No. 587.
Mr. Evarts to Señor Mendez de
Vigo.
Washington, May 4, 1880.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the note which you were pleased to address to me on the 26th ultimo, in obedience to the instructions of your government, informing that of the United States of the object and probable date of a conference which is to be held at Madrid in the course of the present month, at which the representatives of the several powers holding relations with Morocco are invited to assist, for the purpose of discussing the question of the proper protection and personal security to be extended in that empire to the citizens, subjects, and merchants of foreign countries.
The objects to be brought before the proposed conference have for some time had the attention of this government, and, prior to the invitation contained in your note, it had already, upon the verbal suggestion of the minister of state of Spain to the chargé d’affaires ad interim of the United States, of which telegraphic information was received, designated the United States minister at Madrid as its representative in that conference, to meet and confer with other representatives in like manner designated by their respective governments, and to come to such understanding as might seem proper to be reached in the premises, subject, so far as this government is concerned, to its ratification or approval.
Accept, sir, &c.,