That the mayor be respectfully requested to communicate this resolution to his excellency Mr. Adams, the minister of the United States, and to desire that he will be pleased to transmit the same to the President of the United States and to Mrs. Lincoln. [SEAL.] JAMES JACKSON, Mayor. Extracts from the minutes of the meeting of the town council of the borough of Maidstone, in the county of Kent, held at the Town Hall on Wednesday, the 10th day of May, 1865. Ordered, That the mayor, aldermen and burgesses of the borough of Maidstone view with horror and indignation the atrocious assassination of the late President of the United States, and desire to express their unmitigated regret at the commission of so foul and unprovoked a crime. Ordered, That a copy of the foregoing resolution be forthwith transmitted by the town clerk to Mr. Adams, the American ambassador in London. Given under the corporate seal of the said borough, this 10th day of May, 1865. [SEAL.] CHARLES ELLIS, JR., Mayor. His Excellency the honorable CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, of the United States, London: We, the mayor and corporation of the borough of Maldon, in council assembled, desire to express through you, to the people of the United States of America, the feelings of sorrow and indignation with which we have received intelligence of the assassination of President Lincoln. Our regret at his untimely end, at a moment when his life appeared to be of the utmost importance to the welfare of the state, is greatly increased by the recollection of his well known character, but especially by the just and friendly sentiments he entertained towards England, and we venture to hope that the general expression of horror which his violent death has excited throughout our land will show to the American people that England reciprocates these feel ings of kindness and good will to their fullest extent. We also beg to offer to Mrs. Lincoln our respectful sympathy in her afflicting bereavement, and we trust she will find great consolation in the thought that the memory of the late President will long be affectionately cherished by the people who twice chose him to fill the highest office in the land. Given under our common seal this 9th day of May, 1865. [SEAL.] JAMES BARRITT, Mayor. Hon. CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary May it please your excellency: We, the provost, magistrates and members of council of the burgh of Musselburgh, in Scotland, participating as we do in the feeling of distress universally existing in this nation on account of the atrocious crime which has been committed in the country which you represent, by the assassination of its Chief Magistrate, grievously aggravated by its being per petrated on one of such commanding talents and estimable qualities as President Lincoln unquestionably possessed, deeply sympathize with the great people of whom he was the head, and especially with the lady who has by this foul deed been so unexpectedly and sadly rendered a widow, as well as with the family who have been deprived of their honored parent. We embrace also this opportunity to express our regards towards your excellency, and remain yours, very faithfully, GEORGE LAURIE, Provost and Chief Magistrate. Signed in name and on behalf of the town council of the burgh of Musselburgh, and the seal of the burgh affixed, upon this 11th day of May, 1865. [SEAL.] GEORGE LAURIE, Provost and Chief Magistrate of Musselburgh. THOS. LEES, Town Clerk. At Montrose, the 3d day of May, 1865, the which day the magistrates and town council met and convened in council, William Mitchell, esq., provost, in the chair, the following resolution was proposed by the provost and unanimously agreed to: The magistrates and town councillors of the royal burgh of Montrose, in the county of Forfar, having heard with profound regret and horror of the cowardly assassination of his Excellency Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America, have resolved to express their abhorrence and detestation of the cold-blooded and murderous deed, and their sincere and earnest sympathy and condolence with the people of the United States, in being thus bereft of the services of a man whose honest devotion to what he considered the principles of right and justice had won for him an eminent name and position in the world's history. The council further desire that a copy of this minute, signed by the provost and chief magistrate, and having the corporation seal affixed, be forwarded to his excellency Mr. Adams, the United States minister in London, to be communicated to the proper quarter. [SEAL.] WM. MITCHELL, Provost and Chief Magistrate. CITY OF MANCHESTER. At a meeting of the council of this city, held the 3d day of May, 1865, it was Unanimously resolved, That this council seizes the first opportunity which has arisen since the painful intelligence was received, to record the feelings of horror and of indignation, as well as of deep sorrow, with which they have heard of the cruel and cold-blooded assassination of President Lincoln, and to express their sincere sympathy with the citizens of the United States in the grievous loss which they have thereby sustained. That the mayor be respectfully requested to communicate this resolution to his excellency Mr. Adams, the minister of the United States, with the assurance that, in the opinion of this council, the sentiments therein expressed are entirely in accordance with the feelings universally entertained by the inhabitants of this city, and to desire that his excellency will be pleased to transmit the same to the President of the United States. [SEAL.] J. M. BENNETT, Mayor. Resolutions passed at a meeting held by the citizens of Manchester. ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN. At a public meeting of the citizens of this city, convened by the mayor, and held in the Town Hall, King street, on Thursday, the 4th day of May, 1865J. M. Bennett, esq., mayor, in the chair-it was Unanimously resolved, That the citizens of Manchester, now assembled, desire to express their horror and detestation of the deplorable crime which has resulted in the violent death of the Chief Magistrate of the American republic, Abraham Lincoln, and of the attempt to murder Mr. Seward and some members of his family, and they desire most earnestly and respectfully to convey to the authorities of the United States their deep sympathy with the American people in the heavy loss they have sustained. Resolved unanimously, That this meeting desires most respectfully to present to Mrs. Lincoln its sincere sympathy and condolence on the melancholy loss she has sustained in the death of her husband. Resolved, That the mayor be requested to transmit the resolutions this day adopted to his excellency the Hon. Mr. Adams, the American minister to the court of St. James, London. J. M. BENNETT, Mayor.' Resolutions of sympathy with the Hon. William H. Seward, Secretary of State, Washington. At a public meeting of citizens of Manchester, held in the Free Trade Hall, April 28, 1865, to express sympathy and condolence with Mrs. Lincoln and the American nation on the assassination of the late President of the United States, the following resolution was unanimously adopted: Moved by Dr. John Watts, seconded by Mr. Edward Hooson Resolved, That this meeting also desires to record an expression of profound sympathy with the Hon. William H. Seward and the members of his family, in regard to the atrocious attempt to assassinate that distinguished and able statesman whilst lying in a helpless condition on a bed of sickness; and this meeting earnestly hopes that the foul attempt may not have proved successful, but that Mr. Seward may soon be restored to health and vigor, to render efficient service in the government of his great nation, under a restored Union based on the eter nal principles of freedom, justice, and equal rights to men of all races. Signed on behalf of the meeting: FRANCIS TAYLOR, Chairman. His Excellency ANDREW JOHNSON, President of the United States of America: The board of directors of the Manchester Chamber of Commerce desire to convey to the government and people of the United States of America, in the most emphatic terms, the expression of their horror and indignation at the das tardly assassination of the late Chief Magistrate of the republic, as also at the murderous assault made upon Mr. Secretary Seward and his son; and they desire to assure the American people that those diabolical outrages have evoked sentiments of the deepest execration from all classes in the United Kingdom. The directors of the Chamber further desire most respectfully to express to wards Mrs. Lincoln, and other members of her sorrowing family, their profound sympathy and condolence under the heavy affliction which has befallen them. Signed for and on behalf of the directors. MALCOM ROSS, President. HUGH FLEMING, Secretary. Address of the Union and Emancipation Society of Manchester to Mr. Johnson. SIR: We have heard with profound regret that your late distinguished President, Abraham Lincoln, has fallen a victim to a vile conspiracy, and that he has been suddenly removed from you midst by the hand of a cowardly assassin. We have watched his career from the period of his election in 1860 down to his lamented death, as well through all the darkest hours of the struggle in which your country has been engaged as at the time when success seemed to be within his grasp, and we have ever recognized in him a self-denying patriotism, a devotion to the principles of right and justice, and a determination to surmount, by constitutional means, every obstacle which stood in the way of the final triumph of those principles. His unswerving faith never forsook him in the hour of depression and gloom, and he has left behind him a noble example of magnanimity and moderation, in the hour of victory, which cannot fail to secure the admiration of the whole civilized world. Elected on the basis of a limitation of the area of slavery in the United States, he gradually and cautiously developed an anti-slavery policy, which resulted in the issue of an emancipation proclamation, by which every slave in the rebel States is now free; and he lived to see adopted by Congres an amendment to the Constitution abolishing forever slavery in the United States. He has not been permitted to witness the final achievement of this great work, but his name will ever be associated in history with the removal of this from your national escutcheon. It is not alone or chiefly on grounds of philanthropy that we have sympathized in his objects and aims. From the period when we beheld a section of your community, when defeated at the ballot-box, appealing to the arbitrament of the sword, without even the pretence of a grievance, excepting the alleged danger to the institution of slavery, we regarded free constitutional government as on its trial, and we have received with unvarying satisfaction the uniform consistency with which he always upheld the maintenance of the Union as paramount to every other consideration. In the recollection of these things we desire now, through you, to express our deep sympathy with your loyal-fellow cititens in the grievous loss you have sustained-a loss which, at this important crisis in your country's history, cannot fail to produce serious and anxious concern. In the midst of gloom, however, we are consoled by the reflection that the world is ruled by principles, not by men; and that while the most distinguished statesmen are constantly passing away, the principles which they have propounded are immortal. Mr. Lincoln, it is true, has departed, but he has bequeathed to posterity an example which cannot fail to exercise a powerful influence on the future of your country. The Constitution places you in the office of Chief Magistrate of the Union at a solemn crisis in your national affairs, which has no parallel in the past history of the nation; but we cheerfully recognize the fact that the same ballot which secured the triumphant re-election of Mr. Lincoln also placed you in the distinguished position to become his successor; and our faith in the instincts of a great people forbid us to doubt that the noble principles which animated him will ever find a response in your heart. For and on behalf of the Union and Emancipation Society of Manchester. THOMAS BAYLEY POTTER, FRANCIS TAYLOR, President. At a public meeting held in the Free Trade Hall, Manchester, April 28th, 1865, it was moved by Alderman Heywood, ex-mayor, seconded by the Rev. S. A. Steinthall, and passed unanimously That the address to President Johnson, expressive of sympathy with the American people in the loss they have sustained by the lamented death of President Lincoln, be adopted, and that the chairman be authorized to sign it on behalf of this meeting. FRANCIS TAYLOR, Chairman. Address of the Union and Emancipation Society of Manchester to Mrs. Lincoln. 51 PICCADILLY, MANCHESTER, April 27, 1865. MADAM: It is not for us to invade the privacy of domestic sorrow, nor fitting that we should add to the sharpness of your grief by characterizing as it deserves the deed which has deprived you of a husband, and your country of its Chief Magistrate. We desire, however, to express our deep sympathy with you in this mournful affliction, and our earnest hope that you may be supported through the trial by the consciousness that your husband, though called to the helm in the midst of tempest and storm, never failed to respond to the call of duty, and that throughout a period of unparalleled difficulty he has guided the affairs of the nation in a manner which will ever connect his name with all that is noble, magnanimous, and great in your country's history. His name will be associated with the cause of human freedom throughout all time, and generations yet unborn will learn to lisp his name as synonymous with liberty itself, and to connect the atrocious deed by which his career was closed with the expiring throes of that foul system of slavery against which his life was a standing protest, and the faté of which he had sealed. For and on behalf of the Union and Emancipation Society of Manchester: THOMAS BAYLEY POTTER, |