Pomeroy weekly telegraph. [volume] (Pomeroy, Meigs County, Ohio) 1860-1866, 1860-08-28
A LETTER FROM THE FRENCH EN-
--a- PEROR.

LETTER FROM THE FRENCH EN-
--.--z.r PEROR.
The French Emperor has written tn,
4 following letter to his Minister in Eng
land. It is intended as a reply to wha
was called Lord Palmerston s war speech
developing plan of fortifcation and de
fence against invasion, recently delivered
in the British Parliament: -. ...
ST. CLOUD, July %, 1850.
"1Hy Dear Pers; Affairs appear tt
me to be so complicated--thanks to tht
mistrust excited everywhere since the
war in Italy-that write to you in the
hope that a conversation in perfect
frankness, with Lord Palmerston, will
remedy the existing evil. Lord Pal.
merston knows me, and when affirm q
thing he will believe me. Well, you car
tell him for me, in the most explicit
manner, that since the peace of Villa
franca I have had but one thought, one
object-to inaugurate new era of peace
and to live on the best terms with all my
neighbors, and especially with England
[ had renounced Savoy and Nice; the
extraordinary additions to Piedmont
alone caused me to resume the desire to
see reunited to France provinces essen
tally French. But it will be objected
You wish for peace, and you increase
immoderately, the military forces OF
France deny the fact in every sense
My army and my fleet have in them
nothing of threatening character Ny
steam navy is even far from being ade-
quate to our requirements, and the num-
Der of steamers does not nearly equal
that of sailing ships deemed necessary in
the time Of King Louis Philippe. !
have 100000 men under arms; but de-
duct from this amount $4,000 at Rome
5000 in China, 10000 gendarmes, the
sick and the new conscripts, and you
will see-what is the truth-that my
regiments are of smaller effective strength
than during the preceding reign. The
only addition to the army lists has been
made by the creation of the Imperial
Guard. Moreover, while wishing for
peace, [ desire to organize the forces OF
the country on the best possible footing,
for, if foreigners have only seen the
bright side Of the last war, myself, close
at hand, have witnessed the defects, and
I wish to remedy them, Having said
thus much, [ have, since Villafranca,
neither done, nor even thought, anything
which could alarm any one. When
Lavalette started for Constantinople, the
instructions which I gave him were con-
fined to this: use every effort to main
tain the status quo: the interest of France
is that Turkey should live as long as
possible.
'Now, then, occur the massacres in
Syria, and it is asserted that I am very
glad to find new occasion of making a
little war, or of playing a new part.
Really, people give me credit for very
little common sense. If instantly pro-
posed an expedition, it was because my
feelings were those of the people which
has put me at its head, and the intelli-
gence from Syria transported me with
indignation. My first thought, never
theless, was to come to an understanding
with England. What other interest
than that of humanity could induce me
to send troops into that country? Could
it be that the possession of it would in
crease my strength? Can conceal from
myself that Algeria, Notwithstanding it's
future advantages, is source of weak
ness to France, which for thirty years
has devoted to it the purest Of its blood
and its gold? said it in 1852, at Bor-
deaux, and my opinion is still the same
II have great conquests to make, but
only in France. Her interior organiza-
ton, her moral development, the in
crease of her resources, have still i'm
mense progress to make. There field
exists, vast enough for my ambition and
sufficient to satisfy it.
''It was difficult for me to come to an
understanding with England on the sub
ject of Central Italy, because was
bound by the peace of Villafranca. AS
to Southern Italy, 1 am free from en-
gagements, and I ask no better than a
concert with England ON this point, as
on others; but, in Heavens name, let
the eminent men who are placed at the
head of the English government lay
aside petty jealousies and unjust mis-
trusts. '...
"Let us understand one another in
good faith, like honest men as we are,
and not like thieves who desire to cheat
each other.
"To sum up, this is my innermost
thought. I desire that Italy should
obtain peace, no matter how, but with
out foreign Intervention, and that my
troops should be able to quit Rome
without compromising the security of
the Pope. I could very much wish not
to be obliged to undertake the Syrian
expedition, and, in any case, not to un-
dertake it alone; firstly, because it will
be a great expense, and secondly, be-
cause [ fear that this intervention may
involve the Eastern question; but, on
the other hand, I do not see how to re-
sist public opinion in my country, which
will never understand that we can leave
unpunished not only the massacre of
Christians, but the burning of our con-
sulates, the insult to our flag, and the
pillage of the monasteries which were
under our protection.
1 have told you all, I think, without
Disgusting or omitting anything. Make
what use you may think advisable of
my letter.
Believe in my sincere friendship,
"NAPoLEoN.'