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500 YORTIA’S TRAVELS IN SWEDEN,
men we are far from being aftonifhed at this fort of ingratitude. Some among the Ia-
dies, defirous of qualifying their opinion, reafon right and wrong on governments, ad-
miniltration, the power of Kings, &c. But they are unwilling to declare the real mo-
tive of their hatred, which is merely the preference they give toa government in which
they have a chance of feeing their hufband, their brother, or theircoufin, take part in
the adminiftration, to one in which there may be but one efficient *. Egotifm glides
into the heads of the fair as well as our own. Yet fhould the nobility reflect and ceafe
to murmur, without the King they would be nothing not only in Sweden but in any
monarchical {tate whatever. The moft opulent gentleman in the kingdom, enriched
by the bounty of former Kings to his anceftors, inhabits the capital; here he ought to
pa{s for fomebody, but here, unlefs when fpoken of as one of the chiefs of the party
oppofed to the King, arrefted in 1789, infulted by the people, and recommended, after
afking advice of the police, to leave Stockholm, none ever fpeak of him; the world in
fhort fcarce knows of his exiftence.
Let us refume: the King had not the power of declaring war, except by firft obferv-
ing thofe forms he is blamed for having neglected, by compliance with them he gave
notice to the enemy of his intention, and time to put himfelf in a pofture of defence.
The general approbation of the war on the part of the diet proves that his motives for
declaring war were not fo deftitute of juftice as has been afferted. Had this prince given
the enemy an opportunity to prepare his defence, he would have had attributed to fuch
conduct the whole of the confequent mif-chances, and with reafon. In war the niceties
of the drawing-room are difregarded. (England has almoft conftantly began her attack
on us before any declaration of war. In 1756, two fhips were taken by them Le Lys,
and L’Alcide, before we knew of -the commencement of hoftilities.) Sweden is not
ftrong enough to ftand again{ft Ruflia, when that power is at liberty to oppofe her with
her whole force. Guftavus took advantage of the ftate of fecurity in which that power
was wrapped, to endeavour to regain a part of the provinces wrefted from his prede-
ceflors. In thefe difmemberments, it cannot be difguifed, juftice was feldom regarded ;
they were fhe refult of the wars of Charles XII. and no one but knows that Peter the
Great in alliance with two other princes, attacked this Prince without the fmalleft fha-
dow of equity, juft at his leaving hiscradle. The Ruffians exclaim againft the King of
Sweden for attacking them without notice; but had he informed them of his defign four
months before, undoubtedly they would have laughed athim. The, Ruffians had com-
mitted a great fault in leaving their frontiers unguarded. They fay they had no miftruft
of the King of Sweden; thofe neighbours with whom a nation has before been at war
it ought alwaysto miftruft. Their overfight was fhameful: thanks to their roubles they
efcaped its punifhment. Let them profit by the leflont. They knew how little was
wanting to have madeit aterrible one. ‘he carriages of the Emprefs were in readinelfs,
every thing was prepared for flying to Mofcow. ‘There were not five hundred cof-
facks on the whole of the fouthern banks of the gulph between the Swedes and Peterf-
burgh. ‘The fcarcity of men was fuch, that three regiments were fent poft from the
army of Prince Potemkin, feven or eight foldiers ona kibiek, by two hundred at a
time.
As it is right that all fhould be‘laid open, we fhall mention to our readers a very ex-
traordinary opinion, but which was communicated to us as well founded ; it will ferve
* The fame reafon caufes the Ruflians to difapprove of the revolution in Sweden, as well as the laft in
Poland. ‘They found it fo pleafant to be mafters in other countries !
+ Since this war they have fortified the frontiers, particularly the mouth of the Kimen. Henceforth
there willalways be kept from 18 to 20,000 men in this part of Finland.
6 to
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