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

Singing Society, Friends Aid Society, City Schools, Under Officers Union, Grutli Union, and Mutual Aid Society of Murten

Murten, undated

[Translation.]

The inhabitants of Murten to the American Union.

Whenever the cause of freedom rejoices in a new triumph the hearts of our people beat warmer and higher in sympathetic union with the victors. So, at the news of the glorious successes of the North our bosoms beat with a roaring storm of joy and jubilation; but, as with lightning from a clear sky, we were struck down with this overwhelming news—Abraham Lincoln, the distinguished. President of the United States of America, the indefatigable champion and standard-bearer of popular personal liberty, has fallen by the mortal bullet from the assassin’s pistol.

The ocean which divides your republic from the free child of the Alpine heights is grand and deep; but greater is our horror and detestation of the abominable crime committed against you, and deeper our sorrow for the loss of the great republican, Lincoln. We weep with the people of the North American Union at the grave of their immortal citizen; we press their hands with deep-moved hearts to show them that their grief is ours, their sorrow ours, too.

May the bleeding wounds, the consequence of crime, be cicatrized by time, and the star-spangled banner ever wave high and victorious in the cause of freedom and the defence of the sacred rights of man. Soon may the trees of peace and plenty grow again and flourish upon the blood-drenched plains of your once unhappy land, and spread their blessed branches of conciliation over all your once-more-united States.

With republican greeting:

For the Männerchor, (three members)—

J. J. GEEBER,

Leader. For Friends’ Aid Society, (fourteen members)—

AB. BRELO.

For the city schools—

JOHN HAAS,

Director. For Under-officers’ Union, (forty-five members)—

F. CHATONEY.

For Grutli Union, (twenty members)—

J. RUBLI.

For Mutual Aid Society, (one hundred and seventy members)—

ABR. FASSNACHT,

President.