The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-12 00:00:00

THE EMPEROR'S LETTER.

Most Holy Father—The letter which your Holi-
ness deigned to write me on the 2d of December
touched me deeply, and I will reply with entire
frankness to the appeal made to my good faith.
One of my most serious anxieties during, as well
as after, the war was the condition of the States of
the Church, and, assuredly, among the potent rea-
sons which induced me to conclude peace so
promptly you must reckon the fear of seeing the
revolution assume daily increasing dimensions.
Facts have an inexorable logic, and despite my de-
votion to the Holy See, despite the presence of my-
troops at Rome, I could not avoid a certain amount
of connection with the results of the national move-
ment caused in Italy by the struggle against
Austria.

As soon as peace was concluded I hastened to
write to your Holiness to submit to you the views
which I considered best suited to lead to the pacifi-
cation of the Romagna, and I still entertain the
opinion that if your Holiness had from that time
consented to an administrative separation of those
provinces, and to the nomination of a lay governor,
they would have returned to your rule. Unhappily,
this was not the case, and I found myself powerless
to prevent the establishment of the new Govern-
ment. My endeavours only succeeded in prevent-
ing a spread of the insurrection, and the resigna-
tion of Garibaldi preserved the Marches of Ancona
from certain invasion.

Now the Congress is about to assemble, the
Powers cannot disown the incontestable rights
of the Holy See to the Legations ; nevertheless,
it is probable that they will not be of opinion
that you should have recourse to force to sub-
ject them. For, if that subjection were obtained
by the aid of foreign troops, it would imply the
military occupation of the Legations for a long
time. This occupation would keep alive the ha-
treds and resentments of a great portion of the
Italian people, as also the jealousy of the Great
Powers ; this would be, then, to perpetuate a state
of irritation, distrust, and fear.
What remains, then, to be done, for this state of
uncertainty cannot last for ever ? After a serious
consideration of the difficulties and dangers which
the different combinations present—l say it with
sincere regret, and painful as the conclusion may
be, that the solution which appears to me most
conformable to the true interests of the Holy See
will be to surrender the revolted provinces. If the
Holy Father, for the sake of the peace of Europe,
should give up these provinces, which for 50 years
have been a great embarrassment to his Govern-
ment, and if, in exchange, he should request the
great Powers to guarantee to him the possession of
the remainder, I do not doubt of the immediate
restoration of tranquility. Then the Holy Father
would insure to grateful Italy peace for many years,
and to the Holy See the peaceful possession of the
States of the Church.
I am sure your Holiness will not miscontrue the
sentiments which animate me. You will under-
stand the difficulty of my position ; you will give a
kind interpretation to my frank language, remem.
bering all that I have already done for the Catholic
religion and for its august Head.
I have expressed without reserve my full mind,
and I thought it indispensable to do so before the
Congress. But I beg of your Holiness, whatever
decision you may come to, to believe that it will in
no respect change the line of conduct whith I have
always observed in respect of you.
Thanking your Holiness for the Apostolic bles-
sing which you have sent to the Empress, the
Prince Imperial, and to myself, I renew to you the
assurance of my profound veneration.

I am, of your Holiness, your devoted son,

NAPOLEON.
Palace of the Tuileries, Dec. 31, 1859.

---
WRECK OF THE SILAS HOLMES, AND SUPPOSED
Loss OF 32 !ATI:S.—A despatch, dated New Orleans, Doc.
25, was received at Liverpool yesterday, giving an ace ount
of the total loss of the American and Liverpool trader Silas
Holmes. The despatch states that five women and four
men were picked up in a boat prior to the 25th December,
being the remainder of the crew and passengers of the Silas
Holmes, which foundered Dec. 16, when five days out from
Gardner Island Key, where she had been aground. The
other portion of the crew and passengers, 32 in number, are
supposed to have perished, as nothing had been heard of
them up to the time of the mail leaving New Orleans. The
loss of the vessel is attributed to the injuries which she
sustained when ashore on Gardner Island Key, they not
having been adequately repaired previous to her leaving
that place.
THE MISSING HIGH SIIERIFF.—The Limerick
papers state up to yesterday evening there has not been the
sli2htest clue to the discovery of Mr. Hugh Massy 0' Grady,
who would have been called on in a week or two to dis-
charge the office of Hic-h Sheriff of the county. The
Reporter adds :—" The opinion gains strength that he is
alive ; and there are rumours to this effect which give con-
fidence to the opinion. We have heard that all the No-
vember rents on his estate were paid last week with extra-
ordinary punctuality by the tenantry, who are said to have
stated that if more money were required than the rent, they
would be rejoiced to give it. The strongest feeling of sym-
pathy continues to prevail on the subject, and one and all
hope that Mr. H. Massy O'Grady may be soon discovered
alive and well, as it is believed he is."