From inside prison walls He [Baha'u'llah] wrote epistles to all the kings and
rulers of nations summoning them to arbitration and Universal Peace. Some of
the kings received His words with disdain and contempt. One of these was the
sultan of the Ottoman kingdom. Napoleon III of France did not reply. A second
epistle was addressed to him. It stated: “I have written you an epistle before
this, summoning you to the cause of God but you are of the heedless. You have
proclaimed that you were the defender of the oppressed; now it hath become
evident that you are not. Nor are you kind to your own suffering and oppressed
people. Your actions are contrary to your own interests and your kingly pride
must fall. Because of your arrogance God shortly will destroy your sovereignty.
France will flee away from you and you will be overwhelmed by a great conquest.
There will be lamentation and mourning, women bemoaning the loss of their
sons.” This arraignment of Napoleon III was published and spread. - ‘Abdu’l-Baha (From a talk; April 18, 1912, New York City; Star of the West, vol. 3, no. 9, August 20, 1912; ‘Baha’i World Faith’)
