constitution in
disregard of the treaty of Kiel was tatamount to a declaration of war
against Sweden, and as such it was taken. After the treaty of Paris
and the abdication of Napoleon, the powers agreed to force Norway to
accept the treaty of Kiel, and representatives of the allied powers
came to Norway and demanded its compliance on penalty of war with
the allies. The Norwegians remained obdurate. The Swedes, under
Bernadotte, marched across the frontier and took the fortress
Fredricksteen. Another division of the Swedish army was beaten by
the Norwegians and driven back over the frontier. Several other
engagements were fought, and it became evident that Norway could not
be subdued without serious war. Sweden was exhausted by the wars of
the allies against Napoleon and could ill endure more warfare. On
Aug. 14, 1814, an armstice was declared, and it was provided that
an extraordinary storthing should be called to settle the terms of
permanent peace. By the terms finally agreed upon, Bernadotte was
elected king of Norway under the title of Charles XIII, and he
accepted the Norwegian constitution adopted at Eidsvold, May 17, 1814,
and agreed to govern under and subject to its provisions. At the same
time the Supreme Court of Norway was established in Christiania. The
Bank of Norway was established at Thronedjem in 1816. At the death
of Charles XIII, in 1818, Charles John ascended the throne of both
countries as Charles XIV John.

On several occasions there was friction between the king and the
Norwegian Storthing. At the treaty of Kiel the king had promised that
Norway would assume a part of the Norwegian-Danish public debt; but as
the Norwegians had never acknowledged this treaty, they held that it
was not their duty to pay any part of the debt, and declared besides
that Norway was not able to do so. But as the powers had agreed to
help Denmark to enforce her claims, a compromise was effected in 1821,
by which the Storthing agreed to pay three million dollars, the king
relinquishing his civil list for a certain number of years. The same
Storthing adopted the law abolishing the nobility in Norway. This step
also was strongly opposed by Charles John, but as it had been adopted
by three successive Storthings, the act under the constitution became
a law in spite of any veto.

For a number of years there existed a want of confidence between the
king and the Norwegian people. The king did not like the democratic
spirit of