No. 106.
Mr. Logan
to Mr. Evarts.
Guatemala City, July 17, 1880. (Received August 21.)
Sir: My previous dispatches have informed you of the visit of the Honorable Marco Aurelio Soto, President of Honduras, to Guatemala, as the guest of President Barrios. Desirous of showing him such attention as was in my power, a banquet was given in his honor, at the United States Legation, in this city, upon the evening of July 15.
There were present upon the occasion: President Soto, of Honduras; Mrs. President Barrios of Guatemala, the President being absent through sickness; Mr. Pedro Melendez, Minister of War and Finance of Salvador; Mr. Barrundia, Minister of War of Guatemala; Mr. Montúfar, Minister of Foreign Relations; Mr. Cruz, Minister of the Interior; Mr. Sanchez, Minister of Fomento; Mr. and Mrs. Dabry de Thiersant, of the French Legation; Mr. Graham, of the English Legation; Mr. Suarez, of the Spanish; Mr. Lama, of the Peruvian Legation; Mr. Medina, the American Consul, and several other notables.
The occasion drew forth many handsome tributes to our Government from the Central Americans, and strong expressions of the desire for a closer union with us. While no sentiment whatever of an offensive nature to European Governments was offered, President Soto, of Honduras, Mr. Melendez, of Salvador, and others, of Guatemala, openly said that the United States was the natural friend and protector of the Central American States, and that to the former nation the latter must look for their future. The whole affair was one of great harmony and good feeling.
I have, &c.,