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258 A History of Sweden
of His Royal Highness." At the same time a division
of the Russian fleet threatened the southern coast of
Finland. This occurred during the Riksdag of 1746.
But under these national insults, the Hats showed
themselves in a new and better light. They inspired
the Estates to give utterance to their patriotic resent-
ment in a national declaration, which was embodied in
a decree of the Riksdag. It declared that as they had
of their own free will chosen His Royal Highness as
heir to the Swedish throne, so they pledged themselves
to defend him and his heirs with life and blood and
estate.
This declaration was a bitter morsel for Her Impe-
rial Majesty, but it inspired the Russians with a new
respect for Sweden. To the Hats their brave and deter-
mined attitude opened up a new period. Their days of
youthful delirium were past. They were no longer an
irresponsible war party. Their efforts were now bent
toward their country’s inner development and outward
independence. It was the underlying principles of
Arvid Horn’s administration restored to honor with
some changes, as we shall see.
Defensive Works of the Hats. In one respect their
administration was an improvement on Horn’s. They
made it an object to strengthen the national defenses,
for which Horn had lacked the necessary means. For
Finland’s defense the able engineer Augustin Ehren-
svard constructed a fort and naval station on the is-
lands off Helsingfors, which received the proud name
of Sveaborg. To prevent a repetition of the awful rav-
ages during the days of the great war, the Estates
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