Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-02-19

st9c khOlm. the Court, the x,,
aud People Of tho Con Mr. ~ ming,

e W 'hat country and his
"Trip 70 the Swedish capital, entitled ..Go;no
70 stockholm, the Court. the King and ,he
reopie OF the Country" to good s;zoa =.
olence at the Universalist vestrv Last
,"9' Inc subject was an interesting one and
ne treated it in manner which was h;oh,,.
entertaining and instructive. Probable ~
american is better equipped to speak on tb;.
suo'ect than MIR. Stevens. he having during
MS residence at Stockholm ACQUIRED rho,
ousn knowiedge OF the habits, customs and
government of the people. N'U
ne said 1t was in in June, 1877. tba, ba
eeu ihtimatlon from the Washipoton
.uiers, tnat before many months he would
ptooaoly De sent abroad-a kind of exile
nlcn II Is sometimes deemed best to admin.
W certain persons and their families far
the countrys good if 1t does not bccoma
wholesome discipline for the exilas IT,
early hint was given, that he might have t;nao
10 prepare for Punishment from home f,;arS.
ana familiar scenes. The fences must he mn,
IN III order, the trees of the orchard trimmed
the oorers dug out and slain, the furnirnre
packed away, the wardrobe well filed tbo
TRUNKS made ready for packing. But the
curiosity OF the dressmakers could mn, no
GRAINED without telling tales out of school
ior what sensible person ever said in advance
that ne was to have an office or exile baforo
ne received his sentence. "Suffciept INTO
the day is the evil thereof" Late in Ano,s,
the real document came to hand-strono
parchment, strongly written, duly signed. the
broad seal of the American Union slammed
upon it, with full package of instruc,ions-
IN the name of the Executive of the TTn;ted
states, away with you to Sweden, that re-
mote country of the North, the central king
dom OF that old Scandinavian land betxeen
the Baltic, the Cattegat, the Skagerrack. and
Tue Arctlc seas, whence thousand years ago
the bold sea kings swarmed out masters of
All the northern waters, the superiors of the
southern peoples on land AMI sea From this
sentence there Is no appeal, and he and his
family must be off before the stormy period
arrives to churn up the Atlantic in a way to
terrlfy weak nerves and to augment the hor-
rors of sea sickness Farewell to friends and
nelghbors, some of whom he is never TO
meet again this side of the river.
Mr.. Stevens then gave graphic account
OF his voyage from New York to LIVERPOOL
on board the splendid ocean steamer the
"Britannic"-of the White Star Line-whicb
he described as long, narrow, and sharp.
handsome as picture, walking the water
like a thing of life" He described his
journey from Liverpool to London, thence
across the English Channel via Dover and
Calais, to Brussels, to Cologne on the Rhine,
which was in the days of imperial Rome, a
thriving city, with temples, theaters, acque-
ducts and amphitheaters, and to dav an inn
portant city in the dominions of Emperor
William and Bismark. Resting himself and
family at the hotel under the shadow of the
famous cathedral and its spire of marvellous
beauty, they then took the train for Ham
burg, the great commercial city of Germa-
ny, and one of the richest in the world, ac-
cording to population. The remainder of the
route was via kiel. Copenhagen, across the
Danish Sound to Swedish territory, thence to
Stockholm. 1t was journey, as travelled, Of
nearly five thousand miles from Augusta,
which with its varied incidents, episodes and
trials, Wa, fully portrayed.
Mr.. Stevens gave a minute description of
his reception by the Minister of Foreign A.
fairs, biz first visit to the royal palace when
he prescated to the King his sealed letter of
credence from Presid nj Hayes, and in what
manner the acqu ttnca of himself and fami-
" was made WITH tie otficials and families of
the Court and the the Foreign Legations and
their families.
He closed his lecture by remarking that the
present King of Sweden and Norway, Oscar
IT., isa grandson of Bernadotte, a distin-
gushed general in the French army, and one
of Napoleon's marshals. Bernadotte was
elected heir apparent of the crown of Sweden
bv the Parliament of the kingdom, in 1910,
and crowned king in 1918 He has been
blamed by some historians for deserving Ma
poleon 10 the trying years of his career, and
joining his enemies. Though the political
history of Bernadotte may not have been en-
tirely free of blemish, his reputation should
not suffer an ota for his course in respect to
the mons;r ous usurper, who, having gained
the confidence and devotion of the French
people, betrayed them in brutally shameful
manner as to all their most sacred rights and
and interests. The Corsican adventurer not
only had his iron foot on the neck of France,
but he became the armed burglar of nations,
whose desires aud maxims knew no limit or
law but the unhallowed lust of his own am
bition. He had become the incarnation of
military despotism and falsehood to whom
Bernadotte no longer owed allegiance
or obligations, and from whom every
man who had the power to control
his own action was bound to abandon and
seek to overthrow. To Sweden Napoleon
was menace 1t wa. he who at the summit
of his power, when meeting the Gar of Rus
STA on the raft of Tilsit, when he was stinu-
latng Alexander to unite with him in carving
out the map of Europe to suit themselves and
with him to become the dual despots Of the
Eastern hemisphere - it was the imperial
gambler OF France who insinuated in the
ear of the Car, that Finland might be torn
from Sweden and annexed to Russia. coun-
try larger than New England, which had
made part of the Swedish dominion for
seven hundred wears, with population to-
day of nearly two millions, was taken from
Sweden and annexed to the Russian empire
Those who plead the cause of the modern
Attila of nations have no just reasons for
censurng Bernadotte for being faithful to
Sweden after she had chosen him her defen-
der against anarchy and dismemberment
The father of the present king, and his ell
der son, who was king before Oscar III, Sc
cured the confidence and respect OF the
Swedes, and the present sovereign is follow
ing in their steps by peaceful policy ana a
careful administration of the laws ms
eldest son, the Crown-Prince, has
married the granddaughter of the En-
peror of Germany. BY this marriage
q fortunate one irrespective of political and
dvnastic reasons-an important political OBJ
;ect has been gained, for which the prese ut
King has the credit. BY this union OF his
eldest son with the German princess, who Is
a lineal descendant of the Vasa family, driven
from Sweden nearly eighty years ago because
of the incspacty and political faults of It's
head the Bernadotte line and the Vasa line OF
kinys are united Among the Swedes there
Co hp