143

THE NORTH.

PART I.-SCANDINAVIA.

PART II. THE DANISH SUCCESSION.

"It was quite enough in delivering Finland to the Russians to have afforded them the means of a step in advance towards the Sound, as a point from which they will not be less menacing at a future day, when, the Russian Colossus with one foot on the Dardanelles and another on the Sound, will make the whole world his slave, and liberty will have fled to America. However chimerical all this may seem now to narrow minds, it will one day be a cruel reality: for Europe, unwisely divided like the towns of Greece in presence of the Kings of Macedonia, will have probably the same lot."-THLERS.

These Chapters were written and partly appeared in 1842 and 1844. I preserve their original form because of the anticipation which they contain of events which have subsequently come to light,-the best proof of the accuracy of the views put forward, and the best disproof of the events ing the result of mere chance.

PART I.

Library.

Of California.

SCANDINAVIAN KINGDOMS.

CHAPTER I.

Internal Constitution.

WHILE the attention of Europe has been fixed on the Progress of Russia in the East, it has overlooked regions within her own bounds. This Empire, and its more colossal Ambition threaten, however, the fishermen of the icy North as well as the shepherds of the Torrid zone. Within a few hours' sail of our coasts lies a richer and an easier prey than the plains of Zungaria and the valleys of the Oxus. Three kingdoms still intervene between her frontiers and the ocean, and inclose between the arms of two promontories the Euxine of the North. Their shores are washed with the very waters which guard our island; they are inhabited by the races from whom we have drawn our origin -who speak almost a common language with ourselves— with whom we are most nearly connected by the ties of faith, in addition to those same political interests which have associated us with the people and kingdoms of the East.

DENMARK.

It was the original Constitution of this Government which was transplanted to England; its laws have descended from a monarch who was also king of England. This of all the Teutonic kingdoms is the one in which the power of the

Aristocracy raised itself highest, and spread its roots deepest, extinguishing the authority of the Crown, and repressing the energy of the People. It had, however, undergone a change, which brought it into close affinity with the Aristocracies of the Sclavonic nations. Nobility, unrestricted to the tenure of land, was perpetuated by descent. To it indeed was exclusively reserved power, and the faculty of possessing real property, but in its excessive expansion it had commingled with the nations, and like the Shlachsitz of Poland, was to be found in every profession, and in the humblest grades.

The geographical position, however, of Denmark, its unrivalled facilities, amounting almost to a command of the trade of the North, raised from parallel causes, though with varying effect, a powerful Burgher class, on the same basis on which had arisen the Sea Kings of earlier times. The descendants of these were now doomed to be displaced by their more vigorous though more modest successors. An unfortunate and unprovoked war with Sweden, in 1657, brought the matter to issue; the inability of the nobles to defend the state over which they domineered was exhibited in the loss of nearly a half of the kingdom, the strength of which was thus proved to consist in the capital alone. The burghers thus established their right to rule the country they had saved; and consequently at the close of 1660 that remarkable revulsion which it has taken three centuries in Europe to accomplish, was effected in almost a single day; the Aristocracy was put down by the middle classes, and instantly that class put itself down before the Crown. Thus was brought into existence the celebrated Lex Regia of Denmark, wherein the king, Frederick the Third, acting by the authority of the nation, declared himself and his successors, each for himself, possessed of full, absolute, and despotic power, with legislative faculties affecting church and state, taxes and troops, and constituted responsible under no circumstances to any human tribunal, but "to his conscience and to God alone."*

*The majority of the king was reduced from twenty-eight to fourteen.

But by the very care with which Despotism was rendered complete, a counterpoise was provided.

The monarch could dispense with laws no less than enact them; every successive king so found himself unshackled by the past, and thus the power was constituted personal and not legislative, being limited by the condition of selftransmission. This Constitution has proved one of the best, if not the best, in Europe, for in fact it may be said to be no Constitution at all. Administration, which is so weighty a task to modern politicians, is only difficult in consequence of the Concentration in the capital of impossible functions. Denmark having its ancient local bodies, had only to apprehend new laws, and, above all, the existence of a body arrogating to itself the right of making them.

As regards the Central Government, arbitrariness is no doubt an evil, but there may be still worse evils, and the worst are those that are systematic. Naked absolutism may coerce the will, but it does not pervert the judgment of nations, and even if it degrades their character, it does not destroy their common sense. Under such a system there might be a few servile dependents, but there was no multitude of brawling patriots. It did not engender the class of politicians, nor with them habits of pretence and facilities of imposition. There was no fictitious responsibility to destroy the fear of consequences, no majorities to cloak schemes of a Cabal-no cunning or overbearing associations could instal themselves as Ministries-no wavering hallucinations transform themselves into public zeal: there was no permanent lie respecting "servants of the crown;" for all that was done, and in the eyes of all, the king was responsible, and being so, the public functionaries were in truth his servants.

It was not, therefore, for special reasons, but on general grounds, that with a Constitution the most abominable which theoretically could be conceived, Denmark enjoyed contentment and well-being, and acquired riches, and, having a national. character, possessed freedom.* Therefore, could the Danish * "From this allusion to the chief articles of the new Constitution,