STATE PAPERS. 



427 



all recoguized the justice of our 

 cause, and the niodeiatiou of our 

 conduct. 



In vain would Prince Christian 

 rest upon the independence of your 

 existing position ; an independ- 

 ence equall)' contrary to your own 

 interests, and to the invariable 

 principles of sound policy ; for if 

 the King of Denmark absolved 

 you from your oath of fidelity to 

 him, he imposed upon you at the 

 same time the indispensable duty 

 of contracting with us and the 

 crown of Sweden, the same obli- 

 gations which previously attached 

 you to the Danish monarchy ; and 

 it was only in consequence of the 

 assurances given us, that on our 

 part concessions so important were 

 yielded. 



People of Norway ! It is to the 

 frankness of your national charac- 

 ter that we ag-.iin address these 

 words of peace and confidence, 

 before enforcing the justice of our 

 cause by arms. In vain did we 

 often summon Prince Christian to 

 obey the voice of honour and of 

 duly. In vain did we address to 

 you proclamations which should 

 have enlightened you as to our 

 beneficent intentions, and dispers- 

 ed ail the illusions by which some 

 intriguing and factious men hoped 

 to conceal from you your true 

 portion in regard to the other 

 powers of Europe. 



Influenced, however, by the 

 feelings of our paternal heart, to 

 consider the Norwegians in no 

 other light but as the ancient bro- 

 thers of our Swedish subjects, we 

 long flattered ourselves with being 

 able to avoid every rigorous meu- 

 6ute, that sooner or later the na- 

 tion would loudly declare against 

 the criminal audacity of a foreign 



prince, publicly disavowed by his 

 own sovereign. 



It was, therefore, to make trial 

 of every measure of mildness to- 

 wards our new subjects, that we 

 have hitherto delayed establishing 

 our legitimate right by force of 

 arms. In this interval the gover- 

 nor of Norway took upon himself 

 to constitute there a representation 

 nf the people conformable to his 

 private views, but in no respect 

 consistent with the ancient usages 

 of Norway. Foreign agents, con- 

 nected with this prince by mutual 

 interests, have taken part in the 

 deliberations of this assembly, 

 where an armed force had more 

 influence than the voice of patriot- 

 ism and the freedom of opinion ; 

 and the results of this assembly 

 have answered the intentions of its 

 chief, rather than the true interests 

 of the nation. 



In such a state of affairs, a too 

 great indulgence on our part could 

 have no other effect but to encou- 

 rage crime and the dark schemes 

 of these enemies of public repose, 

 who will never cease to labour 

 against the happiness and inde- 

 pendence of the Scandinavian 

 peninsida. A prince equally a 

 stranger to Sweden and to Norway, 

 and solely attached to the interests 

 of Denmark, has already autho- 

 rized the most violent measures in 

 order to constitute you rebels 

 against your legitimate sovereign, 

 and to place you in a state of open 

 hostility with England, Russia, 

 Prussia, and Austria. 



A crisis like this ought not to 

 last, and cannot last much longer, 

 without becoming essentially dan- 

 gerous to all the neighbouring 

 states, which are uniting their 

 efforts to suppress in its origin that 



