The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1897-02-24
OSCAR TT. OF SWEDEN.
NAMED AS UMPIRE IN THE AR8I-
TRATloN TREATY n

TRATloN TREATY. Il
Brief sketch of the Ruler whose Name
is Now Before tho worid-A Wise King.
Faithful Husband and Christian Gen
tIeman.
Oscar H., King Of Sweden and Nor
way, is a man of 81, with n benevo-
lent countenance, full gray beard
and stalwart figure. In his youth
he was II sailor and he still retains
the blur manners OF follower of the
sea
He Is the fourth sovereign of the
line of Charles Jean Bernadotte. who,
by Il singular accident, was raised from
the station of Il simple burghcr to that
of Marshal In Nnpoleon's army. At
the death of Charles XIII, the Par
Lament OF Sweden, acting under or
ders from the all-powerful conqueror,
chose Marshal Bernadotte to succeed
him, and he assembled the throne under
the name of Charles XIV. He had
Wit enough TO cut aloof from the EN-
peror when the latter rushed on his
doom, and thus at the reconstruction
which followed he retained his crown
and bequeathcd 1t to his son, Oscar |.
| That polite monarch managed TO
keep out of the Schleswig- Holstcin
dispute, and retained the good will of
both Prussia and Denmark; so he
died Mt peace with all men, though
sorely stricken in body, in the year
1859. He was succeeded by his son.
Charles Nv. who united Sweden and
Norway, and rclgned till 1872. when
the present sovereign assembled the
throne.
The duties of rcignlng are not con-
genial TO Oscar IL. He is poet, Il
musician and man of science lie
has written many books, some of
which are as good MS II they had not
been written by king. He wrote Il
drama In French, which has been
played to full houses. He Is cores
pondng member OF the Frankfort
Academy of Sciences. His memoir of
Charles MI holds high place In his
torieal literature. His inaugural ad-
dress to the Rigstad contained some
stirring passages.
~ am deeply penetrated said he.
with the sense that the royal crown,
which has fallen To me as heir. Is not
lent 10 me for mere outer splendor;
rather, | Know and admit that my re.
sponsibr, royal mission, of which the
crown is Il symbol. has been laid upon
me To promote the welfare of the bro
Their nations May these words lac my
motto: Brodrafolkcno VAIL
The task which fell upon his should
crs was, indeed, one which might have
appalled, less intrepid soul. lie had
to administer the Government of two
nations which had been nrtihcially
put together IN harness, aud whose
aims and temper are as far apart MS
the poles. He had 10 contend against
such political foes MS Ibsen and Bjorn
sen. The latter once actually chal
lcnged the King 10 mortal combat. Ilt
had 10 handle three Houses of Paria-
ment- two In Sweden, one In Norway.
There has hardly been day In his
reign when he did not need to remind
himself of his own apothegm-"A king
must ever know how TO subordinate
all the incllnatlons OF his character,
however legitimate, to the cxigencles
of his political policy"
Whenever he could Oscar has
sought relief from the cares of public
businroa in his country house, In tho
Sound OF IIelslngborg. There. with
his WIFE, the beautiful and gifted So
phia Of Nassau, and their four stall
wart boys, lie has led the life of
studlous country gentleman, working
out problems in Arctic navigation and
| writing verses on pastoral themes.
There they sit ut an open window,
breathing the strong air Of the north,
inhaling the summer breczes and let
ting the sea vapor fan their brows. An
awning covers n veranda, bOrdercd
with flowers bathed in sunshine, from
which n long stretch of sen rolls under
their eye. Here the King tells his
family the old. strange sagas Of Swe-
denis past, and carries them back 10
the days of Wodln and the Mortimer.
He has n well-chosen library. full of
his favoritc authors. Here he loves
to talk poetry aud science and legend
with guest.
A brother of Oscar Eugene Is
studying TO be a painter, and proposes
to establish n studio at Paris. His
aunt the Kings slstcr-E Eugene is
the Indy Bountlful Of Sweden; when
she failed IN obtaining from the Rig
stad an appropriation for "A work house
which was badly needed she sold her
diamonds and put up the building.
When the King saw 1t he cried: But,
Eugenie where on earth did you get
the money TO 1ratify your whim?"