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Abraham Lincoln,
President of the United States of America.
To His Excellency Senor Don Bartolome Mitre,
President of the Argentine Republic.
Great and Good Friend: I have received the letter which Your Excellency has addressed to me under date of the 23d. October, last, announcing your election to the Presidency of the Republic by the free suffrages of your fellow-citizens.
I assure Your Excellency that this event has inspired me with the liveliest gratification. After so many years of discord and strife the Provinces of the Argentine Confederation have buried their jealousies and again present themselves to the world as a united nation having a common interest and a common destiny.
No one knows better than Your Excellency that it has been the uniform desire and effort of this Government so far as it could properly do so by the friendly offices of its Ministers in the Plata, to promote conciliation and to effect the consolidation which has happily been accomplished.
I congratulate the nation and Your Excellency upon this result, and upon the elevation of Your Excellency to the Chief Magistracy of the reunited Republic. And I do not doubt that the earnest patriotism and enlightened statesmanship of Your Excellency will speedily obliterate all painful remembrances of the past and inspire the people of the nation to give you a hearty and unanimous support in the development of their best interests.
Sincerely reciprocating Your Excellency's sentiments of friendship for this Government and people and praying God to have your Excellency always in His most holy keeping, I am your Good Friend, ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
By the President:
WILLIAM H. SEWARD, Secretary of State.
Washington 6 February, 1863.