The Sun.
London, England, 1854-05-16 00:00:00

POLICY OF SWEDEN.

The following is from a letter, dated Stockholm,
May 6 :

"Now that Sir Charles Napier's squadron has left
Elfsnabben Bay, as well as the friendly inhabitants of
the adjacent group of Swedish lolands—a significant and
eventful departure—the people of this kingdom, influ-
enced by alternate hopes and fears, are anxiously and
eagerly inquiring what their King will do ? That mo-
narch is still a popular one, for the Swedes are attached
to the wiw dynasty of their choice, and his present Ma-
jesty is deserving of their esteem and affection. He is a
man of deep reflection, of much amiability of disposition,
of generous purposes, and even of high literary attainments.
The important reforms which he effected in the beginning
of his reign, notwithstanding the opposition of a power-
ful and long sustained absolutist Cam irilla, will never
be forgotten. It was he who mitigated the unreason.
able severity of some penal laws—his work on prison
reform is a master one, both in argument and style, who
abolished the oppressive privileged tribunals, and who
introduced a beneficial change into the law regulating
the distribution of family property. He was, moreover,
a zealous advocate of parliamentary reform, and of a'
liberal system of commercial policy. On the whole,
King Oscar is a distinguished and enlightened sovereign,'
and, unlike his father, who never could abandon his
French habits, customs, and opinions, he is a thorough
Swede.

" Unfortunately, the old advisers of Bernadotte
(King Charles XIV.) were allowed to regain by
degrees a portion of their former influence, an influ-
ence of which they were fur a time totally deprived
on the accession of King Oscar, in 1844. It is no
secret that the Russian court had succeeded in
moderating the reforming ardour of the Swedish
monarch, and the events of 1848, which led to some
popular excesses even in this capital, were converted
by the wily Czar into so many lessons for his Swedish
neighbour and distant relative. All this implies that
Bing Oscar has not been able or willing to fulfil many
of his promises of further reforms, and at the same time
shows how necessary it is for Sweden to shake off, once
and for ever, the deadening influence of Russia, if the
former desire to be, as it deserves to be, a truly indepen-
dent country. And shortly will the opportunity be
afforded—one which Sweden did not create—and which,
if neglected, may never return. Already are the future
political and social destinies of this country in the hands
of its own people—of its King and his subjects. Sweden
has been ere now a great and a glorious state, and its
vital powers are still sound. A noble future awaits it
as one of the bulwarks of European civilisation and
liberty against Muscovite barbarism and despotism ;
hue, to remain lung such a bulwark; it is eEseutial for
Swi:den to aid in defuttiru4. ehas.stisingt,~2ci peat
cuemy of mankind.

" That the court still hesitates may be for the moment
excused, at least interpreted in no unfriendly manner.
The time for Sweden to act may not, in the opinion of

- -
dothat court, have yet arrived. It may think that, urs'
present circumstances, all that can be expected frolv
is to be still active iii its military and naval preparatiev:
—to be still ready to concentrate, when needed, troop,
in any menaced or exposed portion of the Swedish terns
tory, and to remain on terms of friendship with .8,,,Dr
land and England's representative in the Baltic. ell
tain it is that if the day far, Sweden to declare its
openly for the Western PoWers should shortly arril
the King would very soon have appropriate coupcillow
at his side, and a gallant and well-disciplined arre'l
execute his and their resolutions.
" Englishmen must not attach any great importl
to the maintaining of the present Swedish Cabinet _
power. Ministers here are scarcely anything
head-clerks of their respective departments, and this 'l,
particularly the case with reference to the Minister fq
Foreign Affairs, the 11th and 12th articles of the cone;
tution virtually intrusting to the Sovereign the e°6.l.
management of those affairs. It is King Oscar wil°„.r-*
old Louis Philippe wished to do, regne et gouverne. -1-60
word, it is to King Oscar, and to him alone, we nu
more tb:r,
look for the solution of the great question for'Svveciel
Shall it form an alliance offensive and defensive with tb
Western Powers ? I believe, too, we may confides
look look to him. Public opinion is clearly and resolutely!
favour of England ; the great majority of the public jou'
nals both of Sweden and Norway are openly denouneieg
the present neutrality as untenable : three out of the f(ob
orders composing the Swedish Diet would record TcP.teS
for an alliance with the foes of Russia, and the majoritetl
of the Norwegian Storthing are enthusiastically 00 °
side Under ll these circumstances, we may well We"
and certain facts have arisen of late to render that bi°s
doubly sure, to see his Swedish Majesty at the head „A
his people in close union with those of Great Britain s'''"
France."
The following is from Copenhagen, dated
May 9 :
" Calskrona harbour now offers a picturesque s'l3ihar
Not less than eleven armed ships are lying there--4°..
Norwegian and seven Swedish. The former are Co
manded by Rear-Admiral Hesselberg, the latter by
Admiral Krusenstjerna. Prince Oscar is on board "'"
Swedish frigate, Carl XIII.
" The Prussian vessels Gefion and Mercur have pissl,
the Sound, were saluted from Kronborg, and have Pt--
ceeded up the Baltic.
" It is rumoured that Wendes' artillery regiment 5'111,14,
immediately marchto Stockholm, and that a considerate
force will be stationed along the Finnish border, °l7.-
Ha paranda.
"A well-known Swedish author, John F. Lund
bled'
has just expired. His histories of Charles X., o°l
vus, and Charles XII. are well-known, and have g'
merit.
el!
"According to the last accounts, the English
strengthened by the Austerlitz, and now numberl
nearly thirty sail, left Elfsnabhen on the sth, it is 8...5'
in search of the Helsingfors fleet, which will try to

over to Cronstadt.
berg
" Efforts are being made to expedite the Flen*„,or
Railway along the whole line, from Rendsborg
ning, so that it may be opened by the King's birth
(October 6). There are some hopes of continuing ,I'l,
line northwards, notwithstanding the unfavourao
aspect of political affairs.
silt
The English fleet is still at Elfsnabben, and is -I,n.
joined by a vessel or two. Visits by strangers °.ti
tinue. The other day a steamer brought a whole P3lO
from'Nykoping. Among the passengers was a CaPt.so,
H., who had formerly served under Admiral Nal" be
Sir Charles received them most kindly, and, in 0-9
course of conversation, it came out that one of the isu;(
visitors, a Countess Hamilton, was a distant relative v'
the Admiral.
" Mr. Freeland, an officer of the Royal George, be
suddenly expired of apoplexy. He was buried on shore,
the Swedish population showing the noblest sympstbio:
This has led to the following paragraph in the APhe.
bladet, of the sth : An Englishman begs, from tvb
bottom of his heart, and in the name of the whole Britlbis
fleet, to express his gratitude for the warm syinPats,/,
which dictated, and the accomplished hand which dreof,
the beautiful inscription over Freeland's- grave.,
course I cannot explain the particular circumstance
which reference is here made. I
co
"Helsingfors is now quite open. Lieut.-Genera
Junker will command the troops stationed in Viborg,
The export froth Finland of corn, flour, Stc., is forbidden,
Courier posts are now daily expedited from Abo to V.
Petersburg, calling at Karis, Helsingfors, Borgia, 14°1
visa, Fredrikshamn, and Viborg. M. Brassier de Sale,
Simon, Prussian Minister at Stockholm, has been re
called, and will probably succeed Baron von Werther
Copenhagen, who goes to St. Petersburg. The • Royal
Society o Northern Antiquities has just held its ann134,14
meritiog at the Palace of Christimsborg, hie Maje...,ely
the King in the chair. An English screw-liner 01'
passed the Belt, gsing south. A large quantity of coati'
it is said from 20,000 to 30,000 barrels, is stored at gi`v
for the use of the fleet ; whether it will also provision
there is uncertain. Meantime, speculation is active is
this direction, and prices are rising. The calculating
machine invented by the Swedish mechaniciah Scheuts
has been tried in the presence of a great number of 00'
cial people, and found to answer admrrably."
A few days back some experiments were made'
on the Hazenheide here of firing six mines at
distance of 3,000 feet by means of an electric!'
battery and wire. A number of military officers of
high rank were present, and the experiments Were
pronounced to have been eminently rolccessftu'
The method here observed by Herr Siemens, a.ll
ex-artillery officer, and now telegraph engineer, is
described to be the same as that adopted by the
Emperor of Russia, at the suggestion of Professor
Jacobi in St. Petersburg, for the defence of Cron'
stadt. It is affirmed that there is positive informal'
tion here of these metal caissons having been Pro'
pared for the roads of Sweaborg and Revel, as well act
of Cronstadt ; the caissons are kept ready charge
with powder, and will only be lowered into the'
channel when an attack ou the part of the &et°
seems certain. The wires inserted in these caisson
will be brought into connexion with batteries c°ll
land, and two telescopes will be so adjusted in ti,
a
fortress as that the bisection of their two lines
sight will correspond with the spot where the
is sunk. The moment when a ship becomes visib.l
to both observers will correspond with the moine!l
when the vessel is just over the combustible ea' °'
SODS.

Amon; other quiet preparations for war that arc'
being made at Berlin is the manufacture of a nuni:
ber of red lanterns, which are to be used on ,
evening and night of a battle to indicate the sit
tion of the hospitals and ambulances, by suspeusiu"
on long poles over those spots.