The Sun.
London, England, 1814-08-19 00:00:00

THE ANSWER OF MS 'MAJESTY.

To 'tte note from you, Gentlemen, thb Envoys
^6f the Courts allien to Sweden, charged With a
special missitm to. Norway, I hasten to reply con.:
tormably with my duties to ttie people-olNortvay,
and to the regard due to the overtures you are
commissioned to make.

The happiness' of - Norway is the sole object of
my actions. The Norwegian nation, delivered
from the oath of fidelity td the King of Denmark,
and not acknowledging his-power to cede thew in
full sovereignty and-,property to the King of Swe:
den, as well as justly irritated by learning it was
a principal condition that Swedish troops should
rake possession of fortresses never occupied by
Danish-troops during the union, wished to avail
theniselves of those rights; which in Sill lut, eases-

belong,. according to public opinion, to every
nation. • •

Aware of this general sentiment, which an in-
teterate hatred between- bordering nations ren-'
• !tiered more marked than ever, I perceived that in-
ternal disturbances and anarchy would-result from
a'forced union : and I-put myself at the head of
the nation in order to- prevent these calamities.
• The regard due to the SoVereignty, resides
in-the nation itself, made me assemble a Diet, and
it formed- a -constitution calculated to consolidate
the -happiness of \the people. Their affection sand
confid-4.:nce 'offered me the Crown, • which I then
thought it my duty to acctpt ; and, desirous of
'contributing to the happiness of the -people,
was persuaded that the independence of Norway,
, under a Government which the Nation itself had
formed, and Dui alliance with SWeden guranteed
by the great Powers, which should secure the re-
pose of the North with that of the Norwegian
people, who wish only to live free among their
rocks., would.be the most desirable•state of things
for Norway. I founded my hopes on the ap-
plieation, in our favou6 of the same principles
in support bf wthich such generous efforts had been
lavished in Germany and in Spain. The great
- Powers of Europe- have otherwise decided ; the
declarations which you have made, persuade me
tl.at the safety -of -Norway demands, that we
should yield to the law of the strongest ; and I
p•freeive that these same poWers, not wishing to
bring the calamities of mat; on 'Norway, are de,
sirous of attending to every thing that may secure,
as much as possible, the happiness of Norway
united to Sweden.. I even- see it in my power. to
stipulate-for the. wellare.of Norway, by the 'sa—
crifice of a situation personally flattering to me.
I do not hesitate to make such saeritice, in a man-
ner worthy of a man of .honour, worthy of tlie.
crown which I wear, and of the people who have
conferred it on me.

You have recognised that' it is only intodtbe
bands of the Diet that 1 can resign my rights 3
and it is also only that assembly of the Represen-
tatives •of the nation which can decide, whether
the 'nation should prefer an unequal struggle for.
independence to the honourable conditions
which shall he offered to Norway as a kingdom
united to Sweden. I ackdowledge it to be my
duty to make known to the nation.the dangers to

which ittis exposed, and•to represent to it the ad-
lantages which must be secured to it on its ac-
ceding to a constitutional union with Sweden ; but
you 'know me sufficiently to be convinced, that,
faithful to my engagements, I will never seplrate
my fate from its, in the event of a brave though
useless resistance against the united forces of En-rope, being preferred to- an, honourable reconci-
liation, for which I shall employ all my-credit. It
is to this effect that I have have written the letter
to lhe King el Sweden, a copy of Which is here-
with subjoined, and by which I accede to yotir
first basis for the truce Which you also have
deemed necessary; and which. I demand of the
'King of
,Sweden, on honourable and admissible
conditions.

To the second basis of the truce, I reply, that if
the point at issue be the rupture of negociatiOns
which can alone lead town amicable union, I will
accede to the evacuation of the country, between
the (nommen and the Swedish frontier', as well as
of the isles of Huakerne, and the fortress of Fre-
dericksteen and Frederickstadk, by the Norwegian
troops., on condition that the territory, as well as
the fortresses, be neutral during the armistice._
rioug'svinser being on the north bank of the
Glonnpen, and a league on this side the nedtral-
izcd 'OO4O, I think it will not be proper to in-
sist on its 'evacnation.., In regard to the occupa-
tion of the fortresses by Swedish troops, I deetn
it my thitAr to represent to yon, that condi-
tions which have once already animated the
whole people to "the defence of the country,
ought` not to be re-demanded, if it is wished to
south the public mind
that: the inevitable
entrance .of
con-
sequence of the Swedish- troops
would be a,general rising of the people, and that,
in that case, I must prefer war against the enemy
to the civil war which 1 should have occasioned by
outraging the constitution in the eyes of the whole
maim), by a criminal weakness. if the King of
,'Stveilen wish an amicable union and not war, he
not.inihit on this, and will accede to the pro-

Osal t.vitiela. baYe made to' him of leaVs,ag•
two fortresses of Fredericktteen and FredericliStad t
in the custody Of the citizens of these cities. Thu
evacuation of these two fortrBses by the. NorWe-
.gian troops, which leaves'lllem without the ne-
cessary defence, Will give every military advantage
to the.Stiredes : and When I, consider the gencrons
sentiments Which should guide iti't SNVedish Ma-
jesty, I trust that that Motiara Will at the same
time be satisfied to fix the neutral ground on the
east'bank of the Glom nen to a circle of thtee
.leagues around these fo:treS'Ses;
With respect to thirkbasiS, I most also observe
to you, that the propoied raising of the blockade
of Norway, which Lzonsider as a•cOndition in-'
separable from the truce, and as an unequivocal
mark of the humanity and henevolenee of tire Al-
lied Powers towards the people of No? Way, must
also-be extended to all points of the .coast, if it is
wished that it be regarded as a real _benefit. Any
othesr condition, would give rise to ethbarrassments
and perpetual_ quarrels, which might too easily
lead to a rupture of th :11.11)10-ice, and of the ite7
.gociations consequent therebti. I have als6 de-
manded this of the King of Sw.-den, and I hope
that he will acknowledge the tru it of all these ob-
servations on the subject of raring the blockade,
if it be wished to avoid every thing that miolit yet
bring on a disastrous war in the North.
I will furnish Major-Genera.:, Petersen-and my
Aide-de-Camp, Captain Iloist.:en,. with may toll
powers to
.conclude the truce at Frederiekshald, or
at Swincmund : and I sincerely wish .that this ne-
gociAtion may be happily terminated, and be only
preliminary to reconciliation and amicable onion.
I demand the
_guarantee of the Allied Powers
for the truce, and for the propisitions regarding
the bases of-union, to which his Sltedish „Majesty'
shall please to accede.
On the subject of the Kiag of Dempark's let-
ter, as to which I abstain front all reflection; I
shall beg of you to take charge of my reply. It
will contain, in few Words, the declarations which
my present position and my honour-hare required
my making to.yoti, and of which you have ete-
knowledged the weight. It will show his Ala-
jesty that it: is impossible for we to follow his
orders'until the Diet or the fate of arias shall
have decided the future condition of Norway :.

and, for the rest, 1 must leave it to his wisdom
and his conscience, whether he judg-e it proper td
carry into effect his threats against me and the
Danish Officers, which, however, would change
greatly my, personal situation, and the line of
conduct which I have resolvedto pursue-. '

This note being the last which I shall have to
hand over to you, Gentlemen, Envoys from the
Allied Courts, I seize this opportunity of begging
you to be persuaded of the very particular consi-
deration with Which I subscribe myself, .
. • Your very affectionate,
. CHRISTIAN FREDERIC.
(Signed) HOLTEN.
Christiania,July 13, 1814.