Mr. King to Mr. Seward.
Sir: I hasten to acknowledge your despatch No. 43, marked “confidential,” under date of October 16, in reply to my private letter of September 12, from Hamburg, and conveying instructions upon the subject therein referred to. I lost no time in seeking an interview with the cardinal secretary of state, as directed to do in the aforesaid despatch; and with that view proceeded this morning to the Vatican, accompanied by Mr. Hooker, acting secretary, as well that he should hear the conversation between the cardinal and myslef, as that he should repeat to his Eminence in Italian what I proposed saying to him in French, relative to the wishes and expectations of our government in reference to Surratt. We were fortunate in finding the cardinal alone and disengaged, and I proceeded at once to state the business upon which we had called. His Eminence was greatly interested in the matter, the more so as I showed him the portraits of the “conspirators,” contained in the volume published by “Ben. Pittman,” and entitled “Assassination of President Lincoln”—remembered very well our previous conversation on the same subject, (referred to in my despatch No. 62, of August 8,) and the intimation he then gave as to the disposition of the Papal authorities to surrender Surratt, should he be claimed by the American government; and in reply to my question whether, upon authentic indictment or the usual preliminary proof, and at the request of the State Department, he would be willing to deliver up John H. Surratt, frankly replied in the affirmative. He added that there was, indeed, no extradition treaty between the two countries, and that to [Page 141] surrender a criminal, where capital punishment was likely to ensue, was not exactly in accordance with the spirit of the Papal government; but that in so grave and exceptional a case, and with the understanding that the United States government, under parallel circumstances, would do as they desired to be done by, he thought the request of the State Department for the surrender of Surratt would be granted. I then requested, as a favor to the American government, that neither Surratt nor St. Marie should be discharged from the Papal service until further communication from the State Department, and his Eminence promised to advise with the minister of war to that effect. I thanked his Eminence for his prompt and frank replies to my queries, and assured him that they would give great satisfaction to our government.
I shall, as directed, employ a trusty and confidential person to proceed to the station where Surratt is, and identify him by the photograph which I expect to receive in the next despatch from the department, and I will pay St. Marie the sum named by the Secretary, in consideration of the information already furnished. I may also hold out to him the hope of some further remuneration, should Surratt be identified and surrendered, as also of his speedy discharge from the Pontifical zouaves, in order to be a witness against Surratt, if required in the United States. Having thus, I trust, satisfactorily fulfilled the wishes of the State Department, I await with interest further instructions on this subject.
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I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D. C.