Year: 1860

From the Moniteur, Jan. II.


The following is the Emperor's letter to
the Pope


Most Holy Father-The letter which your
Holiness deigned to write me on the I'd OF
December, troubled me deeply, and | will re-
ply with entire frankness to the appeal made
to my good faith.
One of my most serious anxleties during,
as well as after, the war, was the condition
of the States of the Church and, assuredly,
among the potent reasons which induced me
to conclude peace so promptly, you must
reckon the fear of seeing the revolution as
sumo daily increasing dimensions. Facts
have an inexorable logic and, despite my
devotion to the Holy See, despite the pres
ence of my troops at Rome, | could not
avoid certain amount of connection with
the results of the national movement caused
in Italy by the struggle against Austria.
As soon as peace was concluded, hastened
| to write to your Holiness to submit to you
the views which l considered best suited to
lead to the pacifcation of the Romagna, and
| l still entertain the opinion that if your Ho-
illness had from that time consented to an sd-
ministrative separation of those Provinces,
and to the nomination of lay Governor,
| they would have returned to your rule. I'm
happily this was not the case, and l found
| myself powerless to prevent the establish
ment of the Government. My endeavors on
| ly succeeded in preventing spread of the
| insurrection, and the resignation of Garibal-
| di preserved the Marches of Ancona from
| certain invasion.


Now the Congress is about to assemble,
| the Powers cannot disown the incontestable
right of the Holy See to the Legations nev-
ertheless, it is probable that they will not be
| of the opinion that you should have recourse
| to force to subject them. For, if that sub
lection were obtained by the aid of foreign
troops. it would imply the military occupa-
ton of the Legations for long time. This
occupation would keep alive the hatreds 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 forever p
After a serious consideration of the difficult
ties and dangers which the different combi-
nations present, say it with sincere regret,
and painful as the conclusion may be, that
the solution which appears to me most con-
| formable 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 fifty years have been great en-
barrassment to his Government. and if, in
exchange, he should request the great Pow
ers to guarantee to him the possession Of the
remainder, 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.


am sure your Holiness will not miscon-
strue the sentiments which animate me. You
will understand the difficulty of my position;
yon will give kind Interpretation to my
| frank language, remembering all that have
already done for the Catholic religion and
for its august Head.


have expressed without reserve my full
mind, and I thought it indispensable to do 80
before the Congress. But beg of your Holi-
ness, whatever decision you may come to, to
believe that it will in no respect change the
line of conduct whicn have always observed
in respect of you.


Thanking your holiness for the Apostolic
blessing which you have ent to theiEmpress,
to the Prince Imperial, and to myself, | re-
new to you the assurance of my profound
veneration


am, your Holiness, your devoted son,
NAPOLEON.


PALACE OF THE 1erLERIrs. Dec. 81. 1889.