STATE P A P E 11 S. 



443 



It is true we were aware oF the 

 dangers which threatened your 

 hopes and our'b in such an unecjual 

 contest, but we could not possibly 

 conceive that the most powerful 

 states of Europe v. ould combine to 

 oppose a noble and innocent people, 

 whose reasonable wish was liberty, 

 and v/hose only desire was indepeui- 

 dence. Meanwhile Sweden's pow- 

 erful allies informed us by their 

 envoys, that the union of Norway 

 with Sweden was irrevocably de- 

 termined on. It is known to you 

 that we were willing; to sacrifice 

 our personal happy situation, if the 

 great assembly of the nation should 

 find it conducive to the happiness 

 of the country ; but you likewise 

 know that the conditions upon 

 which an armistice was at that 

 time offered, were such that we 

 could not accede to them, till the 

 fortune of war had been tried, be- 

 cause they were contrary to the 

 fundamental laws. We saw with 

 regret that our sincere endeavours 

 to avoid a war in the north were 

 fruitless. 



The extensive frontiers and sea- 

 coast of Norway made it neces- 

 sary to divide the troops. Sweden 

 made great exertions to arm at dif- 

 ferent points, and in the uncer- 

 tainty on what part of the king- 

 dom the attack might be expected, 

 from which we could cover the in- 

 terior provinces of the kingdom, 

 and at the same time hasten to the 

 assistance of such points as were 

 threatened or attacked, in all these 

 respects Glommen seemed to pre- 

 sent the most advantages. 



On being informed of the ene- 

 my's invasion by Ide, Sletten, and 

 i^winesund, we hastened to col- 

 lect a corps at Ratkestadt, in order 

 by an attack from that side to stop 



the further progress of the enemy ; 

 but tile unexpected surrender of 

 Frederickstadt obliged us to take a 

 position on the Glommen, the ene- 

 my having obtained a secure pas- 

 sage, so that the road to Chris- 

 tiana might be forced. 



The enemy being superior at 

 sea, had it in his power, by frequent 

 landings, to turn our right flank. — 

 A long blockade by the English 

 and Swedish naval forces had hin- 

 dered us from furnishing our ma- 

 gazines in a sufficient manner: 

 they were nearly exhausted, and 

 want of the first necessaries threat- 

 ened to break that courage which 

 the superior force of the enemy 

 could not bend. The Deputies 

 from tiie Diet were not received by 

 the English ministry, and there- 

 fore returned without any hope of 

 assistance or a relaxation of the ini- 

 mical measures of that kingdom. 

 Under these circumstances Sweden 

 proposed au armistice. Of the 

 two fortresses, the occupation of 

 which by Swedish troops had been 

 refused by the negociations that 

 were broken off", one was already 

 in their hands, and the other cut 

 off from all relief and bombarded. 

 The fortune of w^r had declared 

 against us, and the continuation 

 of the contest would in such cir- 

 cumstances have led only to the 

 total ruin of our country. To 

 prevent this, and to give the nation 

 an opportunity of learning the con- 

 dition of the kingdom by a meeting 

 of the Diet, we repeated our offer 

 of voluntarily retiring from that 

 hap|)y situation to which your con- 

 fidence had called us. 



The armistice and convention of 

 the 14th inst. were signed : and in 

 consequence thereof, we have by 

 our rescript of this day, directed to 



