STATE PAPERS. 



435 



Letter to the King of Sweden. 

 Sir and Brother; 



There is nolliiii^ on earth so 

 valuable to me as the satisfaction 

 of a good conscience. Tliis I have 

 never forfeited ; and I siiil desire 

 that my conduct may be directed 

 as honeurand as duty prescribe. 



It is with these sentiments I 

 have been induced to phice myself 

 at the head of a people, who, re- 

 leased from thfir allegiance to 

 their king, sigh only for indepen- 

 dence, and have tendered to me 

 all their affections and confidence. 

 I have sworn to defend the consti- 

 tution, and shall readily lay down 

 my life in support of their rights 

 and independence. I have not for- 

 gotten, however, that 1 am likewise 

 responsible for their happiness. 



Now that all Europe has de- 

 clared against Norway, against that 

 cause which I defend with no other 

 means than those afforded by my 

 country, such considerations pre- 

 sent a necessity against which it 

 would be impossible to contend. 



That I have never been misled 

 by personal motives, 1 shall evince 

 by restoring the crown into the 

 hands of the nation who conferred 

 it on me. I choose rather to save 

 Norway than to reign over her : 

 but before I consent to separate 

 myself from a people to whom I 

 am at present united by the most 

 sacred ties, I am anxious to secure 

 their happiness by a guarantee of 

 the constitution, and other stipu- 

 lations, to serve as bases to the 

 union with Sweden. I shall as- 

 semble the Diet, and make the 

 conditions known to the nation. 1 

 shall point out to them all the 

 perils to which they will be expos- 

 ed by a brave but fruitless perse- 

 verance in the contest. If the na- 

 tion accept the conditions, I shall 



instantly abdicate the throne ; if 

 they reject them, my fate shall 

 not be separated from theirs. Be- 

 fore, however, I convoke the Diet, 

 I desire that two important points 

 may be previously arranged. 



First, That the bases of (he 

 union be accepted by Sweden, un- 

 der the guarantee of the four 

 jjowers whose envoys are present. 



Secondly, That the deliberations 

 be free and mature, and to this 

 end that a suspension of hostilities 

 be agreed on. 



1 am sensible that the advan- 

 tages to result from a suspension of 

 arms demand sacrifices on my 

 side. These sacrifices are express- 

 ed in the projef of armistice which 

 I annex. The envoys of the allied 

 powers have contended that the 

 Swedish troops should occupy the 

 fortresses ; but I have not been 

 able to concede this point, both 

 because the constitution restrains 

 me, and because 1 well knew, 

 from the character of my nation, 

 that they would not suffer, without 

 opposition, the entrance of Swed- 

 ish troops within their frontiers. 

 I am compelled, therefore, to pre- 

 fer the misfortunes of a foreign 

 to the horrors of a civil war. I 

 confidently rely, however, on your 

 wisdom. Sir, in assenting to the 

 means of avoiding a war which 

 wonld render the projected union 

 inadmissible, and entail upon the 

 Swedish nation as many calamities 

 as on the people whom you desire 

 to govern, and whom you cannot 

 conciliate so effectually as by 

 me<^sures of mildness, by a respiect 

 for public opinion, and a relaxa- 

 tion of the blockade ; measures 

 which will be considered as derived 

 from your generosity, and your re- 

 gard for the welfare of this people. 

 My situation is painful, but my 

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