The Statesman. — London, England, 1814-05-11 00:00:00

not every one deem his conduct heroic? and did not his execution for ever tarnish the renown of the mighty Edward ?--•The work that be commenced was consummated by Bruce, whom poets and histo rians have alike delighted to celebrate; every bosom beat, and every heart grew warm with Burns's heroic welcome of the Bruce of Bannockburn•— •• scuts wha has w•i' Wallace bled, Solis whim. Brute ha. An 104 Welcome 10 your gory bed, Or in victory." That bosom bad little sympathy with freedom or with poetry that did not glow with the perusal of that admirable poem. Another poet of the same na tion had nobly characterised independence, as " Lord of the Lion heart and Eagle e)e," awl all the world concurred its applauding the ieli verao of Scotland, and execrating . the creel Hey of is b•illied invader, whose. Tenor) .beep for ever sallied by his treatment of the illustrioua, Wallace. The Noble Lord complained of the negligence of Clerks of the FOreigu-Dflice, in making incorrect. returns of the military force. which Sweden had produced .. in the field, con formable to the treaty, and represented that from the pericd of the memorable battle of Leipsic, Sweden had displayed much greater activity in pro secuting her designs upon Denmark than in asso. ciating herself with the Allied • Monarchs in effect ing the deliverance, of Europe from oppression.— The transfer of Norway to Sweden would.be pre.; judicial to the interests of Europe; he did not know bot it would be better to permit Norway to become, an independent kingdom; and he thought, in jus tice and sound policy, it was incumbeut on Par liament to ac!‘ise the Regent to withdraw the block ade. His Lordship then adverted to the cession of Spain by Ferdinand VII. observing at the same time. that ii might be objected that it was made under constraint, but continued he, was not that of Norway also made under constraint? Was not the King of Denmark placed precisely in the si tuation of a man who is desired to abandoo his pro petty,with a pistol held at his breast, to enforce com pliance ? He had - brought forward the present ques tion sooner than he would otherwise have done, at the express desire of the agent sent over to this coun. try by Norway. That person had assured him, that the gallant people of that country were determined on resistance, to a man—were determined to undergo every privation, every evil, sooner than submit to the loss of their independence. Resistance might be consi. tiered as imporcticable, hut the vigorous resistance they had fOrmerly opposed to the efforts of two powerful and warlike Monarchs, Gustavus Adolphus and Charles XII. should he 'remembered. It might be iar puted to him and the party with which he acted, that they wished to plunge the country in a war with Sweden and Russia. Lie must MVO, that if the nu just aggres•ion were persisted in, he should like to see this country engaged in active co-operation with Norway. The Noble Lord then conclntled,, by moving, • • " T.a► an bumble Address he presented to his Ro y al Hißh peso+ die Prince Re►rent,prrying that he would be 'graciously pleased to interpose his ihtluence with• the Allied Powers to recue the unotlendiot people of Norway from the ahem.. live of famine or submission Is a Pulelo Power; and that pem•los any orprintion. be would order all hostile opera tions to be suspended ugalust a people snuggling for their na tural rights." _ _ . The Earl of HARROWBY, at considerable length, opposed the argument; of the Noble Earl, which all must admire for their eloquence. He ad. witted that the authorities which had been referred to were striking marks in the ocean of politics ; but they were not authorities which were.to be accounted. infallible. They were, indeed,, sometimes contra. dictory in the assertion of their own doctrines. He was surprised at the observation of the Noble Earl, that the two accounts of the number of men sup plied by Sweden on the 6th of June, were not sa. tisfactory. He saw no difference but what was re. concileable, from the small intervention of a few days. The Crown Prince had acted in concert with the ::''.es; but if this country,, or any other allied against ai,ce, had been so ready to find fault with the minutia of each other's proceedings, none of . those events would ..ave occurred which had tended to the liberation of Europe. If the Crown Prince bad not marched as he did, to stir up the spirit atid the confidence of the people of Gcrmauy, and after ward; kept his troops as a strong reserve for the aid of the other allied forces, perhaps nowt instead of debating upon the present question, they would have been discussing w heater they should exist as a na. tion. As to the comparison between Spain and Nor. way, there was no similarity. Ite considered every Sovereignty, fur its own preservation, had a right to cede a part for the tafe of the rest. Upon the argument of th e Noble Earl, if any country was likely to have any part of her , territories conquered,• she.had nothing more to do than cede them to a third rower, and their independence would be in *tautly respected. In this manner, Denmark might divide herself into twenty parcels, for the purpose of saving the whole country. Ile contended, that the whole of the Noble Earl's statement needed only, plain and practicable sense for iticomplete re futation. Lord GRENVILLE observed, that the discus. sion in which the House was then engaged, could only have one object, and that was to prevent so horrible a proceeding as the subjection of an inoffen sive and independent people to the dominion of a power, which, as far back as the annals of Europe extended, had been their constant, unchanged, and unremitting enemy ; for however strong the love- • teracy of other countries in Europe towards each other might be, that inveteracy had not been ex ceeded by the hostile feelings which were enter tained by Sweden towards Norway. In remote times it had been the pride and boast of Great Bri tain that she had protected Norway from the en croachments of Sweden ; and seeing what passed every day in this country, he was satisfied no mea sure could be adopted by the King's Ministers, more consonant with the wishes of the people, than their recommendation to 4 the Prince Regent of a con tinuance of that protection. Unfortunately, however, a different line of conduct seemed to have been adopted by his Majesty's Ministers ; they seemed determined to prosecute not a war agaiest these un fortunate people, but a blockade, calculated to pro duce submission by starvation. Deeply did he lament that such should be the first use which was made of that newly-acquired influence which this country had obtained throughout Europe, and sorry was he to find that the old established constitntiatpl' law of nations shOuld •be subverted ; by the aeP -system which had been adopted--a system whichy. he: would not hesitate. to say, was •di.rectly at variant:4l with every principle of honour, of humanity, and of justice. lie confessed, after the speech which had been.dellvered by his Noble Friend (Earl Grey); he little expected to hear, that his• objections tolls* isting measures were to be resisted by Ofiin, pried ,cel common sense. He was at a loss to imagine how `Plain t practical common sense could be.opposed. to. rifie ordinary feelings of .human . nature ,; or how the _ _ what they were to expect, and had naturally induieri them to resist a slavery into which he sincerely hoped the &Flout; British nary would not now. be employ- WA:Saba-cu. s ki* When the unfortunate African negroes iteropogged from their own shores to the slave ships, s* from thence to ne►er-ending bond age, It was said their happiness was consulted, and their interests promoted. Most fortunately, how fifty modern. Oen. bad completely tended to•subvert Bile abominable doctrine, and it was now admitted that , tidelit unhappy creatures were better judges of their own happiness than those who undertook to reduce them to• slavery. " Ile trusted the same en lightened feelings would be-exerted towards the peo ple ofNorway, and that they, like the inhabitants absolute Monarch, by law, in Europ., and perhaps the Government of Denmark was the only power in Europe, in the laws of which there was not a princi. ple of limitation. There could he no doubt, there. fore, of the right of the King of P?nmark to• cede Norway, provided there was an adepate necessity ; and that there did exist an adequme necessity, was clear from the fact of the whole Danish dominions having been in the actual possession of the Crown Prince of Sweden—and hence the cession •of Norway became indispensable, in order to preserve the king. dom from total destruction, It was said that tint , people of Norway were inoffensive—bot it should hi recollected, "that, during the last eight years, the Norwegians bad done more mischief to this coon- _....y, _ universal impressions of mankind were to he com- of Africa, might be allowed, Without the interference try than any other part of the Danish nation..., bated by such arguments as had just been adduced.— of this country, to pursue that course which their When the Rouse was told that ,e nation had deter.; T 9 *Flu such an end, not alone must even , . solid natural.feelings dictated, as best calculated to pro- mined to preserve its independenoe e it was at least ne, opeincipie of right be -done away, but .everysithori. mote their welfare and prosperity. He waled hew - cessary dui t they should be satisfied this declare , ion had ty which bad been preserved by the _writings of great come to threquestion, as to whether Sweden had so fir proceeded from the inhabitant themselves—and was men, as to the Law of 'Nations,. must elsiebecern. fulfilled the terms of the Treaty between tievandthlii' the effect of their own free and spontaneous wish. H e pletely overtuteed. liecWeuld have:their Lordships country, astowarrant the sacrifice which was about to ► denied that in the present case such on assumption was to.cnasider, whetheelt was belteetteabtele by the'im- be made of our good , mime and national character'? .warrantable. At the commencement of the war with preetionewhich had been.. implanted iwour bosomel Whatever might be the opinion of his Majesty's i the King of Danmark, Prince Christian Frederick by nature, and to view great injustice with great I Ministers on this subject, he apprehended there was was sent into Norway; and in the montleof January indignation:; ,or . whether -it ,was better .to abide by 1 not a Court in Europe which was not satisfied that ' last, when the King of Denmark h a d ceded Nor. the docarioestevhich had , besmi laid down by the Na. the assistance stipulated frees-Sweden had not been way to Sweden, and after the Crown Prince ,had We . lemie(atriefierrowb)), abandoning those great, given daring the whole of thelate• momentous con- complied with all those terms which had heel, ie- e . authoritlesesvhich had been sanctioned by •the adop.l gists. Whether it had been given at first was a mat- posed to him, and eipected the fortresses of N o r. tion of all . thetiviliaed nations of the world, and to , ter of indifference ; but that it had not been given way to be put into his possession, Prince Cti lei kg , commit 4 grist and evianifest Hecate, nett* obtain in the end was a fact which was notorious through- was again sent into Norway, u'i ll 'r et."- d?lelated• d any_present good,ebut to produce some twatide ad- nut the whole of Europe. At the most critical authority of the King, and himself declare .the Vantage to Europe ? It, had been laid elowe by. peripd of the whole• contest, and at a time when the independence of that country, assisouticiug ishriseje Groties, by Puffentiorf, and by %rattle, that a wove. vigorous purspit of the. measures which bad been still to be the Prince Regent of 'Norway, assuming ' • Sign bad no right to alienate the -Whole or -Ann:wort . adopted would have 'saved rivers tse blood, which to himself • the whole Sovereignty, and declaring • of_ his subjects—men were not to he transferred like weer-Afterward* spilt in the contest, hi would *arit l e4 that he was ready to treat with Foreign Powers.-- cattle from one proprietor to another. Hy the laws whence • wes the Army of Sweden ?—Marched away 1 Whether the Government at Copenhagen were 'privy i of natureand of tottinns, men had a right to-reserve hark , from France in direct hostility to - the' ob. to these pioceedings or not, was a question into to themselves that Government under which they jects and tile interests of this country. To they must be pronounced guilty of the greatest which he did not mean to enquire. If - they were, found themselves placed ; and if that Government . prevent , the employment of. the troops of `Siva 1 thought proper to renounce tkeir allegiance, they den, in any manner which was not coneisfent 1 treachery, and if they were not Prince Christian had a right to consider whether or not the *dean. with -else common interests of Europe, it - was ; mast be pronounced guilty of usurpation and Cages which were held out to them under a new state , that the' Treaty had been signed with the Crown; rebellion.--[Cries of No ! from the Opposition of things, were such as were consistent with their I Prince; and yet, at the moment that the pre- Benches, and cheers from the Ministerial side tif, • the own feelings. It was not necessary to argue this . ..nee of those troops was most essential to the . House.) --The Prince had received a delegated question. The proposition was of a clear and defiiii.el end in view, they were marched away to promote the , authority from the King, and under that authority tive description, and only required rte be stated to , separate views of the Crown Prince towards the State : had refused to give up the fortresses—and this cir carry conviction to every man's breest.—[Hear ..] !]—. of Denmark. Upon this head, a mysterious silence curnStanee alone was enough to excite suspicion, 1 There could be no question where such a case occur.. had been maintained by the Noble Lord; but he and call upon this country to see the terms of the red, that the individuals alienated had a right Jo the: did think the House was entitled to know whether ; Treaty fulfilled. He denied that the people of earereise of their own free will, and to consider whis. ,, theerown Prince had up to this period performed " Norway generally subscribed to thole proceed. therit would be to their advantage to Ile soeraasfierael bia engagements to the satisfaction of this country. ings, and contended they were only induced to any red, or whether it would not be. more to their in- —[Near, hear ]—Upor the construction of the , manifestations of discontent which they bad evinced, terest to choose a government for themselves.--e 4 Treaty,. so much-had been said, and so conclusively iby a belief which was impressed upon their minds [lieur!]---This was an answer to the cases which said, by it Npbte Friend (Earl Grey), that he! that the British Government would support them the Noble Lord (Harrowhy) battened of cessions of , thought it unnecessary to offer any further arguments lin their resistance of the Swedish Government—a peace. He was only astonishetlethat the Noble upon that head. It was most clear, th at at the time ! fact which was publicly declared in a Diet held on Lord, of whose abilities he entertained -the highest ,of the Thirty, neither of the contracting parties had , the 10th of last month. He, for one, and he lied opinion, could broachsuch principle,. There were , contemplated the necessity of employing force to- I cogent reasons for stating the fact, sincerely be. two causes for cessions, which wereentremely dice wards the people of Norway themselves. All that lieved, that although some of the inhabitants of Nor. fillet from eats other—the one was the cession of a . vies had in view, was the cession of that country by way were hostile to the Swedish nation, the great '-country occupied by a conqueror, and the other was Denmark. This had been accomplished; and Den-1 majority of them were inclined to accept the Coes& a cession of a conutry which a conquerordid not os. mark had fulfilled all the conditions of the Peace I tution which was offered to them. That part of lempy. Of this latter class was the cession of ,Nor.: signed with her on the 14th of January. Under these De'etnark which resisted the cession, Mast be still way, which a coeiquerer Aid not, end ,by the Walk , : circumstances, one of two cases must be—either i considered at war with this country, andke would, lug of "God never would occupy. . Where a country ' Norway was a part of Denmark, o r was an i n d e p e n. ; therefore, call utteetheir Lordship( to consolidate was in possession of a- conqueror, and resistance ha& dent kingdom ; or, if the Noble Lord chose, he; the peace of Europe, by enabling the Emotive to ceased, a cession might be made with great proprie. , might have a third case, she wae a kingdom de jure 1 fulfil their engagements. . ty, and this description of . cession constituted by far under the dominion of Sweden. If she was part of 1 Lord lIOLLAND replied at some length tn. the the greater number of cessions which bad been made '• Denmark, we were at peace with that kingdom, and i last speaker, and trefended the motion ails Noble by treaties of peace. TO.ahis epee tforeyt,A*lll , . : consequently could not take op arms against any' Friend. The Noble Lord (Liverpool), by his own ever, had uta relation whatever; ind tltonme.argu. i part of her dominions. If Norway was independent, 'confession, had plated the Housein an unfortunate ment which would go to ~defend a Treaty .which and no part of Denmark, surety we had noright to 1 dilemma,' either of committing an act of flagrant ie. agreed to' the partition of Norway from Denmark,' crush her freedom ; and if she was de jure under the 'justice, or of violating a solemn treaty. The true would also go to defend the Treaty by which the dominion of Sweden, it was no part of the duty of !construction of the treaty had been wholly over partition of Poland had taken place. fa deciding : this county to undertake to chastise the rebels of I looked by flit Noble Lord ; as the employment of openeach a case, however,, the House should not Sweden. Heer!).—Upon the whole, viewing the force to effect the annexation vii Norway to Sweden ...... ford their judgments upon isolated facts, but should !., course whi t this country .was• called upon to take was distinctly disclaimed, eicept in the event of Oe be guided by the laws of nations promulgated by j towards Norway, he did think a more disgraceful King of Denmark refusing to join the Allies. The the most able writers, maid recognised by erevirtiel- :or more dishonourable part was 'never exhibited by King of Denmark had not refused to join the Ailia, lized country Witte wield ;, end upon .reference,to a great nation against . a f: re and independent and consequently no pretence existed *sr making use these it would be seen, thee not a single kisser& had people. With these feelings he could not help of force. It was an unhappy and eiael situation occurred, or could be justified. similar to the,ciute of hoping, that this countcy,• in consequence of the for this country, that wherever the -work of gene- Norway. The Noble Lord had asked, how .it was sentiments eonfessed 'in • that House that night, mite, and clemency, and magnanititty. was to be that so few cases had occurred in which resistance , would, instead of heComing-oppressors, stand for- performed, there the Allies were to be - seen conspi had been made to such cessions ? He would answer, ward as the guardian of Norway, against the misery, I cuously foremost ; but where the painful task of it was because few Instances had occurred in which' not alone with which they had been threatened, but punishing an unoffendiug people was to be under such resistance could be attended- wielsemms.-- which had already even commenced.—[Hear, hear!] taken, where the most odious measures were to be Such, however, was not the case of, theileopie of —ln this wish he was satisfied ninety-tine out of a enforced by the most odious means, then England Norway. Their resistance was formidable e aitel he hundred persons in this country would most fully was to sand forward pre-eminent, while the Allies, trusted would be effectual. [Hearn The Noble- acquiesce. who were to reap the chief be;teitt, took seemly Lord had liket%ise compared this case to the cession . The Earl of II ARROW I 3Y explained. any part in that 'Plateful scette;4l/iar, hear!] of a part of a place, of a town, of a provieee, or a ' The Earl of LIVERPOOL said, there *ere two He ridiculed the idea of guaranteeing a Constitution, dependency, to the cession of a part of a place for views in which this qtreftion was to be considered : i as if we were to keep watch Over the peace like so the safety of the whole. .Here again, however, the one wai t Oat in which it had been principally ar. ! many 'constables; and said, that instead of 'having Noble Lord's argument was not applicable, and he geed ,by his Noble Friend; the other was the: ge- i recourse to such excuses, it would have been more had made an admission by which We had at once floral ground, how far the cession of Norway was manly in his Majesty's Ministers to have come for given up , the cause, for he had told the ['wise justifiable, according to the Law of Nations. The ward, and have allowed that they had in a moment that no Sovereign had a right to cede the maimepoint for the House to decide, however, was, of haste consented to &treaty which could not be ob. whole of his dominions. Here the King of Den- how the case stood under time special circumstances ' served without disgrace to the country. He , conjured mark committed this very act-rfor it was a wall- in which it was preseuted.—[Hear!]—He would 1 their Lordships to consider that if it could be dise known fact that Norway was no part of Den- explain the , state of the facts under which the cos- 1 covered that Sweden had not to the utmost fulfilled mark, it was a free and independent kingdom,. ' it eon of "Norway had been made. At a period ' of the , her part of the treaty, we were not bound to ratify was 'not a part of the Crown of Denmark, hot . last canspaigis, the arms of part of the Allies, in. 1 What was so injurious and disgraceful. Any thing was a septette Crown, and therefore remildAust • eluding Russian and Swedish troops, under the j shortoreoing to war ought to be adopted, rather be legally ceded, by the King of Diennerk. . It command of the Prince Royal of Sweden l • had ;than - submit to tarnish the national character by the might as well be said, that flasio'ver could with.sue merchad.against Denmark, and had taheis the' for. 4 observance of such a compact. . pretence of justice be eedetrier the tea t tfliirortnesses of Gluckstadt, Frederickstadt, and Hot- I Lord BORINGDON said he should vote against England.—[Near, hear!]—Norway was, and he .stein, and had actually entered Jutland, thereby se- I the resolutions, on the ground that .circumstances trusted would be, an independent kingdom ; and : coring. the possession of the kingdom. At that i might arise of so imperative and paremount a nature, the same principles of justice which apnlied to the ; season it was that a treaty of peace was concluded— as to leave no option for action, though every liberal' of England itself ought to apply to the two-land upon condition that the fortresses which had `mind might feel that the sentiments of right and jai *of that country.—EHeee, hear !)--It seas Slid, : been taken should be given up, it was that the I lice went the other way. that these unfortunate people were to enjoy ' the : cession of Norway had been agreed upon. Relying I Earl GREY made a very animated reply. He eye blessings of a free Constitution—the first fruits ofl upon the good faith of Denmark for the perform. I pressed his astonishment at the arguments used by which were, that they ,should lay down their arms, ance of this Treaty, the Crown Prince at once! the Noble Lord who had just spoken, and who bar. and that they should resign the posiession ;ft their abandoned his conquests, and actually gave up the , ing admitted that . the act itself abstractedly cower fortresses to the hands of Sweden ; that. into say, means which he had in his power of securing all lie dared, was indefensible, contended, that it was Ole that a free nation should give up all theid'• e could wish. By every Treaty which had been con.' tilted by_the circumstances of the case! Such, a doe. by which their freedom could be pressr ...e' He scinded ill Europe, it had been decided, that a 1 tiit'had never before been held in a British Partie + . s tnard would ask the Noble Lord, whether time late tdiSuct country bad a right to cede part of its domi. ' meat. 46 Fiat justitia, runt mkt; t," was an olt) of France had not in every-instance in whirls; she i 'lions, for the preservation of the rest. This was I saying and quotation ; but the Noble Lord reverse/ 1 m. had subjugated a country to her tyranny, 'need- 'ail, that had been done upon the part of Den. I et, and his maxim was—" Consult your intereept / ably commenced her operations by 1 promising greeter mark, and the performance of that cession it' ruut justitiam." The' Noble Earl opposite had intl. happiness amid a better Constitution to. its Inlet.. behoved Great . Britain to see carried into effect.— . mated that the conduct of Norway had been hurl , bitants than they already enjoyed ?--[Near,: hear 11 : Ile did not mean to deny that there were instancet! gated by Denmark.. From all he (Lord Grey) bad Was it wonderful, then, that the Crown gl'illfe of jin which countries were justified in refusing a new ! heard of the character of the existing King of Den - Sweden shouldfollow the saint example, Comitig, se : 'nesters and in which Sovereigns had no right to cede ' mark, he did not believe this to be the Me. The he did, from the same school, and that he should,pre.l part of their dominions without an adequate neces- I.fact was, that Prince Christian Frederick, the face the yoke which he destined ,for time unhappy shy ; and if a cession was made, without such a ne. ! heir apparent of the Crowns of Denmark and Norwegians by the most magnificent .Promises of a , cessity, that thrsubjects were justified in opposing . Norway, had been sent to Norway to organize feee conetitution and' a happy government? Forth- 1 resistance to Its fulfilment. This, however was not the . Government, and that on the abateloteneut natelye however, the first earnest which he had given the.case with regard to the King of Denmark, for he of Norway by Denmark, he in virtue of his right as of his intention, by ,depriving these people of their bad net ceded rights which tie did not himself pos- ii it apparent, bad assumed the regal functicem— armsand their fortresses had opened their eyes to : suss. The King of Denmark was, in facti the Duly Norway was a distinct kingdom, and could eo more TH E STATESMAN.