The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1882-12-07
The Norwegian Liberal Party.

In letter to the press H'almer II.
BOyesen says: '.It is very true that
Bio nstierne Biornson is the leader of
the opposition to King Oscar H., but it
is not true that Biornson was ever sens
fenced by court of justice for 'ehal-
longing his sovereign, and if he had
been he would have been the last man
to run away from his sentence. The
Norwegian Government knows better
than to prosecute SO powerful man as
Bjornson. King Oscar and his Minis
ters have hitherto confined themselves
to Furnishing humber men (such as the
editor Forensen) for imaginary insults
to his Ma a;esty, but although Bjornson
has said much sey erer things than those
who have hitherto been prosecuted,
they have so far had the prudence TO
let him alone. The Liberal party in
Norway Git Is as yet premature to call it
Republican, has no quarrel with the
Swedish Government, but merely with
Oscar BernadOtte personally, who hap
pens to be King Of Sweden as well as
of Norway. On the contrary. there is
considerable sympathy in the Swedish
Parliament and among the Swedish
people at large with the Liberal move
ment in Norway, which aims merely at
protecting the Constitution of 1914
Sc 3uring in reality the right of self
government which this Constitution
guarantees.
1.-The issues in the campaign which
has Just been concluded, and which has
resulted in such an overwhelming de-
feat for the Government, are briefly as
follows: The Norwegian StOrthing
passed several years ago a bill giving
the Ministers of the Crown selts in
Parliament. The King vetoed IL twice,
but the Storthing passed it once more
over his veto. Now, according TO the
Norwegian Constitution, bill becomes
law without the Kings sanction If
passed by three successive Storthings.
King Oscar, however, who felt these
successive defeats as a personal humili-
alton, set up a novel ciaim-that in con-
stitutional amendments he possessed an
absolute veto, and he accordingly re-
fused to promulgate the new law. Such
q th NO had never been heard of before
in Norway. and it aroused an amount
of indignation among the people, which
can only te measured by the size OF the
Liberal vote in the recent elections.
Bjornson, who is a man of tremendous
eloquence, gave voice to this universal
indignation, and protested in the name
OF the people against the usurpations
of the Government If he had been
the ambitious. but cowardly, dcmagOgue
which the London Nes0s represents him
as being. do you suppose the whole Ma
tion would have risen to indorse his
verdict on the King and TO emphasize
his condemnation Of the Government
/ think not There is not a no ler
more fearless, and more r fled man in
Norway than Bjornstjerne i ornson.
And the people know il, and they love
and revere him.
- As for the insurance of 600,O0
crowns which the King recently pro
cured before starting Tor Christiania,
that was a mere fiimsY coup ne MfGser
which Is thoroughly characteristic Of
Oscar Bernadotte. He is himself fully
aware that he would personally be as
safe in Norway as Bjornson himself
Much as the people hate him, there Is
not one who would raise a finger TO do
him harm. What he wished TO do land
probably has succeeded in doing) was
to advertise to the world what a brave
man he is, and what a fierce and dan
gerous people his Norwegian subjects
are. And yet every one who knows the
Norsemen is aware that they are the
quietegt and most law-abiding people in
Europe. They merely have the inso-
lence to demand the right 10 govern
themselves and to resist the Kings at
tempt to overthrow their Constitution.
1t is, therefore. Oscar and his Ministers,
and not Bjornson and the Parliamentary
majority. who are the revolutionistH In
NOrwaY,'