The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-05-14
Norway's Independence Day.

~ -IIAb Lull EiEcdll1dt1OIl OF INC INOTWt-i
CLAN ideal Of independence will prob
ably be delayed until the vision Of 4
Norway's singer-prophets is actual
lied in patent, tangible fact. The
poets, however, are not always the |
best judges. It was much for the
suzeradnty of Denmark by the treaty
Of Kiel. They gained much more:
when. on May II, 1914, they held a
constituent assembly and elected a
king Of their own and formed a con-
stitution Of their own. For, while
this patriotic arrangement was not
carried out. it led to the. negotiations
which established Norwegian. inde-
pendence in union with Sweden, under
the reign Of the house Of Ponte Corvo,
the present king being q grandson Of
Napoleon's distinguished soldier. Ber-
nadotte.
1t Is true that the union under the
existing constitution has not produced
dovecote conditions between the two
Scandinavian nations. There have
been numerous disputes over the ques-
ton Of the kings right Of absolute
veto upon alterations of the funda-c
mental law of the dual kingdom. The
| Norwegian liberals made a strong. con-
| tention for independent Norwegian
| oonsulates and a separate Norwegian
! flag, which strained the relations Of
the two kingdoms severely; but King
| Oscar sanctioned the separate flag in
1897. and the deliberations over the
question of separate consulships had
advanced SO favorably last year that
it was practically settled after the
Norwegian program. There would
appear to be very few real differences
now between the Kingdoms. The con-
genital craving for absolute independ-
ence remains in the Norwegian breast
at least so far as the liberal party is
| concerned.
Poets, like Bjornstjerne Bjornson.
maintain the Morse traditions of breezy
independence. Bjornson speaks for a
very large Norwegian element and can
awaken profound emotion at any time
with the utterance of the most ex-
treme tenets of advanced republican
ism. There is much Scandinavian
poetry which, like the Danske Wiser
(ancient ,sballads), vs. is the common
property Of all Scandinavia, which Is
rioh In legendary song. Much, indeed,
of Danish song has. Norwegian author
ship, while great epics like the "NjaIs
Saga" of Iceland, are familiar as
household words to the race The
Norwegians are largely under the In
fluence Of the poetic instinct, and thai
is the reason why there is so much
music in their souls. Their ances:
tors were among the valiant Of the
earth and their fleets terrified all the
: shores of Europe and their standards
floated over north Africa. To their
old mythology and its runes, or an:
cient Morse letters, was attributed
3 strange arts Of magic. Runes could
$ vanquish armies and destroy the edge
of weapons; terrorize the hearts o.
$ men. Each rune had a magical eff
= cacy. ~. -.2- .a..l5.... 4. ..s.,.:s e.
: With the descendants of, these. dar
e ing, world-wandering, fighting people
e we are daily companioned, and dis
= cover in them a. kinship in our owl
= devotion to freedom, our expansiv,
: inclination and spirit Of adventure ant
Y exploration. The people who plowet
n the Mediterranean with their galley
t in Roman times; discovered Iceland
e founded settlements in Greenland
d preceded Columbus in America; VIII
Il sang brave ballads in the dawn of his
y, tory, and fought the bravest fight
Is for human freedom, civil and religious
# in the middle ages and in the mod
: ern day-these people we can con
q graduate on their day Of rejoicing i
sharing SO largely with us the up
? building Of the only republic, worth
> Of the name. which has ever been SC
% upon the earth.