister of the United States
Mr. Minister: Your kind expressions in taking
leave to return to your country have created in me feelings of the most
grateful satisfaction.
Truly you must be convinced of the esteem and appreciation which the
government and the Salvadoreans in general have demonstrated for
you.
These sentiments are based upon the propriety with which you have
fulfilled your diplomatic duties, and the great personal gifts which
adorn you.
My government, enthusiastic on account of the power and progress of the
illustrious American people, and interpreting the wishes of Salvador,
has ever striven and desires for the future to strengthen the friendly
relations and cordial understanding which happily exist with that of the
American Union.
With regard to yourself, Mr. Minister, not only have you afforded us the
satisfaction to treat officially with a diplomatist of exquisite tact,
but also the agreeable pleasure to have in our society a thorough
gentleman of so great culture in his private relations.
Therefore I have sorrow at you departure, and lean assure you that both
in the government and people of Salvador you will leave many friends who
will wish your prosperity.
When returning to your country, I beg that you may be the honorable means
of communication to your Government of my sincere and fervent prayers
that Providence may ever reward as signally as hitherto the noble
aspirations of the American nation.
