leges of the ceded countries on both sides. The King of Sweden further promises to use his best endeavours with the Allied Powers, to procure for Denmark, at a general peace, a full equivalent for the ces sion of Norway. In the treaty with Great Britain, the articles in substance were, that all conquests were to be restored, with the exception of Heligoland, which was to remain in the possession of England; that the prisoners of war on both sides were to be liberated; that Denmark was to join the allied arms with 10,000 men, on the condition of a subsidy from England of 400,000l.; that Pomerania was to be ceded to Denmark in lieu of Norway; that Stralsund was to continue a depôt for British produce; that Denmark was to do all in her power for the abolition of the slave trade; and that England was to mediate between her and the other allies. The effect of these treaties as far as related to the co-operation of the Danish troops with the army of the Crown Prince of Sweden, has been already noticed.

But all difficulties with respect to these compacts were not overcome by the acquiescence of the King of Denmark. The people of Norway are well known to possess a high and independent spirit; and though they have long ceased to constitute a separate nation, and have been annexed to a monarchy which circumstances have rendered nearly absolute, they have been able to preserve constitutional privileges which, combined with their detached situation from the seat of government, have secured to them a considerable share of practical freedom. It was scarcely to be

expected that such a people would readily submit to be transferred, without asking their consent, to a new master; especially to the Sovereign of a country against which that national enmity had been long fostered, which usually exists be tween bordering neighbours. This dislike too, had recently been aggravated by the severe policy of Sweden, in intercepting all supplies of provision to Norway after a year of scarcity, the consequence of which is said to have been the death of 5000 persons, in the diocese of Drontheim, of famine and disease. Their governor at this juncture was Christian Frederic, hereditary Prince of Denmark, and Duke of Schleswig Holstein, a Prince apparently of an active and enterprizing character. On Jan. 18, an officer having arrived with the ratification of the treaty concluded between Sweden and Denmark, the Prince repaired to the country seat of the Chamberlain, Mr. Carsten Anker, near Christiana, and on the 28th he assembled the most considerable persons, civil, military, and ecclesiastical, to-gether with the merchants and de-. puties who were met to regulate the affairs of the national bank. After laying before them the treaty, he asked if it was their opinion that the people of Norway were disposed to assert their ancient independence against the claims of Sweden. Their answer was, unanimously, in the affirmative; and they earnestly besought the Prince to remain at the head of the Government, resolving, at the same time, to effect bis nomination to the title of Prince Regent of Norway. The Prince, who doubtless had already settled his plans, immediate

ly proceeded to the frontiers, thence to Roraas, and finally across the mountains to Drontheim. He was every where met by the people from the hills and vallies, in crowds, accompanied by their wives and children, who exclaimed, "We will conquer or die for old Norway's freedom," adding, in their plain and affectionate mode of address, "Thou shalt not leave us." On arriving at Gulbrandsthal, a pass, famous for the extermination of a band of Swedish invaders by the mountaineers, the Prince alighted at the marble pillar commemorating the event, and having read aloud the inscription in the words of an old ballad, "Woe to every Norwegian whose blood does not boil in his veins at the view of this monument !" he asked the surrounding peasants, if they were willing to imitate this noble example? and was answered by a thousand consenting shouts. Entering Drontheim, he alighted at the house of General Von Krogh, where the principal citizens were assembled at a solemn entertainment. The venerable host, 80 years of age, was unable, through infirmity, to join the company; but he caused himself to be led in at the close of the entertainment, and amidst universal acclamations, drank the health of Christian, as Regent. The Prince, after a stay of four days at Drontheim, returned to Christiania. On the following day all the bells of the city were rung, and the cannon were fired, the town guards and troops paraded the streets, and the Prince repaired to the principal church, where he took an oath as Regent of Norway. On Feb. 19th the Danish flag was taken down, a

funeral dirge playing the while, and the Norwegian colours were hoisted amidst loud acclamations. A council of state, consisting of seventeen persons, was appointed, and the Prince issued proclamations to the people of Norway, to the bishops, the civil officers, the army and navy, a circular letter to the clergy, and an address, in the French language, to all Europe. In his proclamation to the people, after adverting in indignant terms to the forced cession of their country, he called upon them to assert their independence, promising to stay among them and hold the reins till an assembly of the most enlightened men of the nation should have formed a wise constitution, on whom it should depend whether he was to continue in the trust now reposed in him. The subject of another proclamation was, the abolition of privateering, and the relation. which was to subsist between Norway and other nations. Its preamble acknowledged as a particular benefit conferred upon Norway by the King of Denmark, before he absolved the nation from its oath of allegiance, that he had given it peace with Great Britain. It proceeded to declare Norway at peace with all Powers, except that which should violate its independence, or attack its frontiers; and to proclaim free access to all its ports to the ships of all nations, with the permission of importing every kind of merchandize by such vessels as should bring two thirds of their cargoes in grain or other provisions.

On Feb. 24th, the Swedish Count, Axel Rosen, appeared at Christiania, commisssoned to put

in execution the treaty of peace between Denmark and Sweden. He was introduced to Prince Christian, in presence of the chief officers of state, when he exhibited his powers as plenipotentiary, and as bearer of the proclamation of the King of Sweden to the people of Norway. The Prince said, that in the present state of affairs he could not receive the proclamation, and that in lieu of all other answers be must communicate the declaration which he had made in the face of all Europe, by which Norway asserted its independence. Having read this, Count Rosen observed, that after such an unexpected declaration, nothing remained for him but to return immediately. A conversation ensued between the Prince and the Count, in which the latter waved all discussion of the points at issue between the nations, and finally left the audience-room. The Prince afterwards wrote a letter to the King of Sweden, enclosing his declaration, and stating the motives of his conduct.

The proclamation of the King of Sweden to the Norwegians above alluded to, contained an engage ment of leaving to the nation the power of establishing a constitution on the basis of national representation, and the right of taxing itself, and affirmed his determination not to amalgamate the finances of the two countries.

The King of Denmark, probably conscious of lying under the suspicion of having secretly fomented this spirit of resistance to a compulsory treaty, addressed a letter to the magistrates and people, dated April 13th, in which he explicitly disavowed their cause, ex

pressed his displeasure with what had been done by Prince Christian, and his resolution to acknowledge no other authority in Norway than that of the King of Sweden, forbade all the officers nominated by him to accept or retain any employment in it during its present state; and recalled all those who were natives of Denmark, under pain of forfeiting their rights as Danish citizens.

That hopes had been entertained by the Norwegians of the coun→ tenance of England, the country fondly looked up to on the continent of Europe as the general patron of public liberty, is manifest from the clause in the proclamation of Prince Christian, above quoted; and after the meeting of a Diet of the kingdom convoked by him, Mr. Anker was deputed to England with instructions to procure, if possible, the accession of Great Britain to the independence of Norway. He was admitted to a conference with Lord Liverpool, in which that minister stated to him the situation and determination of the British Government, and in consequence, Mr. Anker was desired to return to Norway. The part taken by this Court was afterwards openly declared in a notification made on April 29th, by command of the Prince Regent, to the Ministers of friendly Powers in London, that necessary measures had been taken for a blockade of the ports of Norway by the British navy. The administration was doubtless of opinion, that Great Britain having been a party in a treaty by which the cession of Norway to Sweden was stipulated, it was incumbent upon her to make use of her power to bring this cession to effect.

Different

Different parties in the mean time, as might be expected, were making their appearance in Norway. Some persons, dreading the approaching conflict, were inclined to submission to Sweden. Others entertained the idea of setting up a republican form of government. The majority were attached to the cause of national independence, but looked to Prince Christian as the head under whom it was to be established and maintained. At the diet, held in the month of April, these different opinions were brought forward; but a great majority concurred in placing the crown of Norway upon the head of Christian, with descent to his posterity. The legislative power in the new constitution was given to an assembly consisting solely of landed proprietors. The new king was proclaimed on the 19th, when he dissolved the diet with a speech. This decisive step committed the nation to a determined resistance to the coercive transfer of their country, and to all the attempts of the allied powers for persuading or intimidating the Norwegians into submission. One of these was made by the Prince Regent of England, who dispatched, in the beginning of June, Mr. Morier as Envoy to Norway. That gentle man, finding that the diet had been dismissed before his arrival at Christiania, put a declaration into the hands of the government then established, but without recognizing its legitimacy, mentioning, that the object of his mission was to explain to Prince Christian and the Norwegians the situation of the British government with respect to its engagements with Sweden and the Allied Powers,

and its determination to act up to them with sincerity and vigour.

A final effort at pacification was made by the Aliied Powers, of which a particular relation was given in a set of State Papers pub. lished by Christian Frederick, in quality of King of Norway, under the date of July 26th. It begins with stating, that on the 30th of June there arrived at Christiania the following envoys: Baron de Steigenstesch, for Austria; MajorGeneral Orloff, for Russia; Augustus J. Forster, for Eugland; and Major Baron de Martens, for Prussia; who, on July 7, presented a note to his Majesty (by them addressed to Prince Christian Frederick of Denmark), which follows. In this paper he is formally summoned to return within the line of his duties, on refusal of which he will have to contend with forces which he cannot resist; he is informed of the orders of the King of Denmark, whose first subject he is, to this purpose: he is told that the subscribers do not come as mediators between Norway and Sweden, but rather as heralds of arms, charged with the execution of the treaty of Kiel; that, however, the character of the Prince of the Norwegian nation has induced them to enter into modifications which are not within the literal meaning of their instructions, but which they have adopted from the wish of furnishing his Highness with the most honourable means of descending from the elevation to which circumstances have unfortunately raised him. As Prince Christian had positively declared that he could only replace in the hands of the diet the rights he had received from the nation, the con

vocation

vocation of that assembly was deemed necessary, and for that purpose a truce was proposed by his Highness, to which they readily acceded, but the conditions they mentioned were all successively rejected. They finally offer an armistice upon the following basis: 1. A solemn engagement from his Highness to resign into the hands of the representatives of the nation all the rights he receivfrom them, and to use his influence to induce them to consent to the union. 2. That the country between the Glommen and the Swedish frontier, the isles of Walchoren, and the fortresses of Frederickstadt, Frederickshall, Fredericksein, and Kongswinger, shall be evacuated by the Norwegian troops; the country to be declared neutral, and the fortresses to be occupied by Swedish troops. 3. After the occupation of the fortresses, the blockade of Norway to be raised in respect to the ports of Christiania, Christiansand, and Bergen, during the period of the truce. To this ultimatum they require a categorical answer, and they declare, that whatever it may be, they shall consider their negotiations as terminated.

In his answer to this note, Christian begins with stating his reasons for accepting the crown offered him, and hoping for the independence of Norway; but since the great powers of Europe have determined other wise, he is persuaded that the safety of the country requires that they should submit to the law of the strongest, and he is ready to make the sacrifice demanded from him. He acknowledges it to be his duty to make known to the

nation the dangers with which i is surrounded, and to represent the advantages to be derived from an union with Sweden; but should a brave, though useless resistance be its determination, he will remain faithful to his engagements, and never separate his fate from the nation's. With respect to the second basis, he accedes to the evacuation of the country, isles, and fortresses specified, with the exception of Kongswinger, which, being on the north of the Glommen, he thinks ought to be left to the Norwegians. But with regard to the occupation of the fortresses by Swedish troops, he represents to them that the inevitable consequence would be a general rising of the people, and in that case he must prefer war against the enemy to the civil war which he must incur by outraging the constitution in the eyes of the nation. As to the third basis, he observes, that the raising of the blockade of Norway, which is an indispensable condition of the truce, must be extended to all the ports on the coast, if it is to be wished that it should be regarded as a real benefit. On these several points he further refers to his letter to the King of Sweden, which is subjoined.

In a note to the Envoys of the Allied Powers, Christian desires from them the guaranty of the bases of union which the King of Sweden may accept, as well as of the armistice in all its points. Their answer expresses disappointment that not one of the three bases of an armistice has been fully accept ted; and affirms, that they are compelled to rest their hopes of the success of their negotiation upon the generosity of the King of Swe

den.