John Seys to William H. Seward, January 3, 1867

Mr. Seys to Mr. Seward

Sir: I have the honor to inform you of my arrival in this city on the night of the 30th ultimo. Early on the morning of the 31st I communicated to the honorable secretary of state of the republic of Liberia this event, (see enclosure No. 1,) and received his reply as copied in enclosure No. 2.

On Wednesday, January 2d, 1867, at 12 o’clock m., in company with the United States vice-consul general, the honorable. W. A. Johnson, I repaired to the executive mansion, and in presence of the entire diplomatic corps, the vice-president of Liberia, his honor the chief-justice of the republic, and the members of the cabinet. I was formally presented to his excellency President Warner, and handed my sealed letter of credence from the President of the United States of America.

My short address to the President, enclosure No. 3, was followed by the reading aloud of my letter of credence, and then his excellency’s address (see enclosure No. 4) was read by the honorable secretary of state, and the United States minister resident and consul general duly received and accredited.

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I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant,

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Mr. President: I have the honor to present to you in person my sealed letter of credence to your excellency from the President of the United, States of America. I am commissioned as minister resident and consul general to the republic of Liberia.

I beg leave to assure your excellency that I regard this as one of the most auspicious hours of my long and checkered life. Known as I am and have been for so many years, to the government and people of Liberia, and feeling no abatement whatever in the deep interest I have ever taken in the welfare and prosperity of this entire nation, it affords me unspeak able pleasure to be the representative of that great people and nation who may justly be entitled the mother country of Liberia. I bear you, Mr. President, the greetings and good wishes of that mother country, and I humbly trust that so long as I shall be accredited near this government, it will be my highest pleasure to cultivate and perpetuate the harmonious relations now existing between the two republics.

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Excellency: It affords me much pleasure to receive you in the capacity of minister resident and consul general of the United States of America to the republic of Liberia.

There are few occurrences in the affairs of nations which give more satisfaction than does an event like this—the receiving of a minister sent from a friendly foreign power to strengthen the relations of amity which exist between the two countries. The representative of the sovereign of a great nation, I am happy in recognizing you as the link which shall bind us closer together in friendship, in commerce, and all international relations.

It is with no little degree of felicitation that the government and people of Liberia have witnessed on the part of your government the manifestation of the most lively interest in the affairs of this nation, and a desire to establish and preserve the best understanding between the two governments. It is scarcely necessary for me to assure you that this desire is reciprocated by the government of Liberia.

When this government received the assurance that the amicable relations so happily advanced by Mr. Hanson should suffer no deterioration from the representative appointed to succeed him, it hailed the announcement as another evidence of the concern which your government has for our welfare. But when you, Mr. Minister, are sent to give effect to the desire of your sovereign to advance, on all occasions, the interest and happiness of the two countries, it is with unspeakable pleasure that I welcome you as the representative of the ruler of a great country near the government of Liberia.

And it hightens our joy to see in the representative of this great friendly power one who has been for many years associated with the history of Liberia. For a quarter of a century have you, Mr. Minister, been ordained to promote various interests in Liberia. In the church you were for many years advancing the spiritual welfare of the country, laboring through gloomy periods and dark and anxious nights in those times that tried men’s souls, when the seed of civilization and Christianity that had been planted here had just germinated, being watered with the tears and the blood of good and great men, many of whom have been removed from the sphere of earthly duties. You have known the hardships of a new country; you have encountered the storms of the land and the sea, and having, like us, passed through a severe ordeal, you no doubt, like us, bless God that Liberia still stands, and that you have been designated to renew, in a different capacity, your labors in this field of your earlier toils.

Nor have your labors been confined to the church; on other occasions you have served your government in this country, advancing its commercial interests, and assisting to rescue from a cruel bondage and all the horrors of “the middle passage” thousands who were the victims of oppression. And could I so far forget the object which brings us face to face to-day I would refer you to the fruits of our mutual labors, to the signs of encouragement which are seen on every hand, and which makes us confident as to the future. But we cannot refrain from looking another moment into the past. And when reviewing a period of 32 years we come to the time when you first crossed the Atlantic to cast in your lot with us, and find that you have eight times visited this land to assist in the great work in which we are engaged, and that the ninth time you come back to us in the capacity of the representative of your great ruler, we are forced to believe that your destiny and ours are very closely interwoven.

Again I have to extend to your excellency a hearty welcome near the government of Liberia, and an assurance that you shall have accorded to you all the immunities, the respect and high consideration due to one of your exalted rank, and especially to the representative of a government so friendly disposed towards us. For your protection you have not only the guarantees of international law, but also the sympathy and good-will of the government and people of Liberia. For your assurance of the same I pledge you the faith of the republic; and in token that I embrace with all cordiality the great and magnanimous ruler who thus, through you, his representative, places himself in correspondence with me, I extend the hand of friendship and protection to you as minister resident and consul general of the United States of America to the republic of Liberia.