GENERAL HISTORY. 



[169 



against the French in the north of 

 Germany. This was the basis laid 

 down by the EngHsh plenipoten- 

 tiaries for the re-establishment of 

 peace with Great Britain, upon the 

 conclusion of which, the Danish 

 colonies were to be restored, but 

 not the island of Heligoland ; and 

 there was to be no indemnification 

 for the loss of the fleet. These pro- 

 positions (the Gazette says) were 

 answered, by his Majesty's com- 

 mand, in a manner corresponding 

 to the dignity of the crown, and 

 the interests of his states. The flag 

 of truce returned on the afternoon 

 of the 2nd. It is announced as the 

 King's unalterable determination 

 to maintain the union of his king- 

 doms. 



The Danish declaration of war 

 against Sweden was published at 

 Copenhagen on the 5th of Sep- 

 tember. It begins with com- 

 plaints of the maritime conduct 

 of that power in suffering, con- 

 trary to the treaty of Jonkoping, 

 tl»e ships and cruizers hostile to 

 Denmark to make prizes of Da- 

 nish ships close to the coasts, and 

 even in the ports of Sweden. The 

 failure of the restitution of Danish 

 property sequestered in Sweden 

 pursuant to the stipulations in the 

 treaty above-mentioned, is next ad- 

 verted to ; after which the agree- 

 ment between Russia and Sweden 

 for the seizure of Norway is touch- 

 ed upon, and remarks are made 

 on the insidious conduct of the 

 latter in distributing proclamations 

 to detach the Norwegians from 

 their allegiance to their lawful so- 

 vereign. A heavy complaint against 

 the Swedish government is then 

 brouglit for its detention of a 

 great number of ships laden with 



corn dispatched by the Danish go- 

 vernment, and by individuals, for 

 the relief of the scarcity under 

 which Norway was labouring in 

 the Swedish ports into which they 

 had been driven by stress of wea- 

 ther. It then relates the successive 

 steps by which Sweden withdrew 

 all friendly intercourse with Den- 

 mark, and at length proceeded to 

 actual hostilities by sea: and it 

 concludes with an appeal to the 

 justice of the defensive war in 

 which Denmark finds itself una- 

 voidably engaged. This declaration 

 was met on the part of Sweden 

 by a counter-declaration of war 

 against Denmark, dated September 

 15th, chiefly remarkable by its 

 brevity. It recites in general terms 

 injuries inflicted on the Swedish 

 commerce by the Danish priva- 

 teers ; and regarding a state of war 

 as actually commenced, it formally 

 notifies the same to all the land 

 and sea officers of Sweden. From 

 the subsequent operations, it has 

 appeared that the Crown Prince, 

 after effectually fulfilling his obli- 

 gations of acting with the other 

 allied powers in the expulsion of 

 the French from Germany, made 

 use of the first opportunity to turn 

 his arms against the Danes; and 

 from the state to which they were 

 reduced at the close of the year, 

 the necessity of their compliance 

 with such terms of peace as may 

 be imposed upon them may readily 

 be anticipated. 



Among the faults with which 

 Napoleon has been charged in the 

 conduct of this campaign, is enu- 

 merated that of leaving behind 

 him on his last retreat from the 

 Elbe, a number of garrisons in an 

 insulated state, which could not 



