The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-11 00:00:00

"M. Le Ministre,—Having occupied the post of ma-
gistrate and member of the Greek Parliament f--r
Sparta, I have the honour to request your Excellency
the favour of an audience in order to state that accordieg
to intelligence which I have received from my native
country, I am in a position to firm a corps of from 50w
to 1,090 Spa: tans to proceed to the Crimea under the tri-
colour flag against the Russians, as their ancestors, the
soldiers of Leonidas, fought against the Scythians, the
countrymen rf the Muscovites. Permit me, M. le
Ministre, to submit to your Excellency, a few fares
which may enable you to see that the nveives wine}
actuate me are as noble as is the cause of civilisation,
which now struggles against Russian barbarism
From the time of Peter the First, Russia, pursuing hei
projects of invasion in the East, always counted on the
populaton of Spatt which.alone of ancient, Greece
has maintained its virtues' as was observed by the grea3
Napoleon himself. After having gone through main
sufferings, this people ended, in 1769, under the gui lane:
of my ancestor, by discovering the fell extent of Musco-
vite treachery, and since then has sworn vengeance
aeainst Russia. Immediately after the capture of
Venice, the Emperor directed his attention to that
district, and he addres'ed the following letter to In)
uncle, Petros Mavromichali, the reigning Prince ant:
chief of the Spartans The French esteem that
numerically small but gallant people who alone of ancien•
Greece has preserved its virtues—the worthy descen-
dants of Sparta, who only want a more vast theatre
to -be as renowned as their ancestors.' Some time after
writing that letter,- Napoleon in his way to Egypt re-
quested my uncle to send to Corfu two vessels to receive
from the French General who then reimmandoil in the
lonian islands munitions of war. My uncle hastened to
obey, and these two vessels which constituted the
greater part of the property of my father, George Deme-
tracarakos, were immediately armed and despatched to
.flcr the capitulation of the French, they
fell into the hands of the Russians. In this manner
was neutralised the expedition which my uncle at the
head of his 10,000 Spartans had. prepared pur-
suant to the orders of the Emperor Napoleon to serve
him at least as a diversion for the expedition,to Egypt.
Since that time, M. le Ministre, our family, relying on
their faithful Spaitans, have not ceased to oppose the
Russian propagaudism which was actively going on iu
Greece.

"At a later period, as is known, in 1821 my uncle
resigned his supreme power, and became a simple citizen,
and surround Al by his people fought against the Turks,
li.nd won, by his heroic perseveiance, and. with the as-
sistance of European civilisation, the indepenietice of
the Greek nation, and those liberal institutions which
have proved a serious obstacle to Muscovite intrigues.
" You now understand, M. le Ministre, that .my pre-
sent act is but the natural consequence of the history
of my family. For the Spattans I only demand arms,
for they de not fight for money. My aged father will
lead them on as General, and my brother, who has been
in the-regular army for the last 20 years, as• captain,
will conduct the children of Sparta against_ the enemy,
and prove to the world that the descendants of Leonidas
are not the allies of barbarians. With respect to the
influence possessed by my family, or by myself per-
sonally, you can have ample information from the
Duke de P:aisance, Grand Chancellor of the Legion of
Honour, and also from the Charge d'Affaires of Greece.
I conclude 1-. y praying you, M. le Ministry;, to commu-
nicate. my humble proposition to the successor and
nephew of the great Napoleon, to whom I had the honour
of being presented in 1851 by Prince Mavroeordato, the
Minister of Greece.
"I have the honour to be, Sze.,
PETROS DEMETRACARAKOS."
The following is the reply of the Minister at
War

"War-office, April 5,-1855.
" Sir,—l have received the letter which you did me
the honour to address to me on the 23th March, pro-
p ,sing to form a corps of from 500 to 1,000 Spartans to
take part in the military operations in the Crimea under
the French flag.
"Your proposition has been submitted to the Em-
peror, who decided that there was no occasion for fol-
lowing it out.
"In communicating to you this decision, I cannot
but thank you, for my part, for the sentituenta which
have inspired your conduct.
"Receive, sir, the assurances, &c.,
VAILLANT.
"-Marshal of Franca and Minister-at-Ward
41. retro Wetfaceralioe,"