Morris tribune., 1891-05-13

| Americans Us well as the Britons.
The word Scandinavia is generally
used for its comprehensiveness in speak
ing of the three kingdoms, Norway, Den
mark and Sweden. Prior to the Tenth
| century Scandinavia was region of
! legends and romance; and even the
earliest periods of her history abound in
general interest. The conquests and dis
coveries accomplished by thu energy and
heroic bravery of the ancient Scandina-
vians during the Tenth and Eleventh
centuries were not only most extensive,
but have left a permanent impression
upon the character and institutions of a
great part Of civilized Europe, and par
ticularly so in the British islands.
In his History of France" speaking
of the conquerors of Normandy, Henry
Marten expresses himself as follows:
The gospel conquered the Scandina-
vians, and, scarcely Christians them
selves, they rushed to the very front of
Christianity, of young France and of the
reawakening civilization. Everywhere
the initiative was theirs. They renounced
their own language as we'll as their gods
to take possession of the Roman language
and employ it as an instrument of a new
poetry. pestroyers of art, letters, monu-
ments, of everything, they contributed
powerfully to the recreation of every
thing"
They began as captors with the sword,
and were made peaceful captives by the
cross, says another writer. They estab-
ished the hept,srchy in Britain, and be-
came the unruly Yassals of the weak
kings of France and Normandy. At
Hastings the descendants of a common
ancestry met and fought, Two hundred
years later these branches had united
again. Another 800 years rolled on, and
the new discovery Of America again
reused the latent viking spirit. Once
more the wanderers set out to conquer
and to colonize, and today they form a
large portion Of the freest people the
world has ever seen.
The Scandinavian discoveries, as is
we'll known, do not only embrace Iceland
and Greenland, but also Newfoundland,
and portion Of our own glorious coun-
try-the United States of America.
The centuries between the Eighth and
Thirteenth comprise the heroic period of
Scandinavian history. BY reading the
history of Norway we find that in this
period Christianity was introduced into
that country by King Olaf the saint, who
zealously prosecuted the conversion of
his people. The war between Olaf and
King Knud the Great of Denmark, which
terminated in 1880 with the battle of
Stiklestad, in which the former was
slain, brought Norway und + the sway
of the Danish conqueror; bus at his death
in 1895 Olaf's son, Magnus |, recovered
possession of the throne, and thence
forth, till 1919, Norway continued to be
by native kings. The death in
that year of Haakon Y without male
heirs caused the election of Magnus VIII
of Sweden as his successor. Magnus was
a son of Haakon's daughter. He was in
turn succeeded by his son Haakon. and
his grandson, Oiaf, who having been
elected king of Denmark in 1875 became
ruler of the sister Scandinavian king |
doms at the death of his father in 1880.
This young king, who exercised only a
nominal sway under the guidance Of his |
mother, Queen Margaret, the only child |
of Waldemar III Of Denmark, died with
out heirs in 1887 Margaret's love of |
power and her ability as a ruler brought |
about her election to the triple throne of
the Scandinavian kingdoms, and from |
this period to 1914 Norway continued |
united with Denmark. The Napoleonic |
crisis may be said to have severed this |
union, which had existed for more than
400 years.
At the mercy Of her numerous enc
mics, Denmark was compelled to buy |
peace at any cost, and the price asked |
was the surrender of Norway to Sweden. |
Impoverished and almost defenseless, it |
was thought that the Norwegian people |
would offer but little if any resistance to
their warlike and victorious neighbor.
Sweden herself expected nothing else.
Fresh from the victories over Napoleon
on the German plains, and led by one Of
the greatest generals of the day, the
mere appearance of fthe Swedish army on
the Norwegian frontier was considered
sufficient to effect the complete subjeo-
ton of the whole country,
Fortunately, however, for the future
of the two countries, things took a quite
different turn. The love of liberty, al
ways strong in the Norwegian people,
was aroused, and the country prepared
herself for most desperate resistance.
1t soon became apparent that the con-
quest Of Norway, if effected at all, could
but be bought with great loss of life and
treasures.
In this state of affairs, Carl Johan,
once known as Bernadotte, marshal Of
France, then chosen successor to the
Swedish throne, found that the interests
of the adopted country would be best
served by peaceable solution of the
difficulty. Norway, content to have
maintained her independence, took the
same view Of the situation. The result
was an act cf union for offensive and
defensive purposes between the two
countries. Each retained perfect free
dom as to internal affairs, the only
actual bond of union being the dynasty
founded by Bernadotte. Sweden, as
the oldest and most powerful nation,
naturally undertook to represent the
,1,ion ne to forai0n affairs Hence aroSe