Mr. Motley to Mr.
Seward.
No. 219.]
United States Legation, Vienna, December 17, 1866.
Sir: I have had the honor to receive your
despatch No. 207, of November 16th, in which you inform me that the
President instructs me to ask an audience of his Majesty the Emperor, in
order to congratulate him in the name of the United States upon his
providential escape from an attempted assassination. Since my despatch
No. 211, of October 31st, relating to that event, the process against
the accused person has not been terminated. I am very happy to say,
however, that the impressions prevalent at the first moment at the
imperial royal foreign office, and among the public at large, have now
been very much modified.
I have just received information from the imperial royal ministry of
foreign affairs that the judicial investigations made thus far, in
regard to the case, are highly unfavorable to the accuser, that the tale
is now disbelieved, and that the acquittal of the supposed criminal is
highly probable.
As the process at Prague is not yet ended, I have not alluded again to
the subject in my despatches, preferring to wait until I could send an
exact and authentic account of the trial and of its result.
[Page 552]
Meantime, after receiving the above-mentioned instructions of the
President, I have, after consultation with the imperial royal minister
of foreign affairs, taken the liberty of so far departing from them, in
consequence of the change in circumstances from those which existed when
my first despatch was written, as to omit asking for the audience
suggested; but to express the sentiments of the President and of the
people of the United States in a note to the minister.
I send herewith a copy of that note, and trust that it may meet the
approval of the President. Such answer as may be received by me will, of
course, be at once forwarded to you.
I have the honor to remain, sir, your obedient servant,
Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington, D.C.
Mr. Motley to Baron de Beust.
The undersigned envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of
the United States of America, has the honor to state that he has
just received a despatch from the Secretary of State of the United
States, conveying the instructions of the President that the
undersigned should ask for an audience of his Majesty the Emperor,
in order to congratulate him in the name of the United States upon
his providential escape from the assassination attempted at
Prague.
The instructions of the President were given immediately upon the
receipt of the first intelligence sent by the undersigned at the
moment when it was feared by the imperial royal government that an
infamous attempt upon his Majesty’s life had really been made. The
undersigned having at once called upon the imperial royal minister
of foreign affairs to express in his own name and that of his
government those sentiments of horror at the crime and of sincere
joy that it had been unsuccessful, which were so universally felt,
conveyed to the United States government the impressions in regard
to the event at that moment prevalent.
Since that time he has been informed at the imperial royal foreign
office that, although the process against the supposed criminal is
not yet finished, the investigation as to his accuser, who claims to
have been the savior of the Emperor’s life, are unfavorable, and
that it is highly probable that the unfortunate person accused will
be acquitted of the odious charge. These new circumstances would
seem to make it inconsistent with decorum for the under-signed to
ask for the honor of that audience which the President of the United
States, under different impressions from those which now so
fortunately prevail, had instructed him to request.
The undersigned, unwilling to revive in the mind of his Majesty those
painful sentiments naturally inspired when so infamous and causeless
a crime was believed to have been attempted, would now content
himself with respectfully requesting his excellency Baron de Beust,
minister of the imperial house and of foreign affairs, to intimate
to his imperial Majesty the above-mentioned instructions of the
President received by the undersigned, together with the assurance
that nowhere in the world will the disprovai of the existence of the
crime be received with more unalloyed satisfaction than in the
United States.
The undersigned seizes this occasion to renew to his excellency Baron
de Beust the assurance of his very high and distinguished
consideration.
J. LOTHROP MOTLEY.
VIENNA, December 17,
1866.
