Star. — London, England, 1808-04-19 00:00:00

SWEDISH STATE PAPER. " The irruption of the Russian troops into Fin land, and the incendiary proclamations circulated in that province, were already known to the King, at a time when the Minister of Russia, M. AlopeT, had not yet made any communication that could prepare the mind for such intelligence, and when no couriers np . dispatcha— from the Swedish Ambassador at Petersburgh had al-rived since those events. 'Consi dering, therefore,. that Minister as deprived of his pub lic charactef by the insidious aggression of his Court; ai a dangeroUttnemy, by the revolutionary princi ples with which j Ahat aggression was accompanied ; and as a hostage for the Ambassador whose liberty had in all probability been violated, his Majesty or dered on the 2clof fvfaiehithat a military guard should' be placed over M. Ato l ittis in his house. " This measure; which in every other circumstance would have been extremely repugnant to the King, has been fully justified by the event : a courier from St. Petersburgh, who arrived at Scyneldskar on the 22d. and set out on the 28th of February, by Tornea for Stockholm, having been arrested en the 7th of March, a mile from Harnosand, with the following dispatches : No. I. " Sift- I —Baron Stedingk remitted to me on the 9th of January, an official note, of which I send you a copy annexed, in answer to mine of the 16th of No vember. Its contents answer as little as the preceding notification of this Ambassador, to what our august Master expected (1) of the King of Sweden ; and his Imperial Majesty, convince:l by this, that he has no thing. to hope from continuing further a correspon desce,which, ender such pressing circumstances, (2) has already continued more than four. months, and has_ produced no result ; has determined to deliver the declaration which you will find annexed, in order to satisfy himself definitively concerning the disposi tions of the Court of Stockholm. Though I shall impart this declaration to Baron Stedingk here, yet his Majesty commands you, Sir, to communicate it to the . Ministry of his Swedish Majesty. You will ob serve-to him, on this occasion, that it still depends upon •the 'King to preserie good harmony between the.two states (3). But that the most essential inte rest 4 of Russia do not permit his Imperial Majesty to allow, in the present situation of affairs, of the least doubt as to the dispositions of Sweden with respect to Russia (4). I have the honour, &c. (Signed) " COUNT NICOLAS DE ROMANZOFI.' -. -" Ft. Petersburgh, Feb. 17,1 SOS. " To M. d'Alopeus, at Stockholm." ' (1) As to what his Imperial Majesty asked ; Yes Le. the pa• cification of the Baltic ; but as to what he extectel, perhaps, M it he expected that Sweden would grant to him what he granied even to France, the sacrifice of his interests and his independence. t 2) The fear of the English must be verypee.uing. In spite of an extraordinary delay of the English mails, the answer of England anived at Stockholm on the 16th of March, a long time before 1 1 nuritiine expedition in the Gulf of Finland was physically possible. The Cotiii of London acceded to the proposal, and consented not to trouble the tranquillity of the Baltic, if Sweden were allowed to remain at peace. Thus a peaceful and happy corner of the world might be suffered to exist. But Russia will not have it so. It remains to be seen whether the insidious invasion of Finland will protect her shores from the English fleets. (3) The Russian army was to enter into Finland before the de e :ration of war could be even delivered, and consequently before the arrive.l of an answer ; yet they have the impudence to speak ati:l of rood harmony. What was expected of the King was in fact so illegal, so humiliating, that they who know - the character of the King could not expect to obtain it voluntarily. They hive boasted much of the Crown Prince of Denmark for having refneed to treat with England subsequentlyto hostilities, and yet the same thing is proposed to the Kirg. Contradictions, solecisms, and fats sities are the or4incry attendints of injustice. . . . (4) There were then no doubts as to the dispositions of the Rai. T very thing was on the r aces establishment in Finland till the sd of February, when the King enquired of M. Alopeus what the armaments of Russia on the frontiers imported ? and infornied him, that he should, on his side, be obliged to put himself in a state of defence. No. 11. Copy of a Note from the Ambassador of Sweden, Baron de Ste dingit, to the Minister Omit de Romanzuff, dated the 9th (81st) January 1808. 4 , The King having alreaty communicated to the Court of St. Petersburgh, in answer to the Note of the 22d September (Oct. 6), his opinion on the ac tual position of the North, and on the difficulty of applying to it the engagements of 1780, his Majesty had some hope of gaining the assent of his Imperial Majesty to the evidence of these statenwnts. The first glance upon the circumstances of the former and present moment, appeared sufficient to shew their immense disparity ; and the Cabinet of St. Peters burgh cannot, any more than others, hesitate to pro nounce on which side the preponderance was then, and on which side it is now. • Russia, the principal support of the Convention of 1780, was the first to abolish it in 1801. If it liras at her invitation that Sweden acceded to the new system—under her auspices that she reconciled her self then with England ; she then contracted with that power direct engagements, which, according to the rules of public morality, she was obliged to ob serve, as long as the other Contracting Party did not violate fils own. “ The neutrality of 1780 being then once aban doned, the shutting up of the Baltic, founded in con cert, and the stipulated common armaments, appear the less to concern Sweden, because since the epoch of the last Convention, there has existed on this sub ject neither concert nor unity of principles even among the Poweri whose shores lay along this sea. And this shutting of the sea, which then meant properly nothing but the defence of the Sound, is now become undertakingn more vast and difficult to execute, since the Engsh have found the passage of the Great Belt practicable to ships of war, aVJ since the Danish marine no longer exists. " Generally speaking, a change of the principles of neutrality, adopted in the last instant, would net only be contrary to the subsisting engagements of the King, guaranteed by Russia herself, but probably no purpose, not causing a change of principles in England during the war ; it would only tend to oc casion a rupture between the two states, useless to the ally of Russia, hurtful perhaps to herself, and certainly ruinous to Sweden. " Bat with this attachment to his engagements, the King is not insensible to the advantages of a pa cification in the I3altic. It is possible that England Would consent td the neutrality of this sea, that she would promise not to send thither ships of war, un• less the mt•as+tres adopted aA:iiast the British:com merce oa alnat st all the coasts of the Baltic should pet rouse her armaniel4s, or sinless new hostilities should call her thither as an alailiary`" This is a , . .. ~ . . • : point of view that at least app ears to unite the com mercial interests of all the orth, and which the Court of Petersbursh will j)erhaps find. sufficiently ; important to merit its particular attention'. • " It is in these terms that the undersigned Annbas . - sador Extraordinary of his Majesty the King of Swe- , den has received orders to answer the note which hit; Excellency Count de Romanzoff addressed to him,. of the 16th (28th) November, and which he hastened to transmit to hi; Court, &c. &c. " St. Petersburgh, lan. 9 (21) 1808. No. 111. The 3d Number consists of the Russian Declaration against Sweden, (see Srea, March 23). We extract 1 the comments. At the end of the first paragraph, in which the Em peror speaks of the Crown Prince as a relation, friend, and ancient ally of Russia— " On beholding these sentiments of his Majesty, we are cheer ed by the recollection that all these titles are Applicable to the King: but a few months are passed since the King has done any thing to forfeit them." On the third paragraph, where mention is made of the Treaty of 1780, between the •Empress Catherine and Gustavus lII. • • •• . " The sense of an article of a treaty has often been disputed, and the application of it contested--but never before was a re cent convention passed over in silence which had been formally concluded and ratified, in order to cite anterior engagements evi dently abolished by it. The Cabinet of St. Petersburgh cites the Conventions of 1780 and 1800 concluded against England, and passes over in silence that of 1801 concluded with her.— The Emperor returns arbitrarily to the engagements of his two predecessors, invalidating tacitly those which he has himself con tructed. " The state of war in which his Imperial Majesty finds him self with England, naturally led to the abolition of every existing convention with that Power. Sweden was not in the least con cerned in this war. What was stipulated betwer.e her and Rus sia on the one side, and between her and E: Aaste on the other, could and ought equally to subsist, the Kind being equally at peace with both. " On a simple principle, Russia had the power of renouncing the Convention of 1801 with Sweden : then every maritime cons vention was abolished,' and the parties returni- I naturally to the state of things before 1800, each composing his system of neu trality on the principles of the , rights of nations. " But adopting a double principle at present, Russia suppresses the convention last concluded, and re-establishes the two first, which were diametrically opposite to it, and finds a reason for war on the refusal of the King of Sweden to submit to this des potism. " But let us see how Russia wishes to re-establish the armed neutrality. Pretending that Sweden ought to exclude from the Baltic even English merchantmen, she reproaches her with hav ing wished that the German ports should be open to this com merce. Here is the first separate article of this famous Con vention. and let it be judged whetind-Count Rorneueow has ever read it." • ' The whole is given at lens*: it imports, that du ring war, the Baltic being 'an ineloied 'seal ail tn.. tions ought and may amtgate it in peace, and esjoy all the advantages of a perieritahn." . • • • • On a passage , in which ;0-Emperor slab, of the safety pf his.empire, it is • " It is so improbatie that the ineasion of Finlamlcap be seriously considered by the Cabinet of St. Petersburgh, as diverting from the Russian ports all danger from the English fleet, that it must be supposed some other fear occasioned it ; perhaps the entry of a French army into Russia. It will come nevertheless. On the passage respecting Mr.. Rist's conference with Mr. Canning— . " A false statement by Mr. Rist. Mr. Canning, who kept a protocole of the conference, will prove that it was Mr. Rist who asked whether Sweden would co-operate, and who considered silence as an answer in the affirmative " The King never had any other than defensive connections with England; and they are innocent, except in the eyes of the aggressor.•• There are other obseriations, but short, and of slight importance. No.-IV. 0 Stst—l have punctually received the several dis patches you have addressed to me, both by the post and by the chasseur. Batensky, and last of all by the - Chamberlain the Count de Pahien. I feel, Sir, the sentiments by which I ought to be impressed for your activity and zeal• in the service; and I shall, with great pleasure, signify to the Emperor my favourable I opinion on these subjects. The reseript which you will find inclosed, and the insignia of the order of St. Wladimir, which his Imperial Majesty has been pleased to confer on you, will convince you of the persuasion he feels of your important services. From the sincere interest I take in your welfare, I am anxi ous to inform you that, however flattering may ap pear the indications of respect of the Emperor on the present occasion, he does not intend to confine himself to these exterior marks of his approbation— he proposes td manifest his munificence towards yon by the improvement of your fortune ; and on your arrival here, I believe you will be complimented by the acquisition of a territorial domain. The Emperor has been gratified with the receipt of the details of the state of. the Swedish fleet you have transmitted ; and I expect with some anxiety the account you have promised, of the condition of the land forces, as well as the particulars regarding the interior of the country (1). At present such intelli gence is of the highest importance to us—and you, Sir, will yourself perceive how important a service you ren der to his Imperial Majesty, in providing us with in formation as accurate as possible.. If safe opportuni ties should not be afforded for such communications, you will take especial care to be supplied with the do-' cuments, in order to bring them with you, in case it should be expedient for you to quit the kingdom of Sweden. " From all the circumstances, it appears difficult to avoid an entire rupture with Sweden. Until that event shall take place, you will continue at your post following uniformly. the tame line of conduct you have hitherto pursued—but it will be prudent, that without appearing to wepare yourself, you are ready for departure on the first intimation of its necessity. With regard to the precautions necessary to be taken concerning your cyphers, and the instruments con nected with your legatorial powers, this will cer tainly be most propetly committed to your own dis cretion. "I shall not send to Baron de Stedingk the declara tion which I transmit to you, until some days after the departure of the courier to.day—and as I direct you in my public dispatch to communicate this docu ment to the Swedish Minister, I think it right to ap prise you not to take this step prior zo your having sent your messenger to MAle Lisakewitsch with the in closed packet to his address ; and I rather think that it would be politic to give time enough to this courier to quit the Swedish frontier Of). Having taken this • precaution, you will then send the declaration I have alluded to to 'Baron Ehrenheirn, and demand of that, Minister the de fi nitive answer of the King, in order that Ton may return it to us by the. bearer, and you will have the goodness to forward it to me with. gut any delay;.. • " My past, experience of you, Sir, is abundantly .suffieient to convince me, that in the important cons -01111351012 • • with which you are now entrusted, you will Captain GOODALL, whose arrival we have mew. 'Deglect nothing to deserve the confidence of his lm -'1 tioned, has tyrought some Haytian Gazettes, whi c h ' ',penal:Majesty, which has been hitherto so justly re- I state, that the troops of Christophe have obtained con - posed in you. I have the honour, &c. , siderable advantages over those of Petion. We h ave , i (Signed) "The Comte NICHOLAS DE ROMANZOFF. , been favoured with one of the papers printed at t h e “ St. Petersburgh, February, 1808. 1 Cag e, from which we L. have translated :h e f u ll • -' I%ing To M. d'Alopeus, at Stockholm." . i 1 al'aC e : - - - (I) The plan no doubt was to revolutionize Sweden, as had LIBERTY AND INDEPENDENCE, been already attempted with Finland. Is it possible that a Sow- STA] tor HAYll.—Order of the Day' February 11. reign Prince should so far forget what is due to his own charm. i Aftel having performed the lastlutrei undhonours due to rt a . ter, to descend into the gloomy paths of corruption and treachery, remains of the intrepid hl`Culloch, and the brave m en o h o fr:' these sacred bonds which unite a in order to destro people to • with him in the field of honour, it is time to announ ce to t h • y ' i their Government ? Such is the example exhibited in an empire the success of the nsaritime forces of th.estAte of Hayti. composed of ten distinct nations hostile to each other. On the 2d of this month the squadron of the State,. toadeting (2) It was utterly absurd to suns+ se that there was sufficient of the brig Foudriayant, and L'Avant-Ocrde and Is Province et, time for the courier togo to Stock' elm, the date of St.. Peters- Nord, which left the 'Cape on the 31st of January, Under th. burgh being the 17th of February, and hostilities on the frontier command of Rear Admiral Ni•Culloeb, and the Chid of Dieli gi commencing the 2lst. But Count Romanzoff we ought to jus- Antoine Padden, to attack the Constitution 'and the o w , • r : tify. It is.obvious, that while he was so profoundly engaged In his tw o galliots belonging to the 'rebels, anchored in the road of • Jvaa °Mee t he was utterlyignorant of what was passing in the War e..ao .......ci, an d, protected by the fort, and several battalions on shore. Department, probably under the direction of M. de Caullricourt. After an _ amion, which lasted several louse, Ms Constitinise Was there any One at St. Petersburgh who combined the opera- blew up, and the Guerriere, which had been driven on thore w . s as dons of both ? burned by our vessels. This event, which was prepared with all that wisdom which constantly distinguish the measures of die President, gives a fatal . blow to those traitors and infamous rebels who still adhere to the odious league of Petion. ~ . 'flit loss of the enemy was cAosiderable, and we may mud this affair as the comrhencement at the destruction of .his, naval force, which our brave seamen will soon complete. Thc morning the funeral service for Admiral ' , nano* E A • the seamen who were killed in the action of the 2d, his been o i l„ brated in the Cathedral of the Cape, in presence ptitii President, with all the splendour due to the memory of these intrepid defek tiers of legitimate authority and liberty. Our loss was three nun killed and five wounded, among whom. i 4 6 1e . .caPain of frigate Bastlen. Done at the Cape, Feb. 11, 1808, in the All year of in s , deuce. 111.,,,RAF11.11., Brigadier of the Artnj aEiythatiltithe Staff. ' "HENRY CANTON-lE. ST. DOMIXGO. No. Y. • Sra--Some entertain the opinion, that General Armfeldt, discontented with the treatment he receives from the King of Sweden, would be, perhaps, dis posed to quit altogether the Court of Stockholm. As in point of fact he is not by birth a Swede, buts na tive of Finland, he may perhaps be gained over, which, in the present situation of affairs, would be of great importance to us. On this account, before you quit Sweden, you will see the propriety of sounding the sentiments of M. Armfeldt. If he should be in clined to open with you, you will not neglect to dis cuss matters in detail ; an,f, without entering into any positive obligation, you will confine yourself to the let ting him see all the advantages which may most flatter his ambition. You will greatly oblige me, Sir, by immediately apprizing me what may be the result of your proceeding on this subject.(l). Knowing your experience (2) in. business, I need not observe to you how essential it is that this kind of negociation should be carried on in such a manner that you do not corn. mit yourself, and in this I reckon entirely on your prudence. I have the•honour to be, &c. (Signed) "L E COMTE NICOLAS DE ROMANZOFF. " St. Petersburgh, Feb. S, MS." (5) The whole of this is the excess of insolence. Baron d'Arns. feldt may have been impatient of inactivity for a single moment, at a crisis so dangerous to his country. It is fAse, that he has either been ill treated or discontented. "Heis no subject of the King, since he is a native of Swedish Finland!" What an inference, even before the wit! "To gain hird over will be an important acquisition—flatter his ambition!" Such is the language. You, Springporten, Knorring, Hazelstromjraitors of every description, now speak ;—Was it ever is the power of the Emperor to allevi ate your remorse by offices and emoluments ? could these protect you from the contempt and execration of every honest man, - even In - Ras* itself 1 (2) It it ibis very experience that justifies the measuiesfif the King with regird to M. Alopeus. - .1 • No. VI is a formal letter from Count .Romanzoff, dated the sth of February, accompanying the Russian Declaration. It contains no statement in substance different from those already given. On a pacsage, where the Count again speaks of the guarantee of the Baltic, it is observed— " In all these pieces " **guarantee of the Baltic" has no mean ing, unless it be, to eetute-Ctonstadt and Revel from the fate of. Copenharen. Russia, the ally Of England, is alone to have the privilege of stinnuonierfleets into the Baltic, without a word being said of closing the passage ; but no sooner does she quarrel with England, than she cries out for help to abut it." • .• • GOTTENBURGH, APRIt.I. • The Queen of Sweden, by the request of her sis ter, the Empress of Russia, solicited public audi ence of the King, which was granted. She knelt before his Majesty, begging of him to demand a peace with the French and Russians. His Majesty's answer was firm and manly; he said, " he would defend. himself to the last extremity." If we have the good fortune to be assisted by England with troops, to have no doubt of being able to defend ourselves against the Russians:: We have received advice, through the Portuguese • Minister, that twenty-five thousiuid French, and 8000 Spanish troops, are in Holstein, but not one of them has yet arrived in Zea land. A Danish 74 gun ship was taken in the mouth of the Belt. The English have taken two small islands in the Baltic, by which means all communi cation with Zealand and the Continent is cut off.— The Swedes arc blockading the Prussian ports. It is also said that ' a scarcity of provisions prevails in Zea, land, and that one pound of meat is at the price of half a dollar Swedish money. The Danes have been obliged to embark 8000 men in Zealand, and land them in Holstein, on account of the scarcity in that island, which must he increased by the English keep ing strict blockade. LONDON. TUESDAY, AP/tit 19. EArrita-TuisoAir.--Holitlay at all the Public Offlcoi except •the Customs. Among the accounts from Barbadoes, in another part of this Paper, is a piece of intelligence from America, mentioning that the Northern States have openly avowed a determination to separate from the Union in the event of a war between the two countries, and to throw themselves on the protection of We know by private accounts before received that the Northern States are averse to a rupture with this country, but whether so decidedly to, that they would break with their countrymen rather than go to War with us, we have not had the means of knowing. - It is reported that Government haie:received some ad. vices from America of a description very unfavou. table to the hopes lately- entertained, of being able to Inme to an amicable arrangement . Of differences WA that country. The. Executive of the United States, it is said; insist-Atpon an acknowledgment of the..principle of • a perfectly fret neutral commerce. We have -not• been - lable to ascertain• through what channel this Intelligence *as receivititi but it may be admitted as corrcict t mithon'f. tl 0014 being at all . invalidated thereby,l fOt the . goo - sheen . States have shewn kstronger attachrue.nt 'to Frei:ail:Politics than the Northern, ever' since:rtitLlOhutelioetifistissf..the • Revolution. • . Letters from Greepock. statCtlpt the Brilliant. ;* MORRISON, arrived here• on Satirilsit -from Hos, duras, in seven weeks,On the 27tIr-ult: of the Ca,pes of Virginia, spoke the Euryalus frigoit-which had come co:O a he Chesa pea k e, where the tzti'n*. gull lying . ang.4l - The Euryalus had accomp Sir JOHN Ducicwourit West. Indies, where she. left him, and was sent in quest of the Rochefort Squadron ; but, getting no intelligence in the Chesa peake, intended running across to the Banks of New. foundlarid, and then for England. The Lieutenant who boarded told Captain Moi u ueoN that matters still remained undecided in America—that two of the lead ing Members'of Congress had fought a duel, in which one was killed ; the survivor's name is CAMPBELL.— They would pot permit the frigate to water. The substance of , dispatches found upon the Russian Courier who was arrested on the 7th ult. in the Swedish territories, has already been laid before our Readets. The Swedish Government has since. published them at Stockholni, in the form of a pam phlet with notes. The Notes are written with much point ; and expose, in nervous language, the disho. nourabje and scandalous Russian project for exciting sedition and revolt in Sweden. All the ports of Russia, Prussia, Denmark, and Norway, bad been directed by the King of Sweden to be rigorously blockaded, and for this purpose five Swedish ships of the line and three frigates had sailed from Carlscrona. The following are extracts from private letters from Sweden : " Our armies being now in motion against Den mark and Norway, we are out of danger from inva sion and if we are properly and vigorously assisted by the English, there will be no cause for fear during the present year. If the English were to make a diversion on Norway, at or near Christiansand, and other ports, and to keep Zealand closely blockaded, both those countries, Norway and Zealand, will be in want of provisions in the month of June or July next, and must fall of course. Were it then possible to maintain those countries during the ensuing win ter, the plans of the French would be totally de feated, and our two countries might execute theirs with honour. It is, however, understood, that the English must use every exertion and endeavour, and.- that in true earnest. Our army consists of brave, strong, and healthy men, inhabitants of the country, who are full of cgurage ; and the nation at rge - are ready to venture every thing for the defence of their 1201131 try. WEST' INDIES. BRIDGE-TOWN, (BARBADOES) FEB. °7. Sir ALEXANDER COCIIRANE, in the Belleisle, re. turned to this anchorage on Wednesday last from off Martinique, and during that and the following day, the Ramifies, York, and Defence, of the line, with the Argo and Latona frigates, also camp into Carlisle Bay. The return of the Rear-Admiral with so large a part of his squadron has excited much inquiry and conjecture ; the generally received opinion at first was, that such full and correct information had been obtained of the enemy's squadron as removed every idea of their tieing destined to this Country ; but nothing has transpired- to bear out this opinion, and all that now seems to have occasioned the unexpected withdrawing of these ships from off Martinique, is the accidentally falling foul of each other of the Rami lies and the Defence, by which they both sustained some trifling damage. • Accounts from Bermuda, as late as the 11th inst. give assurances of an amicable termination of the dif ferences between England and America. Among the causes which have chiefly influenced the more temperate discussions on the part of Congress, is said to be that of the Northern States having openly avowed a determination to separate from the Union in the event of a war between the two Countries and throw themselves under the protection of Engl4d.— The Statira frigate had arrived at Bermuda, and a vessel . was dispatched thereupon to England, with infinMation of Mr. Ross's reception in America ? and being engaged in the objects of his missior.. The Hussar frigate, which came out with the last Cork convoy and proceeded to the Southward with the trade for those Colonies, arrived. here on Thurs day from Demerara, .31: • . • - P ~• ~: cl Ii ~w !EL.. ~'~ ST I . WI ▪ - • _ ~.: •'oi p I tl -.•tg • 11 d 11 ` ~ j 3