THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH AND THE LIVERPOOL MERCHANTS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 4, Issue 182, 15 March 1860, Page 4

THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH AND THE LIVERPOOL MERCHANTS.

The following is a translation of a letter addressed by M. Mocquard, in the name of the Emperor of the French, to four merchants of Liverpool, who had wi'iten to Napoleon 111 inquiring his intentions in reference to .England: —

“ Talace of the Juileries, Nov, 30. 4 ; To Messrs. Shaw, Mcllor, Irving, and Gaskpll, Merchants at Liverpool.

“ Gentlemen,—-You, bav,e addressed yourselves direct to the Emperor, ‘ to know what were his. intentions as regards.Eugland.’ Great fear or great confidence alone could explain this step. “ On the pne side, you are possessed by. the imaginary trouble which appears to have seized your country with the rapidity of an epidemic,; and on 'the .other, you reckon on the loyalty of him from whom you desire a reply. It was, however, easy for you yourselves to give it, if you had calmly examined the true cause of your apprehensions.; that cause you would have found only in ai] those | rumours, created among your .fellow-.country-jmen by the obstinate propagation of the most ! chimerical of alarms ; because, until now, under I whatever circumstances, there has not been a 'word or an act: of tho Emperor which could

permit a .doubt of his sentiments, and, consequently of his intention? towards your country. His conduct, invariably the same, lias not ceased for one moment to. show him as a faithful and irreproachable ally. That which he has been, he wishes (I declare it to you in his name) to continue to be again to-day the approaching community of perils to be shared at a great distance by your soldiers and ours. Thus, henceforth,, fully reassured, oppose an error too much spread. Great nations should appreciate, but not fear each other. Receive, gentlemen, the expression of my distinguished sentiments. The Secretary of the Emperor, Chef du Cabinet, Mocquakd.”

We nmy observe that the * Manchester Guardian 3 published an explanation of the conduct of flie merchants, which saved the credit of their sober sense at the expense of common propriety.; The Liverpool correspondent of that journal wrote : It is -stated that the letter in question was written by the four gentlemen while enjoying the pleasures of a * lull boaad ’ one evening, about a fortnight ag°* Nothing serious was dreamt of—the letter was posted, but a reply was nevep anticipated. So little was the affair thought of, that a copy of the letter to the Emperor was not even kept, and the whole matter was looked upon as a good joke. - Judge of the consternation of the gentlemen, when, the other day, they received, a letter in reply to theirs, written by an official personage, but which not one of the four could read, as it was written in the French language.”

The presumption or the simplicity. of the Liverpool merchants has been universally ridiculed by the journals on both sides of the Channel.