1899); L. Pingaud, Bernadotte, Napoleon, et les
Bourbons (Paris, 1901); G. R. Lagerhjelm, Napoleon
och Carl Johan, 1813 (Stockholm, 1891).]

*633. The Movement for Norwegian Independence: the Constitution of
1814.*--In Norway there was small disposition to accept the new
arrangement. Instead there was set up the theory that when the Danish
sovereign renounced his claim to the throne of his northern dominion
the Norwegian state legally reverted forthwith to its former condition
of independence. Upon this assumption 112 representatives of the
nation, of whom 82 were opposed to union with Sweden, met at the
Eidsvold iron-works near Christiania, and drew up a liberal
constitution modelled principally on the French instrument of 1791,
under which was established a national Storthing, or parliament. May
17, furthermore, Prince Christian Frederick, the Danish governor of
the country, was elected king of Norway. From the Swedish point of
view these sovereign acts were absolutely invalid, and upon Norway's
rejection of mediation by the powers Bernadotte invaded the country at
the head of a Swedish army. In a short, sharp campaign the Norwegians
were hopelessly beaten,[809] and the upshot was that Christian
Frederick was forced to abdicate (October 7, 1814), the Storthing was
compelled to give its assent to the union with Sweden (October 20),
the Eidsvold constitution was revised (November 4) to bring it into
accord with the conditions of the union, and the Storthing went
through the formality of electing Charles XIII. king of Norway and of
recognizing Bernadotte as heir to the throne. Fifty of the one hundred
ten articles of the Eidsvold constitution were retained unaltered; the
remainder were revised or omitted. Amended upon a number of subsequent
occasions, this constitution of November 4, 1814, has continued in
operation to the present day as the _Grundlov_, or fundamental law, of
the Norwegian state. No constitution was ever born of a more
interesting contest for national dignity and independence.

[Footnote 809: G. Bjoerlin, Der Krieg in Norwegen,
1814 (Stuttgart, 1895).]

*634. Nature of the Union.*--The union of the two states was of a purely
personal character; that is to say, it was a union solely through the
crown. Each of the kingdoms maintained its own constitution, its own
ministry, its own legislature, its own laws, its own finan