STATE PAPERS. 



247 



and the violence exercised by the 

 English in the Swedish vessel, I 

 refer to the declaration of the cap- 

 tain, hereto annexed. 



The king, my master, cannot 

 consider this event but as interest- 

 ing, and wounding the rights of all 

 the powers of Europe, England ex- 

 cepted ; and in particular as an in- 

 sult of the highest magnitude to the 

 flag of his Swedish majesty. It is 

 evident, indeed, that the bellige- 

 rent powers, in admitting neutral 

 ships into their roads and ports, wish 

 to soften the scourge of war, and to 

 maintain those commercial relations 

 between one nation and another, 

 which their mutual wants require. 

 Every thing then that tends to ren- 

 der this navigation subject to suspi- 

 cion and danger, equally wounds 

 the rights and interests of all nations. 

 But in the present case, the rights 

 and honour of the Swedish flag have 

 been violated in a manner so insult- 

 ing, that few such instances are to 

 be found in the maritime history of 

 Europe. This action, should it 

 remain unpunished, would tend to 

 embroil two friendly nations, to 

 anniliilate their commercial rela- 

 tions, and to make the flag which 

 should suflTer it, to be considered as a 

 secret auxiliary of the hostile power, 

 and thus force Spain to pursue 

 those measures which the interests 

 of its subjects and the security of its 

 ports would require. 



The king, my master, however, 

 has ordered me to convey to his 

 Swedish majesty an account of this 

 grievous Insult offered to his flag ; 

 and not doubting of the resentment 

 he will feel on account of a pro- 

 ceeding so base and disloyal, on the 

 part of the naval officers of his 

 Britannic majesty, he expects that 



the court of Stockholm will requite 

 of the English ministry, in the most 

 urgent manner, that the oflicers 

 who have rendered themselves cul- 

 pable on this occasion shall be se- 

 verely punished, and that the two 

 Spanish frigates surprised and car- 

 ried from the road of Barcelona by 

 a stratagem so contrary to the 

 rights of nations and the rules of 

 war, shall be immediately restored, 

 with their cargoes, as being illegal- 

 ly captured by means of a neutral 

 vessel, which served as an instru- 

 ment in the hands of the assail- 

 ants. 



His catholic majesty thinks him- 

 self so much better founded to con- 

 sider the success of this remon- 

 strance as certain, since the Eng- 

 lish government itself cannot dis- 

 semble, that its enemies, by fol- 

 lowing this example, might employ 

 neutral vessels in the like manner, 

 to infest its harbours, and to occasion 

 great damage in all its ports. But 

 if, contrary to all expectation, the 

 steps taken by his Swedish majesty, 

 to obtain from the court of London 

 reparation for the insult offered to 

 his flaff, as well as restitution of the 

 two frigates, should not be attend- 

 ed with success before the end of 

 this year, his majesty will see him- 

 self obliged, though with regret, to 

 pursue, in regard to the Swedish 

 flag, such measures of precaution as 

 may in future protect his ports and 

 harbours from iin abuse so danger- 

 ous, and so insulting as that which 

 has been lately committed by the 

 English. 



I have the honour to be, &c. 

 (Signed) The Chevalier d'Urquijo. 



At St. Ildephonso, Septem- 

 ber 19. 1800. 



