the reign of ideas, as the greatest reformer of the political principles which have ruled or misguided peoples and governments, and as the purest and most innocent martyr, the one most capable of every heroism and every virtue who ever fell beneath the hand of a parricide!

And for all this, oh, Abraham Lincoln on this soil of distant Chili, on which are raised monuments to the martyrs of ideas and victims of the fanatical, let there bone offering worthy of thy glorification after thy martyrdom; for thou too didst love our land and serve it; for with the breath of thy spotless integrity thou didst efface for ever from the altar of our alliance that reproach of idolatry of money which the greediness of covetous traders had ever shown for its never filled coffer; because thou didst repay the joy with which we heard of thy victories with the ingenuous thanks so often expressed in thy despatches, ever brilliant with the sincerity of thy language; because thou alone, of all the powerful, didst remember that on certain grand but ignored days, there was, on the soil of thy country. a tri-colored flag, the banner of our narion, and didst order honors to be paid to it not rendered to the standards of the powerful; and because, noble and good friend of Chile, as thou didst look around over the diaphanic firmament of nature, thou didst more than once contemplate, with loving look, that lone star, the symbol of our destiny, twin-sister of those on thy once again intact banner, and which, like them, shall shine until time shall be no more, with the resplendent brilliancy of fixed stars, never with the borrowed light of satellites.

And for all this also, oh, Abraham Lincoln ! whilst Europe exhumes from the dust of ages the figures which embody its perverse idolatry of usurpers and tyrants, America, ever independent, ever free, ever democratic, will return the challenge of monarchies, by presenting to the eyes of the world thine immortal image and by venerating thy name, a thousand-fold greater than all the ancient Cæsars, again restored to life, as that of a common father who from high heaven unites, with loving hands, into one single family, at once respected and powerful, those two grand divisions of the earth and of the human race, known as the World of Columbus.

B. VICUÑA MACKENNA.

SANTIAGO, June 1st, 1865.

MOTION

Offered in the House of Deputies of Chile, at their Meeting of 3d June, 1865.

The name of ABRAHAM LINCOLN, sixteenth President of the United States of North America, has been, for the past four years, to all the nations of South America, and especially to Chile, the most conspicuous and characteristic emblem of the Democratic institutions which prevail in the greater part of the countries of the New World.

By his most noble fulfilment of his difficult and great mission, no less than by the exalted qualities of his character, had that eminent citizen attained, in the opinion of the Chilian people, to the same height at which our seniors, half a century since, contemplated the figure of George Washington first President of the Union, and beyond doubt the true initiator of the independence of both continents of America,

But to the bright gems of his high personal merits and of his honest, just and freedom-giving policy, the tragic and sudden death of President Lincoln, at the very moment in which he was about closing the great work of social reconstruction which he had undertaken, giving life and civil liberty to four millions of human beings, has added to his renown the glory of a noble martyrdom, at the sight of which the heart of all true Americans has been shrouded in mourning.

And of all the nations of our Continent and people of our race, Chilians have especial reasons to offer their sympathy and sorrow to the people and Government of the United States, for the irreparable loss of that man who from all points of view was great.

From the time that Abraham Lincoln took in hand the helm of State, in 1861, his equitable and justice-loving policy commenced to clear away, with admirable zeal, all pending difficulties for many years previous between Chile and his country, thus giving us a true mark of consideration, which some of his predecessors denied us, and bringing about in this manner the most cordial relations of mutual esteem and friendship between the two countries.

In view of events within the memory of all, it may be said, unhesitatingly, that during the existence of Chile, as as an independent nation, she has had no more faithful or considerate friend than the United States Government, under President Lincoln's administration.

Since the date of the not only pacific but cordial and respectful settlement of the old Macedonian question, until the spontaneous offer of mediation, made in the name of the Government of the United States, by their most worthy representative in Chili, in our late difficulty with Bolivia, it may be said that the Chilian people and government have been the constant recipients of marks of sympathy and esteem from the American people and gov

ernment.

It is pleasing to us now to remember that the first and most condoling diplomatic note addressed to the Government of this Republic, after the terrible calamity by which it was afflicted in December of 1863, was that of the Representative of the United States, at the same time that the Cabinet at Washington was, of its own volition, taking part with us in our national rejoicings, by issuing orders that simple, though significant, honors should be paid to our flag and Representative on the national holidays of Chile, thus giving an unprecedented example of national courtesy towards us, and which will therefore always form a highly honorable exception to our Republic.

The sincere tokens of appreciation and reciprocal generosity which the Government of President Lincoln constantly evinced for our political course, reached to the point of giving liberty, on our last September anniversary, and for no other reason than that he was a Chilian- to a criminal lying in prison under sentence of the Courts.

But, aside from all these considerations, so suitable to excite a vote of sincere friendship from the Representa

tives of the Chilian people, the fact alone of the termi nation of the war, and the reconstruction of the North American Union, gives such reassurances of actual safety and peaceful future to South American Republics, that for the conscientious discharge of our public duty, as well as in accordance with a true policy, it becomes us to offer to the American people our cordial congratulations upon the restoration of internal peace and the triumph of those democratic principles which have been so tenaciously, although secretly, fought against by European Governments, giving unseen aid to the Southern States in rebellion-those same Governments which, since the commencement of that rebellion, have been plotting and scheming against our safety and our honor.

And, again, the civil war in the United States was, of itself, so horrible a calamity, that its termination should receive from all Christian nations of the earth-and especially from the Chilian people, who had watched with such intensely heartfelt interest the terrible incidents of that struggle-an expression of profound gratitude to that Divine Providence who has so happily ended a scourge unequaled and unknown in the annals of nations and of time.

Thus it appears to have been understood by the Government of Chile, when, in the last message of the chief of the nation, the restoration of peace in the United States was spoken of as the most notable event of the present time, and expression was given to the nation's sorrow at the bloody sacrifice of the great man to whose laudable policy of good faith and honesty, more than to the triumph of his armies, was due that happy consummation.

The Government of the Republic has, therefore, duly fulfilled its duties. The people of Chile have done likewise, having given on this, as on all former occasions, those worthy and appropriate manifestations of their feelings which have gained so high a place for our name in the public opinion of foreign nations. It is, therefore, right that in its turn the Congress of Chile, as the true representative of the people, should likewise offer a simple tribute, but at the same time worthy and expressive of the sentiments which animate that body in presence of the.

two-fold character of the late intelligence from North America.

In view of these observations, of the justice of which I doubt not all the representatives of the Chilean nation will agree, I have not hesitated to submit to your votes an idea which, in my humble opinion, covers the different feelings which at this moment animate us, and which is expressed in the following

PROJECT OF LAW:

ARTICLE 1st-The portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, the first and last Presidents of the United States of America, shall be procured at the nation's cost, and placed in the Reception Hall of the Depa rtment of Foreign Affairs of Chile, as a tribute offered by the Chilean people to that of the United States, on the occasion of the restoration of their internal peace and their mournful loss in the death of their Chief Magistrate.

ARTICLE 2d-This project of law shall be appropriately inscribed at the foot of the aforesaid portraits, and communicated by the Government of Chile to the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States, as an expression of the feelings of the Chilean Congress.

ARTICLE 3d-The President of the Republic is hereby authorized to carry this project of law into effect.

This authorization to be in force for the term of six months.

1

BENJAMIN VICUÑA MACKENNA.

SANTIAGO, June 3, 1865.