Year: 1860




My DEAR PERsIGSY: Affairs appear to me
TO be so mplicated-thanks to the mistrust
excited everywhere since the war in Italy
that write to you in the hope that a conver-
satlon, IN perfect frankness, with Lord Pal
merstOn, will remedy the existing evil Lord
Palmerston knows me, and when affirm a
thing be will believe me. Well. you can tell
him from me, in the most explicit manner,
that since the peace Of Villsfranca have had
but one thought, one object, to inaugurate a
new era OF peace, and to live on the best terms
with all my neigh oOrs, and especially with
England. L had renOunced Savoy and Nice;
the extraordinary addition 10 Piedmont alone
caused me TO resume the desire to see reunited
to France provinces essentially French But
1t will be objected. You wish for peace, and
you increase immoderately the military forces
OF France L deny the fact in every sense
My army and my feet have in them nothing
OF threatening character. Ny steam navy
Is even far from being adequate to our require
ments, and the number of steamers does not
nearly equal that of sailing ships deemed
necessary in the time Of King Louis Philippe.
nave 4OU, 900 men under arms, but deduct
from this amount CO, 600 in Algeria c. 900 Mt
Rome, 1000 in China, 20 900 gendarmes; the
sick and the new cOnscripts, you will see
what Is the truth--thst my regiments are of
smaller effective strength than during the pre-
cedlng reign. The only addition to the army
hist has been made by the creation of the I'm
perial Guard. Moreover, while wishing for
peace, desire also 10 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 | wish TO remedy
them. Having said thus much, / have since
Nillafranca, neither done nor even thought
anything which could alarm any one When
Lavalette started for COnstantnOple the in
structions which 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, occur the massacres in Syria
and il is asserted that am very glad to find a
new occasion Of making little war, or play
ing new part. Really people give me credit
for very little common sense. If | instantly
proposed an expedition il was because my feel
ings were those Of the people which has put me
at its head, and the intelligence from Syria
transported me with indignation My first
thought, nevertheless, was to come to an un-
derstanding with England. What other inter
est than that of humanity could induce me to
send troops into that country Could il be that
the possession Of it would increase my strength
Can L conceal from myself that Algeria, not
withstaDding its future advantages, is a source
Of weakness to France which for thirty wears
has devoted to IL the purest Of its blood and it's
gold? l said it in 1852 at Bordeaux, and my
opinion is still the same-I have great CON
quests To make, but only in France Her
interior organization, her moral development,
the increase Of her resources have still immense
progress to make There a field exists vast
enough for my ambition and sufficient to sat
isfy it.


1T was difficult for Inc 10 come to an under
standing with England on the subject of Cen
trail Italy, because l was bound by the peace
Of Villafranca. As to Southern Italy, / am
free from engagements, and | ask no better
than concert with England on this point, as
on others but in Heavens name let the eIni-
nent men who are placed at the head of the
English Government lay aside petty iealousies
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.


To sum up, this is my innermost thought
L desire that Italy 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 the 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
it will be great expense and, secondly, be-
cause fear 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 understand that we
can leave unpunished not only the massacre of
Christians, but the burning of our Consulates,
the insult TO our flag, and the pillage Of the
mOnasteries which were under our protection.


Il have told you all, 1 think, without dis
guising or Omitting anything. Make what use
you may think advisable of my letter.


believe in my sincere friendship,


NAPOLEON"