The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-17

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Minneapolis the day Is celebrated almost
as though 1t were an American holiday.
The state Of Washington has ats snare
Of the progressive Norsemen. ana ior
many years past celebrations have oeeh
held on May Il. their natal day. at on
ferent points IN the state. secretary
Frank OieSon, OF the board OF puDnc
works, who has on former OCCASIONS
given exhaustive articles on the sub1ecN
of Norwegian immigration. as Wen as
political history, in speaking on the SUD
ject yesterday said. The love OF free
dom is one of the most deeply rooted sen
timents OF the human heart IL is as Wen,
and perhaps better developed in the saw
age than in the civilian. except tnat IN
the savage IL is a desire for himself alone.
while in the civilian il may be extenaea
to others. The people OF Norway cele-
brate the 18th OF May as their day or I'D
erty. for this is the day upon which they
framed their own constitution, which
guarantees 10 them substantial freedom
THE history of Norway is but little
known to the people of the United states.
Her position in Europe. both geograpn-
ieally and politically has not been such
as TO powerfully affect the general move
me1ts OF European political policy. lnaeeu,
neither her area. resources nor popula-
ton could ever. under modern conditions,
ers which now enshroud Europe with
armies and navies more gigantic ana
ominous than any which have ever mere
tofore threatened international peace.
Norway like all countries. has had ner
periods of activity prowess and crystal
iization, with peace and progress.
you are accustomed TO refer to early
Norsemen as sea kings, as though that
were their chief claim TO distinction.
eta a of FOL cir
may be true. but il must be remembered
that the expeditions which set out from
Norway In the ninth. tenth and eleventh
centuries were not composed or the
stable and settled parts OF the people.
but OF the restless, the daring and the adj
venturous.
Whatever of international comfy and
sympathy exists now has been developed
since that early period But little quarter
was expected or given in the wars
of those times. One nation was generally
considered fair game for another that
was stronger. and such OF the Norsemen
as took 10 piracy. IL piracy 1t could be
called In that age. doubtless regarded the
people OF other countries than their own
as outside barbarians. whom they might
kill and plumber without conjunction.
There is such period in the life OF all
nations that have developed from semi
barbaric conditions during which civil war
is the rule rather than the exception. The
rights and wrongs of men, either in hign
station or low, have not become settled
entities. Norway had several hundred
years of this internal confusion. III IS
the period which glows with great men
and great actions in the military sense,
and partly. too. in civil To fuse together
in compact state. regulated by general
laws and sanctions of sufficient force TO
secure stability. is necessarily the work
of great men and years of time Inefe
may be times in the life OF nation wheh
a firm and powerful central authority
is more TO be desired than the incessant
wars of petty chieftafns. Norway could
not be nation if such a time had not
come. or at any rate. if men OF command
ing personality had not appeared to over
ride in some degree. the narrowness and
jealousy of provinciaiism. Despite these
occasional usurpations there has existed
from the earliest times A disposition 10 as
sist local rights as against centralized au-
thority The choice of King Haakon, who.
by the way, was fostered by the English
court was a remarkable instance of this.
when the young son of Harold Haar-
fagre Harold Farhair, was brought be-
fore the Folkthing, at Thordnhjem. and
required 10 pledge himself 10 restore the
rights that his father had taken away, as
a condition TO being permitted TO wear
the crown. OF similar cases the history
of Norway furnishes many parallels. It
is commonly thought. and even asserted.
that the jury system originated in Eng
land. In its present form that may be the
case. but the Norwegians, centuries prior
to the establishment of the Magma Charta
had a form of trial by public meetings or
Things. whose decisions every men was
compelled to abide. under penalty of be-
coming an exile or an outlaw. This power
1.-fa tn
Der. but more frequently 1t was assumed
by the whole Folkthing. II thus appears
that in very early days the Norwegian
people had attained TO the conception or
public justice substantially on the lines
of the English jury system and the pro-
lection OF the individual by public au-
thority by the arbitrary usurpa ton OF the
powerful and tyrannical.
This spirit mauifests itself all through
Norwegian history. There is perhaps no
country in Europe where the people have
so generally and persisfently maintained
their primitive power against the usur-
pations Of royalty The result has been
that the people of Norway, while occa-
sionally seeming TO yield to centralized
authority. which from the broadcast his
torfcal view may not have been other
than salutary. have nevertheless, been
periodically able to assert their freedom
until they have now one of the most lib
eral constitutions in Europe.
"Of late years there have been many
men Of distinction in Norway, who have
contributed their genius toward enhanc-
ing their country's fame. One Of them,
Frfthjof hansen the Napoleon OF the
srctics has lust completed the most orig
inai daring and brilliant Arctic trip ever
achieved by man He has unlocked the
gates of the Northern ocean and revealed
a mysterious realm never before known
10 mortal
Norway also occupies high place in
modern literature. Ibsen, literary giant.
belongs 20 the world as much as TO Nor
way, his books having been translated
into all modern languages. Henrik Wer-
geland the father Of the celebration OF
May IL. because but for him this day
would not likely be observed as IL Is now.
delivered TO poSterify national essays
songs and poems which, when read or
sung. viii ever arouse the Norwegian
youth 10 thoughts and deeds 81 patriot
ism. Bfornstjerne BforHsoa is following
almost IN the very footsteps Of Verge
land. and win no doubt leave behind him
a similar legacy. In the field of music
and art the Young men coming 10 the
front are too numerous 20 mention"
How about present conditions in Nor
wsyT" was asked.
IF yoa mean politics I viii say that
tins. consular question S. at present in
stafu QUO. its solution being IN the hands
~ joint committee Of the Norwegian
Sforthing and the Swedish Riksdag. No
doubt when they have finished their work
Norway. as the second maritime nation
Of the world. win he granted her just
rights and have her own conSals to rep
resent her wherever the Norwegian flag
enters What effect viii IL have upon the
feeling between the Swedish and Norwe-
gtan Americans l have heard IL said by