Lieutenant Ross of the Victory, who went on shore with the Swedish Admiral, was requested to inform me, that he had omitted to mention, that the Prince of Ponte Corvo had promised to invest all the property he possessed, said to amount to eight millions sterling, in Sweden, as a pledge of his intentions to maintain the country in her foreign relations.
The next packet from England brought the accounts of Sir James's promotion to the rank of Vice-admiral of the Red, and also the confirmation of several appointments made by the Admiral on the station. We may now mention the answer given by Mr. Yorke to the two last despatches, although dated on the 18th of September. After acknowledging the receipt of them, communicating the election of Bernadotte as successor to the Crown of Sweden, he says,—
These interesting papers, which confirmed accounts that had been previously received of this extraordinary transaction, have been communicated to the King's ministers. I have at present only to express to you my sense of the prudent and proper manner in which you appear to have conducted yourself on this occasion in your conversation with the Swedish Admiral, and to acquaint you that the earnest desire entertained by his Majesty's Government of preserving the relations of peace and amity with Sweden, as long as possible, remains unalterable.
About this time two untoward events took place, which threatened a commencement of hostilities between the two nations. The one was the attack of the Hero's boats on a Danish privateer lying in the Swedish harbour of Marstrand, in which a midshipman was killed, and others wounded; and the second was the conduct of Captain Acklom, of the Ranger, in spiking the guns of the Swedish armed schooner Celeritas. On these, however, concessions were made on both sides; Captain Newman, of the Hero, was wrong in attacking an enemy's vessel under the guns of a Swedish fortress without apprising the Governor of his intention, while the Governor was no less so in giving protection to an enemy's vessel which came there with the avowed intention of attacking the Hero's convoy. Capt. Acklom, though not justified in his proceeding, did it under the impression that she was affording protection to an illicit trade, and to French vessels fitting in neutral ports; while on the other hand it was notorious that such trade was carried on.
To return to the correspondence. The following letter was received from the Swedish Admiral, dated
Orebro, 29th August 1810.
Sir,
I have the honour to inform your excellency of my arrival at this town on the 24th, and that on the following day I was introduced to his Majesty, who graciously permitted me to relate the contents of the conference with your excellency, which I had the honour to hold on the 21st. His Majesty, of whose particular regard I have been intrusted verbally to assure your excellency, expressed to me even on this occasion his most sincere wishes and his firm resolution to maintain, as much as will depend on him, the moderate system and good harmony which still subsist between our respective nations.
The election of a successor to the Swedish throne was executed on the 21st, three days before my return. I do myself the honour to enclose for your excellency's information a true copy of the act of election. The obligation therein prescribed the successor to turn over to the religion of this country, and to resign all his foreign titles and employments, will, I hope, serve as a proof to convince your excellency that no French interest can have directed or imposed upon the free choice of the representatives of the nation. The Prince of Ponte Corvo is really; in my private opinion, the only man who, at the head of the Swedish Government, will be capable to oppose the despotic influence of Buonaparte and his agents, to maintain the independence, and promote the true interest of the Swedish nation.
I have, &c. &c. &c