The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-05-16
Natives OF That Country Will Cele-
brate Its Deliverance From
Foreign Yoke.
Programme Of the Event to Take
Place at Turner Hall
To-Night.
The Story Of How the PIucky NOrsemen
Became y Free and Independent
Nation in 1914.

After having, for over four centuries,
been subject to Denmark, the Norwegians,
on May IL, 1914, adopted constitution of
their own and the country became free
and independent nation. That day has
ever since, with the NorwsQians, been
equivalent to the American Fourth of July.
and has been SO observed. This year it
falls on Sunday and the Norwegians of
Helena, who desire to celebrate the inde-
pendence of their native country. will do 80
tonight. The affair will come off at Tur-
ner hall Under the auspices of the Scandia
society Of Helena. There will be singing,
speaking, music and melodramn, closing
with dance. Nels Kure wih make the
spec CHI of the day. A.. j. Craven will speak
in English. The committees having charge
of the celebration are: Arrangements
John II. Husebey, Oscar Carlson, O. Krabol,
Reception-A. M. Hotter, Swend Carlson,
Isaac Mysen. Floor committee-Ed. Bay,
0. Opsal, l.. Berg.
1t was ON the 18th Of May that the Nor
wegians threw off the foreign yoke and be-
came to all interests and purposes, repub-
licans just as the Americans did on the 4th
of July, 1876. Up to that time Norway had,
under an autocratic king: but on that day
a representative body of leading Norsemen
adopted practically republican constitu-
9ion, declaring Norway a free, indepen-
dent and self-governed realm" At
the conclusion of peace, after
the surrender and capture of
Napoleon, the great powers, act
ing in concert, compelled the Danish
w IN ia NAnOfpOn
in order to event him from invading Den
mark, to renounce all rights to the Norwe-
gian crown: and to reward the future king
of Sweden, who at one time had been one OF
Napoleon's generals, for tho services which
he had rendered them, they required that
Norway should be united with Sweden as a
province. But to this arrangement the
Norwegians objected. After stubborn
resistance of four months they decided,
however, to appoint the crown prince of
Sweden, General Bernadotte, king of Nor
way under the liberal constitution adopted
on the 18th of May. Thus this little nation
of heroes. who would rather fight to the last
man than to submit to the dictation of for
eign powers. successfully defsd the great
powers who had subdued the great Napo-
leon, and established the first constitutional
monarchy in Europe-a form of government
which is republican in every respect except
in name; for the government of Norway
consists of parliament (called storting,
or great council) elected by the people, and
ministry appointed by the leader of the
party In power, the king being merely a
igure-head drawing salary of $60.OOO a
year.
The liberal constitution adopted by the
EorweRians in 1914, served many years
later, as q model for the constitutions of
Sweden and Denmark, and instead of re-
garding the Norwegian national holiday as
an unpleasant reminder of humiliating
events in the history of their respective
countries all we'll informed and liberal
minded Swedes and Danes, who together
with TIE Norwegians are generally called
the celebration of the national holiday of
Norway, which therefore in this country
has come to be regarded as the Scandina-
Wan Freihedsfests.