STATE 
en received as a guarantee for its 
Pc. independence. ‘This lan- 
“guage, however, did not last long ; 
‘instead of regarding the electo rate : as 
a depot till the return of a general 
“peace, as his Prussian majesty had 
solemnly announced in the procla- 
mation before cited, a new procla- 
mation, issued from Berlin, dated 
April. i, announced, on the con- 
Bees, the definitive union of these 
rovinces to the Prussian monarchy ; 
a measure which the court of Berlin 
meaetended was founded upon the 
right of conquest, and a formal 
_ treaty with France. 
In this; state’ of things, the 
king, faithful to his engagements 
with his Britannic majesty, thought 
he could not use too much circum. 
spection when the abandoning of 
_ the German states of his ally. be- 
_ came..the subject of consideration, 
_ which being once delivered from the 
_ presence of the Swedish troops, 
soon have fallen under the power of 
the Prussians. His majesty, there- 
fo ore, coniining himself to the pro- 
tection of the countries on this side 
of the. Elbe, on his departuye from 
 Ratzeburg, declared, that” having 
deft in this dutchy a corps of Swedes, 
under the orders of his aide-de- 
Lowenheilm, he should look upon 
any attack upon these troops, and 
“the independance of the country, as 
a measure of aggression against his 
own states. This declaration: has 
een repeatedly made, and particu- 
arly in the letter of Count Lowen. 
heilm, dated April 13, to the Prus. 
sian military commandants in Hano. 
-yer, and the country—of Mark. 
Count Lowenheilm said expressly 
hat he had the strictest orders to 
efend Lauenburg against any fo- 
yee pews that should attempt te 
PAP ERS 687 
enter it. Notwithstanding this, a 
detached corps passed that frontier 
at Marienstett, on the 23d of this , 
month, and in spite ef the brave re. - 
sistance of the Swedish troops, by 
the superiority of their numbers, 
they teok forcible possession of the 
country. 
Under the present circum. 
stances, the king could not regard 
this violent measure otherwise than 
as an act of hostility on the part of 
his Prussian majesty ; consequently 
he has ordered an embargo to be 
laid on all the Prussian vessels in the 
Swedish ports. . 
If his majesty has so long delayed 
to resent the outrages committed 
upon him and his‘allies by the court _ 
of Berlin, it has arisen from his ma- 
jesty’s constant wish to avoid every 
thing that might lead to a rupture 
as long as possible. The intimate 
connection subsisting between the 
king of Prussia and Napoleon Bo-— 
naparte, the declared enemy of the 
three allied courts ; the exclusion of 
the English commerce from the ports 
and rivers of the north of Germany, 
together with the unjust authority 
established iu the electorate of Han- 
oyer—ali these were sufficient indi- 
cations of the real system of his said 
majesty ; and the attack which has 
just been made upon the Swedish 
troops in Lauenburg, has put the 
last seal to it. ; 
The undersigned, specially charg- 
ed by the king, his master, to treat 
with the accredited ministers of the 
two allied courts, has received his 
majesty’s express orders to expose 
the above-mentioned facts, in order 
to enlighten the public opinion, 
upon the present situation of affairs 
between the courts of Stockholm 
and Berlin. 
Count de.Fersen, grand marshal 
of Sweden, 
Answer 
