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CHAPTER IV.

Affairs of Norway -- Treaties of Denmark with Sweden and EnglandFeelings of the Norwegians-Prince Christian Frederic repairs to. Christiana-His reception-Proceeds to Drontheim-Returns to Christiana, and is declared Regent-His proclamations-Count Rosen's mission from Sweden-Address of the King of Denmark to the Norwegians-Mr. Anker's deputation to England-Notification of the blockade of Norway by the English-Parties in Norway-Diet-Christian proclaimed King and the Diet dissolved-Mr. Morier, Envoy from England-Delegation from the three allied Powers-Armistice proposed and rejected-State Papers-Envoy's return and preparation for war Proclamation of the Crown Prince of Sweden to the NorwegiansCommencement of hostilities-Norwegian flotilla retreats-Swedes cross the frontier-Actions-Frederickstadt capitulates—Further success of the Swedes-Frederickstein bombarded Preparations to surround Christian's army-He resigns-Convention at Moss - Christian's proclamation to the Norwegians-Tumult at Christiania-State of affairs before the Convention-The Diet assembled-Christian's departareElection of the King of Sweden to the Crown of Norway-Close of the Diet.

WE

HILST the grand contest in France was proceeding in a manner that foreboded a speedy termination, a cloud was gathering in the North, which was to produce a new storm of war, and for a time retard the restoration of the general tranquillity of Europe. It was clearly discernible at the close of the last year that Denmark, deserted by the ally to whose fortune her's had unhappily been attached, and invaded by a force to which she had nothing adequate to oppose, had no other part to take than that of acquiescence in the conditions imposed upon her, of which the most galling was, undoubtedly, the resignation of that portion of her dominions to which she owed one of her crowns, and

a great part of her consequence. Her submission was sealed by treaties of peace concluded at Kiel, on January 14th, with the Sovereigns of Sweden and Great Britain. In the first of these, after a declaration of the renewal of peace and amity between Denmark and Sweden, the King of Sweden engages his mediation for the same purpose with Russia and Prussia; and on the other hand, the King of Denmark engages to take an active part in the common cause against the French emperor. The entire and perpetual cession of Norway by Denmark, and of Pomerania and the isle of Rugen by Sweden, is then declared, and reciprocal stipulations are made for the perservation of the rights and privi

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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 cession 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 between 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, of scarcity, the consequence of which is said to have been the death of 5000 persons, in the diorese of Drontheim, of famine and disease. Their governor at this juncture was Christian Frederic, hereditary Prince of Denmark, and Duke of Schleswig Holstein, à 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, together with the merchants and deputies 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 his nomination to the title of Prince Regent of Norway. The Prince, who doubtless had already settled his plans, immediate

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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 particu lar 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 he 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 be tween 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 fipances of the two countries.

The King of Denmark, probably conscious of lying under the sus picion 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 bad 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 employ ment 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 countenance 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 mi nister 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 Nor way 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, Ac 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 Allied 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 fellows. 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

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