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443 - SUEZ CANAL. Draft letter, [late 1848 or early 1849], ‘to Pri…
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Estimate €500 - €700
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Description
SUEZ CANAL. Draft letter, [late 1848 or early 1849], ‘to Prince Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, President of the Republic’; 3½ folio pages. An interesting proposal urging the future Napoleon III to cut through the Isthmus of Suez, inviting him to take swift action with the new Governor of Egypt, in order to pre-empt the British, and emphasising the strategic importance of such a canal, the cost of which is estimated, along with a proposal for financing the project [the canal was built between 1859 and 1869, under the direction of Ferdinand de Lesseps]. ‘Prince, your accession to power in France, and that of Abbas in Egypt, may provide the opportunity for an undertaking that would bring glory to the princes governing both countries. The cutting of the Isthmus of Suez by means of a direct canal from Suez to Peluza, which has been studied on several occasions by skilled engineers, has always been regarded not only as possible but even as straightforward from an engineering point of view. […] To persuade the sovereign of that country to undertake this project, and to secure the necessary resources for it, should be the twin objectives of direct negotiations entrusted to the French representative in Egypt […]. However, one may surmise that Britain has anticipated the canal’s construction in the not-too-distant future; it has taken precautions against the consequences of this eventuality by unlawfully seizing the position of Aden, which it has turned into a second Gibraltar. […] As for the financial question, a simpler solution presents itself. It would consist of having the Sovereign of Egypt take out a direct and personal loan guaranteed by France, which would, in this instance, be doing no more than it did for Greece. […]. Such are the difficulties to be resolved and the means to be employed to arrive at this solution. And what new glory would the name of Bonaparte—already so great in the East—not derive from the realisation of an undertaking to which the whole world would applaud with enthusiasm? »… The author of this draft has not been identified.
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About the sale Letters and Autograph Manuscripts – Part II
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Auction time 10/14/2026 at 2:00 PM
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