The Sun.
London, England, 1825-09-23 00:00:00

EX-KING. OF SWEDEN.

LETTER OF GUSTAVO'S, EraING O SWEDEri.;
TO THE COMTE DE SEOUR.. • •

. . .
" The History of ••, NAPOLEON, and • the errand
• •
Army during 1812, has just been published in year ninee.
have read It with all the interest which such great events fall o f
actions so glorious and. heretic, Must inspire. But sinee you
wish to add to your reputation as a et:Wier that of a historian,
Irby have you gone out of the natural bounds of your snhject ?
Why, as you have, consecrated your pen to describe the let of
this gteat Army, have you thrown yourself' into extradeous
discussion ? Your task is purely a military work; wIIY then
does it dabble in politics? You were, you •say, a'snperior Ofli-
car at_Napoleon's head-quarters ; but you soon forget that title,
to take stp that of a diplortiatist, in seeking to penetrate the
mysteries of the :Cabinets of Europe. You pretend to judge.
them without daring openly to condemn them, except one on
which you lean with all your force as if a spirit of vengearioe
animated you. Sweden is-the Cabinet you have chosen to at-
tack. . ket;have you known its secrets; so as to enable you•te
advanc,Fricts which you could not prove You besides make;
use of expressions unworthy of a wtrk which addresSeli iiseif
not merely to its contemporaries, but tO no, sterity also: • You
forget the difference between the style of a history and thateelA
pamphlet. Your language is no proof of, truth. •
The reign of Gustavus IV. appears to yOu a series Of
false or foolish political combinatiohs:' ''ls it then; in 1829; that
any one.will dare to say, in the face of Europe and its Govern-
inents, that sustaining the legitimate rights of threpes; the in-
dependence of States and their commercial righte,"•if taking
false views in politks•dr•acting liire a madman'?. 'And :when
the lanpage used is French his correct to.add that, " Ce Prince
senthlait i'etre mis ala solde de l'Angleterre ?" Ve need Only
refer tira Dictionary to show the want'of exabtness in this Alle-
Pation, fora Prince does not put himself a la solar of a foreign
ower, unless he abandon his armiee to its disposal: Further
on you advance that he himself had been the hest M break the
old alliance between France and' Sweden.' This iA again a quid
pro gap whickproves that rou are not at all skilled in'the know-
ledge of history. . About the. period to whicl, you allude there
was no alliahce betweeh France ana Sweden ; there was paiiee.
and friendship ; the ttvo nations freely traded together. It-was
the French Rqvolution that -broke
,the alliance between, the
States ; the remainder wan only the consequence of the unhappy
events of the year 1804. And `since, we must -go batk again
upou the traces of blood, We shall ear it was the death of the
Duke D'Enghien, joined to the violation of the Germanic terri-
tory, and a thundering Cfulminano Note of Napoleon, that
broke ties already weakened. "
You task Gustavus With obstinacy in the struggle which he
had to sustain, and yet you have been a very close witness of
conduct obstinate in a different way. 'lt was then,' you say,
that his irritated, people took back the possession of power
which had been ravished froth them in 1772 and 1783 by Gus-
tavus 111. and of which 'his successor had made a bad use.'
Wearied of abusing the son, you attack the memory of the fa-
thee, who, after having twice saved Sweden from the verge of
a precipice; maintained it in Hit independence and its rights
and I'must say, out of respect to his name, that but for him
Sweden would.not exist this day. It is of this power which he
had inherited; that, according to you, Gustavus IV. made-so
bad a use, when, following the footsteps of his father,
he fulfilled the oath he had sworn to his country, by which he
declared himself the first citizen of a free people; and you ac-
cuse, before all Europe, the defender of the rights of his na-
tion—the man who, in order to support those rights, 'drew his
sword on the 18th of March, 1809. I can scarcely believe
my eyes,
" You conclude by saying, that the Swedes broke with
England against their will; nevertheless they found themselves
' forced into the measure. On one side they dreaded the power
of the Russiats, so near and so victorious.' And a little before
you declare that the alliance of England was advantageous to
Sweden, and that unfortunate events forced her to abandon! it.
Ilia soon, softening yOur tone,-you *aye that' the Swedes, feel-
ing theinselves feeble and isolated, looked for a support." I
might stop here, and leave you to coatinue, without taking any
offence at it ; but I loyetruth, and I see you do not wish to
let go your prey want of knowing where to place your teeth
to tear it. Not content with having denounced, accused, and.
Condemned Gustavus, you seek to blacken one of your obi
brethern in arms, a warrior who lass grown old in your camps
and under you colouni.
" After having given a very detailo account of the circum-
stances Which led to the election of. Marshal Bernadotte to the
throne of Sweden, you resume your tone of political censure, in
blaming his conduct, and endeavouring to tarnish his actions.
—You pretend to judge, and read the most secret folds of his
heart, which you believe to be filled with-ingratitude. It was
'after he had quitted France that, according to you, a remark-
'able change was operated in him. But you at that time had
-ceased to have a. near, view of him : surrounded by foreign
objects, influenced by imperious circumstances, transplanted,
almost alone, with his son, into a new, soil, in the midst ssf-a
people whose manners at a distance appeared to be French,-but
which, in that ancient northern kingdom are but superficially
so, *hose inhabitants preierYe in a great degree their old Cha-
racter. Such is the point of view in which he presents himself ;
but you will not comprehend his situation,"and yet•you pretend
to explain everything. You afterwards return to the subjtetrof
the commercial system which Sweden followed, and that ' you
think she should have adopted. But the revolution of 11;09,
had not changed any thing in her commercial interests; 'they
were in fact always the same. •
"Forgetting that Charles XIII. still reigned, surrounded by
his Council, you only look to his successor on the throne. You
see him King and abeolute master, able to prescribe obedience.
and by a word to change the face of Sweden, and alone to de-
cide the Swedes. Their national' character, their laws, thee:
forms ofgovernment, do not enter into your reasonings ; all such
things escape your conception. You appear to forget even the
revolution of 180, and the possibility that it might be renewrct
-in another form, and from other motives, but still on the same
principle. It is sufficient to read the facts you quote to perceite
the delicate position of the successor to the Throne of Swedes,.
Nevertheless, while you accuse him of falsehood, yo'd confess
that in his answer to Napoleon he explained himself * with
frankness and gratitude, but he obtained no reply e circian-
stance which, by the by, you leave unaccounted fcir. This' is
the first doubt you appear to have in all that you have advasie-
ed ; and you finish by simply saying that it was France-that
broke with Sweden on the 27th of January, 1812.' After haiitig
announced this rupture, you mention new relations betrietn
France and this kingdom, and •negociations which must 'hew
' preceded the event of which you treat. Is this merely an error
of dates, or confusion inour ideas ? What must we think 'of
it ?' You even quote a leytter ' - have you read it ? HoweVer,
the remainder of this political history little concerns me. • •In
my opinion all-was decided on the 27th. of Jameary : ton' that
day, rrt all events, the policy of Sweden was stopped:
" I think I have performed the task I have imposed tin my
self.
.My design has been.t6 bring.you back to justice, and into
the bounds of frankness, deCorum, and honour : confine yOtir-
self to theln henceforward. It is you who have provoked-Me.
, I have done my duty in repelling your attacks • this ought'
voice, and serve as a lesson to you. If not, 'I ;hall knove-hew
to support the troth. • .
" G. A. GUSTAFSON, Colonel."

•
THE LATE ACCIDENT IN HIS MAJESTV'S;*,44I.I),
Pah Taltlol7 TH, Wirmisomr—The Dock and Basin are
both drained, and we rejoice to say no more bodies-have been
foUnd ; therefore, the full extent of this laMentable affair iti nnw
ascertained. A few shoes and two umbrellas belonging to thtfsc
whoSe bodies were picked up, were the only renniantsof this
sad catastrophe at the bottom of the Ddck and Basin.
Fiv it: P. m.--Among the trilling articles found at:the bot.
tom of the dock was poor Deering's cap. The remains of-that
unfortunate young man have been interred in 'Alverstoke: •
Church-yard. His funeral was conducted with milltar#'llc..;'
nours, and attended by the whole of his fellow officers and thip's
crew. All hands are now sctively at work upon ::the
cthree decker),,Egrettiont (74), dnd Ajax, also 11'74-gun-Stip,
m order to get them finished and out of their presn
Until this is accomplished nothing can be done to:yards replac-
ing the gates,, or rather towards putting uS-71ew ones.'• The
public mind here has become more .coutpus( IdTlVfelvilut may
be ternied the dosing scene of this eventful catastrophe hate beta
witnesserl. Our minds are no longer agitated by tfkalittna-
tions of hope and fear. The sum of humarotacrihed sdetrit now;
to have been ascertained, and no fresh view of thh frightful.
Calamity is likely to arise to arrest the imagination itton-iO'
pahitlil a subject.