No. 425.
Mr. Hoffman to Mr. Evarts.
Legation of
the United States,
St.
Petersburg, May 12, 1879.
(Received May 29.)
No. 100.]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of
your dispatch No. 48, in reference to the attempt upon the life of the
Emperor, and to say that I have to-day addressed a note upon this subject to
Prince Gortchakoff, a copy of which I beg to inclose.
I have the honor, &c.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 100.]
Mr. Hoffman to
Prince Gortchakoff.
Legation of the United States,
St. Petersburg, April 30,
1879.
Prince: On the 3d-15th April I had the honor to
inform your highness that I had received a telegraphic communication
from my government instructing me to convey to His Majesty the Emperor
the cordial congratulations of the President and people of the United
States upon his providential escape.
I am now in receipt of a written dispatch upon the same subject, in which
to his previous telegram Mr. Evarts adds:
“The appreciation entertained in this country of His Majesty’s exalted
character as the wise and firm friend and protector of the great Russian
people, has greatly intensified the satisfaction which would naturally
follow his escape from the bullets of the assassin. The President,
calling to mind the expression of the deep sympathy of His Imperial
Majesty, which was conveyed by Prince Gortchakoff to the minister of the
United States at St. Petersburg, on the assassination which, upon the
14th day of April, 1865, plunged the American people and the world into
mourning, tenders in return his especial congratulations upon His
Majesty’s providential escape,”
May I ask your highness to take an early opportunity to convey these
sentiments to His Majesty?
I take, &c.,