Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1860-08-17
"THE EMPIRE IS PEACE,
rom the Emperor OF France.

''THE EMPIRE IS PEACE.~
Letter from the Emperor OF France.
tFrom the London Times, August IL
We are requested to publish the follow
ing important letter from the Emperor Ma
Poleon to the Ambassador of France, to
which Lord John Russell last night refer
red in the House of Commons:
ST.. CLOUD, July 25, 1860.
Ny DEAR PERsrGNY: Affairs appear to
me to be SO compIicated-thanks to the
mIstrust excited everywhere since the war
IN ltaIy-thas write to you in the hope
tnat conversation, in perfect frnnkness.
Wlth Lord PAlmerston will remedy the ex-
lstlng evil Lord Palmerston knows me
and when ] a Hrsnu tell MN from me, in
the most explicit manner, that since the
peace of VillAfranca 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. I had renounced SAVOY and
Nice; the extraordinary additions to Pied
mont alone caused me to resume the de-
sire TO see reunited to France provinces
essentially French. But it will be object
ed, 'fou wish for peace, and you increase
immoderately the military forces of
France. deny the fact in every sense
My army and my feet have in them moth
ing of threatening character. My steam
navy is even far from being adequate to
our requirements, and the number of
steamers does not nearly equal that of
sailing ships deemed necessary in the time
of King Louis Philippe. l have 4OO, 900
men under arms; but deduct from this
amount 10000 in Algeria, 5000 at Rome.
5000 in China, 10000 gendarmes, the sick,
and the new conscripts, you will Soc
what is the truth-that my regiments are
OF smaller effective strength than during
the preceding reign. The only addition
to the army list has been made by the Gre
alton of the Imperial Guard. Moreover,
while wishing for peace, | desire also to
organize the force of the country on the
best possible footing, for if foreigners
have only seen a bright side of the last
war, ! myself, close at Eand, have Witness
cd the defects, and wish to remedy them.
Having said thus much, have, since Nilli-
franca, neither done, nor even thought,
anything which could alarm any one
When Lavelette started for Constantine
pie, the, instructions which l gave him
were confined to this: use every effort
to maintain the status quo; the interest of
France is that Turkey should live as long
as possible.
Now, then, occnr the massacres in Sv-
ria, and it is asserted that l am very glad
to find q new occasion of making little
WAR, or playing new part. Really peo-
pie give me credit for very little common
sense. If instantly propose an expedi-
tion, it was because my feelings were those
of the eople which has put me at its
head. and the intelligence from Syria
transported me with Indignation. Ny
first thought, nevertheless, was to come TO
AN understanding with England. What
al, n
induce me to send troops into that coun-
try? Could it be that the possession of
! it would increase my strength? Can
conceal from myself that Algeria, not
withstanding its future advantage. is a
| source of weakness to France, which for
thirty-years has devoted to 1t the purest
of its blood and its gold? said it in
1852 ut Bordeaux, aud my opinion is still
the same-I have great conquests to make,
but only in France. Her interior organi-
1ation, her moral development, the increase
of her resources, have still immense pro-
gress to make. There field exists vast
enough for my ambition and sufficient to
satisfy it.
ait was difficult for me to come to an
understanding with England on the sub
lject of Central Italy, because I was bound
by the peace of ValIufranca. AS to
tSouthern Italy, I am free from engage
ment, and ask no better than 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 jeal-
ousies and unjust mistrusts.
"Let US understand one another in good
faith, like honest men as we are, and not
like thieves who desire to cheat each
other.
ITO sum up, this is my inuermost
thought: desire that I:aly should obtAin
peace, no matter how, but without foreign
Intervention and that my troops should be
able to quit Rome without compromising
the security of tho Pope. could very
much wish not to be obliged to undertake
the Syrian expedition, and, in any case,
not to undertake it alone; first, because
fear that this Intervention may involve the
Eastern question; but, on the other hand,
do not see how to resist public opinion
in my country, which will never under
stand that we can leave unpunished not
only the massacre of christians, but the
burning of our consnlates, the insult TO
our flag, and the ptllage of the monster
les which were under our protection.
81 have told yon all I think, without
Disgusting or omitting anything. Make
what use you may think advisable of my
letter.