The San Francisco call., 1905-06-14
In an Embittered Letter to
the President of the StOrth-
ing He Denounces the
Provisional Government
DEFENDS HIS OWN
COURSE AS RULER
Monarch Says It Remains for
Sweden to Decide Whether
the Separation of the Ma
tiOns Shall Be Made Legal

STOCKHOLM Sweden, June liking
Oscar, In a long and vigorously worded
letter to the president of the Norwegian
Storthing, Berner, declares that the ac-
cession oath Of Norway's King makes IT
the Kings duty not to pass over In ST.
lence the preferment of the Norwegian
Council of State on the occasion OF his
Majesty's veto OF the consular BILL Tne
King maintains that ne did not over
step his prerogatives under the constitu-
ton and says that consideration for the
union imposes on the King the duty or
exercising his constitutional rights.
1.-The King of Norway he adds, must
always bear in mind paragraph l of the
Norwegian constitution, which reads:
1.-The kingdom of Norway is free, au-
tonomous, independent and indivisible.
II feel myself justified in demanding re-
spect for the decision taken by the King
of Norway In accordance with the con-
stitution. The powers which the consti-
tuition places at the disposal of the Nor
wegian King In order to enable him 10
promote the welfare of the country ac-
cording to his convictions, are no greater
than those which must be reserved to the
monarch when Norway is united with
Sweden under one King
ASSAILS COUNCIL OF STATE.
After lengthily repudiating the declara-
ton Of the Council of S-ate that his veto
was unconstitutional because no member
of the council regarded himself as being
in position to countersign it, King Os-
car proceeds:
"One of the fundamental principles of
the constitution and q fact that is most
important is that Norway shall be a con-
stitutional monarchy. 1t is clearly in
compatible Herewith that the King sink
to. the position of a mere tool in the
4 thA rV1nf
bers of the Council of State, by refusing
| to countersign any of the royal decisions.
could prevent them from having force,
| the King of Norway would be excluded
| from participation in the state admins
tration. Such situation would be as
degrading to the monarch as harmful TO
Norway.
"Tne position Of the king as monarch Of
the united kingdom of Sweden and Nor
way makes II incumbent upon him not to
prejudice as monarch of one kingdom
questions affecting the other kingdom.
1.-The duty of the King on this point
cannot be reconciled with the view that
one kingdom, through the refusal OF its
Council of State to append counter sig
nature can annul the royal judgment
wherein the King refuses to give a de-
cision prejudicial to the other kingdom
and injurious to the union.
H<5s
The Norwegian people and the Nor
wegian nation demand the right to force
the King to give decision which, in his
opinion, conflicts with his duty as mon
arch of the united Kingdoms and King
of Sweden, therefore the King of Sweden
must become altogether dependent, as re-
CARDS his decisions. upon the will of the
Norwegian nation through its Council OF
State.
such a position for the kingly power
/ can only describe as being irreconcilable
with the laws of union laid down in the
Riksakt.
My endeavor has always been to give
Norway that place within the union to
which she can rightly lay claim. My
royal duty to the union requires me to
endeavor to uphold its legal basis even
when by so doing come into opposition
with the Norwegian national feeling.
THE law on which took the oath and
which has regard for the welfare of the
| united kingdoms determined my decision
on the consular question, but here l was
met not only by the refusal of the Nor
wegian Council of State to countersign
that decision, but by the resignation OF its
members. When / declined to accept the
resignation of the council it declared
threateningly that any Norwegian who
co-operated in carrying out my decision
would at the same moment pe Without D.
fatherland.
ASKS POSTERITY TO JUDGE.
| "I was therefore placed in the position
of either myself breaking the Riksakt.
| which l was sworn TO uphold, or of rec
onciling myself to stand without coun-
Gil officers
..The council, after attempting to vio-
late the constitution and to render void
decision of the King of Norway legally
given, resigned office and the King of
Norway was deprived of councillors. The
| Storthing approved this breach OF the
constitution and by revolutionary pro-
ceeding declared that the legitimate King
of Norway had ceased to reign and that
the union of the two kingdoms was dis
| solved.
1T remains for Sweden and for me as
King of the union to decide whether the
attack by Norway on the existing union
shall lead to the legal dissolution of that
union.
Let the present generation and poster
ity judge between me and the Norwegian
people"