Mr. Motley to Mr.
Seward
No. 86.]
Legation of the United States,
Vienna,
December 12, 1864.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your despatch No. 103, of date November 14, giving an account
of the ceremonies performed at New York in honor of the deceased
imperial royal minister resident at Washington, Count Giorgi, in
conformity with the instructions issued by the State Department, and
enclosing copies of two letters from the United States district
attorney, E. [Page 5] Delafield Smith,
esquire—the one to the Department of State; the other to the imperial
royal consul general at New York, Mr. Loosey.
I have further to state that, immediately upon the receipt of the
documents, I addressed a note to his excellency Count Mensdorff,
imperial royal minister of foreign affairs, communicating the substance
of your despatch, together with a copy of Mr. Smith’s letter to the
department.
I also took the opportunity to express my own sympathy for the loss
sustained by the imperial royal government in the death of Count Giorgi,
and to add my own tribute to his personal worth.
I now enclose the translation of a note just received from his excellency
Count Mensdorff, in which, as you will perceive, I am requested to
express the high appreciation by the imperial royal government of the
friendly and becoming spirit in which the United States government has
thus paid these last and well-merited honors to the lamented
deceased.
I have the honor to remain, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward
Secretary of State, Washington,
[Translation.]
Count Mensdorff to Mr. Motley
Vienna,
December 7, 1864.
The undersigned, minister of the imperial household and of foreign
affairs, has the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the esteemed
note of the envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the
United States of America, Mr. Lothrop Motley, of date the 2d
instant, and to express his thanks for the official communication
therein made in relation to the decease of the imperial Austrian
minister resident at Washington, Count Giorgi, and to the solemn
ceremonies at his funeral.
The undersigned takes the liberty also of expressing to the United
States minister the great satisfaction with which he has perceived
in that esteemed note and its accompanying documents, that the
sincere grief which the imperial government feels at the loss of its
representative at Washington is shared by the government of the
United States, and that the latter issued such comprehensive
directions in relation to the last honors to the deceased as exhibit
a striking proof of its sympathy.
The imperial government values all the more highly the confirmation
upon this occasion of the friendly sentiments of the United States
government, since it recognizes therein a purpose to do honor to the
power of which the deceased was a representative, and to give a
worthy expression to the friendly relations between the two
states.
The undersigned has the honor also to request the United States
minister to express the sincere thanks of the imperial royal
government to the United States government for its proceedings upon
the occasion of the obsequies, so honorable both to the deceased,
Count Giorgi, and to the Austrian imperial states, and embraces the
opportunity to renew to the minister the assurance of his high and
distinguished consideration.
Mr. Lothrop Motley,
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary of the United States of America.
