Lothrop Motley to William H. Seward, December 12, 1864

Mr. Motley to Mr. Seward

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your despatch No. 103, of date November 14, giving an account of the ceremonies performed at New York in honor of the deceased imperial royal minister resident at Washington, Count Giorgi, in conformity with the instructions issued by the State Department, and enclosing copies of two letters from the United States district attorney, E. Delafield Smith, esquire—the one to the Department of State; the other to the imperial royal consul general at New York, Mr. Loosey.

I have further to state that, immediately upon the receipt of the documents, I addressed a note to his excellency Count Mensdorff, imperial royal minister of foreign affairs, communicating the substance of your despatch, together with a copy of Mr. Smith’s letter to the department.

I also took the opportunity to express my own sympathy for the loss sustained by the imperial royal government in the death of Count Giorgi, and to add my own tribute to his personal worth.

I now enclose the translation of a note just received from his excellency Count Mensdorff, in which, as you will perceive, I am requested to express the high appreciation by the imperial royal government of the friendly and becoming spirit in which the United States government has thus paid these last and well-merited honors to the lamented deceased.

I have the honor to remain, sir, your obedient servant,