Papers Relating to Foreign Affairs, Accompanying the Annual Message of the President to the Second Session Thirty-eighth Congress, Part IV, Appendix to diplomatic correspondence of 1865; the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, late president of the United States of America, and the attempted assassination of William H. Seward, Secretary of State, and Frederick W. Seward, Assistant Secretary, on the evening of the 14th of April, 1865; expressions of condolence and sympathy inspired by these events

Captain General of Cuba, communicated through Señor Tassara

[Translation.]

Legation of Spain, at Washington,
Washington, May 10, 1865.

The undersigned, minister plenipotentiary of her Catholic Majesty, has received from the captain general of Cuba a communication, in which, referring to the horrible assassination of President Lincoln, and to the attempt committed on the persons of the honorable Secretary and Assistant Secretary of State, Mr. William H. Seward and Mr. Frederick W. Seward, he says to me what follows: “I ask you to please to express to Mr. Seward my sorrow, as governor of this island and as an individual, for these calamities, and the vows I address to the Almighty for the prompt recovery of himself and son, informing him at the same time of the general indignation which has been caused by the outrage on the President of the republic and himself, and that I await with anxiety news of his recovery.”

The undersigned has the honor to bring this to the knowledge of the honorable Secretary of State ad interim, asking that on his part he will please inform Mr. Seward of it, with similar expressions on the part of the undersigned.

The undersigned avails of the occasion to reiterate to the honorable Acting Secretary of State the assurances of his highest consideration.

GABRIEL A. TASSARA.

Hon. W. Hunter,
Acting Secretary of State.