The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-05-11
MORSE CELEBRATION.
Three Thousand People to Meet
ut yashon Island.
noRwAY's INDEPENDENCE DAY.


The Morse celebration 10 Commemorate
the stgring OF So-xays esEsI.lIcn
seserty-tvc years ago Is to Be held On
yashon island nexr Sunday, May y. and
promises 10 be larger ASSEMBLY OF Nor
sexisrs than any previously ael1 en- Fa-
x-< sound The Morse Glib. OF Seattde,
ssyh eight other Norwegian Clubs OF this
city, have chartered the steamer STATE of
Washington IL viii start from Everett
a. O'Clock on Sunday morning and Will
be al the deck here and leave with the
hardy Sorsenen Of this city. Sish their
wives and sxeethezrts. at 10 O'Clock. A
feature Of the programme Is a visit to the
dry dock, after which The t-oat viii go
straight to yashon ISLAND The Tacoma
Norsensen have chartered the steamer
City Of Seattle. and will bring with them
several gise ciuhs that have already rrac-
tieed with the glse clubs OF this CITY. and
some fine cnoruses are 70 be the result
The programme has not ye; been made Up.
but Prof. Spaerrattr- Of Tacoma. Is 10
have charge Of the music There viii be
several bands. and the programme is TO be
altogether Of a musical and literary char
acter. There viii be orations On America,
On Norway. on the Norwegian parilnent.
On Norwegian authors. and inserspersei
viii be one or two original songs and other
musical features.
public works. and leader among MS
eounfrymen, gives this description OF he
reasons for the celebration:
The present constitution OF the kingdom
OF Norway was adopted On the Eth Of
May, Isii Norway had for several cen
turtles been governed by Danish kings.
clear up 10 the time OF the treaty OF KEEL
in 1913. In name. AT least. the power Of
the king had been absolute In fact. 1t Is
h. hA hv trst <rs r.
born resistance did 10 certain extent
ameliorate this aAsoigtixm, did resist the
encroachments Of clergy and aristocracy,
and did retain many Of their ancient Gus
toms and laws inherited from their llbsr
ty-loying Viking forefsthers.
Still. poverty and excessive taxation
forced them to adopt the literature and
written language OF Denmark The
brightest OF Norwegian youth we're eda-
Gated in Copenhagen, and Denmark laid
claim to their productions in after life.
The Danish kings were constantly In
yolyed In wars with their powerful neigh
bors. and Norway was always forced to
bear more than her share of the military
burdens without receiving that protection
which was her just due against the power
fui enemy on the east side Of the kjoien
mountain range.
The feud between Swedes and Danes
lasted for centuries. and Norway xas con-
stantly left Unattended against the incur
sions OF Swedish armies BY the treaty Of
kiel the Danish king released his power
over Norway entirely and ceded the cGgn-
Try to the king OF Sweden The people of
Norway accepted this disposition in part
and rejected 1t in part They utterly re-
jected the attempt TO cede the comfy 10
Sweden as a gross breach of faith and in
contrayention of ancient and repeatedly
reaffirmed engagements on the part Of the
king and people of Denmark
This act on the part of the king of Dem
mark was so gross violation OF his obli-
cations TO Norway that il would of itself
have been taken and acted upon as an act
of remuneration. even though he should
not have expressly renowned his owE do
minion over Norway, as in fact he did. by
express terms in the treaty of Kiel- Z he
provision of that treaty ceiling the coun-
Try to Sweden was, moreover, rejected fer
the reason that the Norwegians mad never
al any time conceded their position with
reference TO Denmark TO be that of prov
inee. but had always maintained that the
national Independence OF Norway w&s Sc
cured by reason OF their having yolur-
tarily chosen the Danish royal line 10 the
succession after their own was exhausted.
The Norwegisns then cheerfuliy ac-
cepted the responsibilities of complete
autonomy thus inadvertently thrust urcn
them Delegates were elected TO a consti-
tutional convention These convened at
Eidsvold. beautiful spot on Lake Mjosen,
in Central Norway. and completed their
iabors on May IL, 1sl4''
Does that constitution at all resemble
the constitution OF the United States, Air.
OisenZ''
Very much. and for very good reasons.
Few others than careful readers of history
Will believe that majority of that con-
sention were republicans al heart. There
we're few Hotspurs in the convention
who even advocated the formation of
republic at that time. but. clearly, II was
well for Norway that they were silencea.
The French Revolution. followed by Ma
2oleon. had sunk the republican idea in
Europe to its lowest ebb OF unpopuiarigy.
To declare the country a republic at that
time would have been suicidal Il would
have aroused the hatred of every men
archy in Europe. For little country with
only 2.epo go of population TO reject enc OF
the provisions Of the treaty of Kiel, signed
aud agreed to by all the great powers,
was already offense enough, without add
ing a distinct menace TO royalty TO IT,
Aside from It's declaring for a king q
the executive head. however, the cousti-
tuition OF Norway bears strong rtsern-
hiance TO that OF the United States. Our
constitution was. In fact. used by the
II AT f-s3cfOil moro tian any CTESr
document as a model and guide. 1t was
then. and is today, universally conceded
IN Norway 10 be the gTandest POLITICAL
document extant IN any language.
There Is another reason that is more
frequently overlooked. Our forefathers. in
framing our constitution. sought to break
down all the artificial barriers by which
the subject had been ensiavea under the
complex systems OF monarchy. aristocracy
and priestcraff. and to return TO the sim
piest forms OF government compatible
with safety OF person and property and
national independence. They were not 10
he nisleI by outcries against the repre-
ssntatives OF the old systems, but exam
ined the structure OF the systems them
selves and placed them on new. or long
unused foundations.
AS an instance OF the latter SORT. allow
Ire to point to our ailodiaI land tenare-,he
land tenure Of Norway and Iceland from
ihe eldest times Of which any records ex-
ist- The righ; Of every freeman to vote is
from the same origin Giving % he 81
dietary. as the expogniers OF the law Of
the land. the relatively high position which
u occupies under our form OF Sovery,sns-.
vas also in harmony with an ancient ana
dtstincttFeiy Morse conception Of th. st,-
premacy OF law over every other nuyna,
Institution The Danish kings haA rnase
frequent assaults upon the ancient ins1s-
tHsi-ns 81 Norway. bat had never sucees-5-
q 70 any spurcciable extern, In sra1te..-
ing them and the strongest popular de-
marc mace apon the constitution trainers
az E3dsvoi6 vas thar they rsars-.,, -
the people the preservation Of thesa ar.
ctent laws and customs.
Thus & Will be seen that the eo,s,s.,,-
ton o. Norway ante-aates he corstitg-
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