410 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



FOREIGN STATE PAPERS. 



Speech addressed by his royal high- 

 ness the Prince Royal oj' Sweden 

 to the. King, upon his Majesty's 

 resuming the government of the 

 kingdom, on the 7th of January, 

 1812. 



Sire, — My most ardent wishes 

 have been fulfilled. The re-estab- 

 lished health of your Majesty again 

 enables you to resume the govern- 

 ment of the kingdom. 



I can appeal to your own heart, 

 to judge of the delightful emotion 

 mine experiences in replacing in 

 the hands of your Majesty an au- 

 thority, the prolonged exercise of 

 which has constantly kept before 

 nie the danger which threatened 

 your days. 



Notwithstanding the daily re- 

 ports which I have submitted to 

 your Majesty, both respecting the 

 exterior and interior situation of 

 the state, I, nevertheless, consider 

 it my duty to profit by the pre- 

 sent occasion, so important for 

 me, upon all accounts, to present 

 your Majesty with a rapid sketch 

 of them. 



When your Majesty decided 

 upon embracing the continental 

 policy, and declaring war against 

 Great Britain, Sweden had got 

 clear of an unfortunate contest ; 

 her wounds were still bleeding; it 

 was necessary for her to make 

 new sacrifices, at a moment even 

 when she lost one of the principal 

 branches of her public revenues ; 

 the whole of that produced by 

 the customs being nearly annihi- 

 lated. 



In defiance of the insulated situ- 



ation of Sweden, she has perform- 

 ed, for the interest of the common 

 cause, all that could be expected 

 from a people faithful to their en- 

 gagements ; more than 2,000,000 

 of rix-doliars have been expended 

 in recruiting the army, and plac- 

 ing in a state of defence the coasts 

 of our islands, our fortresses, and 

 our fleets. 



I will not conceal from your 

 Majesty, that our commerce has 

 been reduced to a simple coasting 

 trade from port to port, and has 

 greatly suffered from this state of 

 war. Priviiteers, under friendly 

 flags, against which it would have 

 been injurious to have adopted 

 measures of safety and precaution; 

 have taken advantage of our confi- 

 dence in treaties, to capture, one 

 after another, nearly fifty of our 

 merchantmen ; but at last. Sire, 

 your flotilla received orders to pro- 

 tect the Swedish flag, and the just 

 commerce of your subjects, against 

 piracies which could neither be 

 authorised nor avowed by any go- 

 vernment. 



The Danish cruizers have given 

 much cause for complaint on our 

 part ; but the evil decreases daily, 

 and every thing leads us to think 

 the lawful commerce of Sweden 

 will not be any longer disturbed 

 by them, and that the relations of 

 good neighbourhood will be more 

 and more strengthened. 



The cruizers under the French 

 flag have given an unlimited ex- 

 tension to their letters of marque ; 

 the injuries which they have done 

 us have been the object of our 

 complaints. The justice and loy- 

 alty of his Majesty the Emperor 

 of the French have guaranteed 

 their redress. 



The protections given by friend 



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