Empire FrançaisMessieurs les senateurs, messiurs les deputes - citoyens de la France!
There is no doubt that the years gone by have been the most successful ever experienced in the history of the great French state. We have enjoyed year after year of opulence and prosperity; indeed, it is almost as though heaven itself has fallen upon the French people. It is a profound blessing that all Frenchmen may enjoy together, for we are able to look back upon the past with a feeling of pride, and we are able to look towards the future with a feeling of strength. This is a faithful optimism that shall continue to give our loyal citizens the joy of loving life, and our most majestic empire the endurance it requires to bring about further splendour.
No one is left out from the good fortune that defines our empire. It fills the busy boulevards of our great cities and the small alleyways of our villages. It fills the homes of the peasantry and the homes of the aristocracy. It fills the heart of the lonely vagabond who wakes up every morning by the staggering heights that are the snow-capped Alps, to the crowded consumers who flock to Faubourg Saint-Honoré and the fine merchandise that it offers. These have been blessed times for all Frenchmen - it is the sacred duty of the House of Bonaparte to ensure that this continues for time eternal.
As always, I stand at the helm of the French Empire as firmly as ever. Over the horizon are new challenges and tasks. Nothing shall be given to us; we shall have to seize it. But what I can say is faith in ourselves and in our nation can give us the strength to solve whatever troubles may come our way - not alone, but together. We are brave, we are intelligent, and we are strong. United we shall be able to take build ourselves a better future for all of our children. Let us then stand together and continue our courageous voyage. I pledge that together we shall be able to ensure that our farms shall feed every family; our factories shall produce every commodity; our schools shall teach every child; and our people shall experience every delight.
I ask now that we may take a moment to look abroad. I must profess my worry to the disputes that have sparked off in the last few days on the matter of the Schleswig & Holstein. It is a problem that has plagued the Danes and Germans alike for decades on end; but we believe that war is not the answer. The spillage of blood shall only lead to foul relations on either side of the border. Instead, we back the Ottoman Empire's call for peace. Lay down your swords, put away your bayonets, and allow for this matter to be resolved not through violence but through words.
Far off in the Orient, our honour has been avenged from what can only be described as a ruthless attack upon our innocent missionaries. Now, our flag stands united with that of Great Britain, floating victoriously over the walls of Peking. By its side stands the cross, the mighty emblem of Christian civilization, surmounting the temples of our religion in the immense Chinese empire. Last year we achieved peace with China after the Arrow War, and I am glad. What was once closed off from the unfortunate souls of China is now open; there the word of the Lord may be spread freely.
In the lands of Viet Nam, the brave sons of France are currently fighting in the name of humanity. Over the last few years, I can proudly say that they have won resounding victories. It is not only the honour of France that they fight for, but of every good Christian - the brutal execution of the Archbishop of Tonkin merely a few years ago was an utterly outrageous act ordered by the Vietnamese Emperor, and could not go unnoticed. I proclaim that no more shall the Vietnamese Christians need to fear the persecution they once faced; the soldiers of France are at their service.
It is across the Mediterranean that we have also fought for all that is good. Six thousand of our men stand in Syria after a successful humanitarian intervention, where they have fully co-operated with the Ottoman Empire in casting aside the murderous Druze overlords, who have so violently sought to repress the Christian peasants of Syria. It was a deplorable act where twenty-thousand innocent Christians lost their lives in a massacre - France could not stand back. In 1523 we made a pledge to protect the lives of all Christians in the land of the Ottoman Empire; and I am proud to have fulfilled that solemn duty.
I have always sought to prove that France desires nothing more than peace, and that without a legitimate influence, she does not pretend to interfere in any place where her interests are not concerned. She sympathises with all that is great and noble, and does not hesitate to condemn that which violates international right and justice. Where our rights are incontestable, we shall defend. Where our honour is assaulted, we shall defend. My arm resolution has always been to ensure that France stands by the good Christian values that have so defined our country throughout the centuries. What do we have to fear? Let us calmly look to the the future with a clear conscience and righteous intentions; let us fully engage in the development of the prosperity that Providence has generously placed in our hands.
~ His Imperial Majesty Napoleon III, by the Grace of God and Will of the Nation, Emperor of the French
