Soon after, Napoleon proposed an alliance between Sweden, Denmark, and
the grand duchy of Warsaw; a northern confederation, of which he would
have declared himself protector, like that of the Rhine. The answer of
Bernadotte, without being absolutely negative, had the same effect; it
was the same with the offensive and defensive treaty which Napoleon
again proposed to him. Bernadotte has since declared, that in four
successive letters written with his own hand, he had frankly stated the
impossibility he was under of complying with his wishes, and repeated
his protestations of attachment to his former sovereign, but that the
latter never deigned to give him any reply. This impolitic silence (if
the fact be true,) can only be attributed to the pride of Napoleon,
which was piqued at Bernadotte's refusals. No doubt he considered his
protestations as too false to deserve any answer.

The irritation increased; the communications became disagreeable; they
were interrupted by the recall of Alquier, the French minister in
Sweden. As the pretended declaration of war by Bernadotte against
England remained a dead letter, Napoleon, who was not to be denied or
deceived with impunity, carried on a sharp war against the Swedish
commerce by means of his privateers. By them, and the invasion of
Swedish Pomerania on the 27th of January, 1812, he punished Bernadotte
for his deviations from the continental system, and obtained as
prisoners several thousand Swedish soldiers and sailors, whom he had in
vain demanded as auxiliaries.

Then also our communications with Russia were broken off. Napoleon
immediately addressed himself to the prince of Sweden; his notes were
couched in the style of a lord paramount who fancies he speaks in the
interest of his vassal, who feels the claims he has upon his gratitude
or submission, and who calculates upon his obedience. He demanded that