The Swedish-Norwegian Union Crisis Part 7

Norway has bragged about her prerogatives without any feeling of responsibility, like an unreasoning whimsical child. It must be _declared_, both on historical and psychological grounds, that it can never be politically _defended_. Norway must already have made the discovery that the great era of universal politics, is ent.i.tled, if ever, _to political action under a strict sense of responsibility_.

[Sidenote: _Faults on Sweden's side._]

By this it is by no means our intention to deny that Sweden herself is to a certain extent to blame for things going as they have done. Looking back over the Union Policy of Sweden, it must, in the first place, be noticeable that there has been, to a certain extent, a lack of firmness and authority. And it cannot either be denied that there have been mistakes that have unnecessarily roused opposition. For instance, in the so-called Stadtholder question, in the sixties, Sweden's policy was undoubtedly too harsh. But whatever faults may be laid at the door of the Union Policy of Sweden, when the Swedish nation in these days tries to make a searching self examination, opinions are not little likely to be unanimous because Sweden has been _too conciliatory_ towards Norways'

demands.

[Sidenote: _Swedish opinion._]

It is said that a foreigner recently travelling in the Scandinavian countries made the observation that Swedes always spoke kindly of the Norwegians, and the Norwegians always spoke ill of the Swedes. The observation doubtless contains a good deal of truth. It is, at least, true that Swedish public opinion, at large, has been distinguished by kindliness both to Norway and its people, and that every honest effort to smooth discussions has had the sympathy of an overwhelming majority of the people of Sweden. Swedes have been very unwilling to listen to the prophets of evil who have pointed to the deficiencies and deformities of Norwegian policy, and prognosticated trouble. It is just on that account that indignation from one end of Sweden to the other is so much the more intense when the veil is so rudely torn aside, and Norwegian politics are shown in their true light, such as they are and--have been. The revolutionary act of Norway has like a flash of lightning illuminated the past background of Norwegian politics, and exhibited to the people of Sweden all the unreasonableness, the craftiness and dishonesty which Sweden has had to put up with from Norway during the past decennials.

In this way, the memories of the history of the Union of the latest periods are revived with indignation among the people of Sweden. If the indignation is at times expressed in unnecessarily strong and ill-chosen terms, Norway has in truth no manner of right to complain.

ACTS TOUCHING THE SWEDISH-NORWEGIAN CRISIS.

1.

Extracts from the Const.i.tution of Norway.

-- 1. The Kingdom of Norway is a free, independent, indivisible, and inalinenable realm united with Sweden under one King.

-- 5. The King's person is sacred. He must not be blamed nor accused. The responsibility is inc.u.mbent on His Council.

--15. [-- --] The Prime Minister reports the matters and is responsible for the doc.u.ments issued being in accordance with the resolutions adopted.

-- 30. All matters dealt with in the Cabinet Council should be recorded.

Each number of the Cabinet Council is bound to express, fearlessly, his opinion which the King is obliged to listen to. But it is reserved for the latter to take these resolutions according to His own judgment.

If a member of the Cabinet Council should find the Kings' resolution incongruous with the form of government, or the public laws of the country, or else obviously harmful to the realm, it is his duty to make strenuous remonstrance and to have his opinon recorded. He who has not issued a protest in this way, is considered to have agreed with the King and is responsible for it in the way subsequently indicated, and the Odelsthing can proeced against him before the Court of impeachment.

-- 31. All orders (ezcepting matters of military command) issued by the King himself, should be countersigned by one of the Prime Ministers.

-- 76. Each law shall first be moved in the Odelsthing, either by its own members or by the Government through a Cabinet Minister. [-- --]

-- 77. When a resolution pa.s.sed by the Odelsthing has been approved of by the Lagthing, or by the a.s.sembled Storthing, it is sent to the King if present, or else to the Norwegian Government with the request of obtaining the sanction of the King.

-- 78. If the King approves of the resolution he shall attach His signature to it, through which it pa.s.ses into law. If He does not approve of it, He shall send it back to the Odelsthing with the declaration that He does not find it suitable, at present, to sanction it. In this case the resolution must not again be laid before the King by the Storthing then a.s.sembled.

-- 79. If a resolution has, in unaltered form, been pa.s.sed by three ordinary Storthings const.i.tuted after three different consecutive general Elections and separated from each other by at least two intermediate ordinary Storthings without that, in the interval between the first and the last adoption of the resolution, a divergent resolution has been pa.s.sed by a Storthing, and if it is then submitted to the King with the request that His Majesty may be pleased not to negative a resolution regarded as useful by the Storthing after mature consideration, then it pa.s.ses into law, even if the King's sanction should not be obtained before the break-up of the Storthing.

-- 112. If experience should teach that some part of the Const.i.tution of the realm of Norway ought to be altered, the motion for it shall be made at the first ordinary Storthing after a new general election and be issued from the press. But it can only to be one of the ordinary Storthings after the next general election, to decide as to whether the amendment moved should be accepted or not. Such an amendment, however, must never be contrary to the principles of this Const.i.tution, but should only regard a modification of particular regulations, not affecting the spirit of this Const.i.tution, and such an amendment should be seconded by two thirds of the Storthing.

2.

Extracts from the Act of Union.

-- 4. The King shall have the right to concentrate troops, commence war and to conclude peace, enter into and annul alliances, dismiss and receive amba.s.sadors. [-- --]

-- 5. Both the Norwegian Prime Ministers and the two Cabinet Ministers accompaning the King shall have a seat and vote in the Swedish Cabinet Council, whenever matters affecting both countries are there transacted.

In such cases the opinion of the Government residing in Norway shall be consulted unless such a speedy decision be required that time does not allow of it.

When, in the Norwegian Cabinet Council, matters affecting both countries are transacted, three members of the Swedish Cabinet Council shall there have a seat and vote.

-- 7[72:1]. [-- --] Matters concerning both the Kingdoms, but which in consequence of their nature, do not belong to the administration of any special Department, are reported by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and are despatched to each Kingdom, drawn up in its own language; to Sweden by the above mentioned reporter Minister and to Norway by her Prime Minister.

Diplomatic (Cabinet) matters are reported by the Minister for Foreign affairs, and are entered into a separate protocol[73:1]. [-- --]

-- 12. Whereas the regulations contained in this Act of Union partly are copied from the Const.i.tution of the realm of Norway, partly are additions to it, based on the right awarded to the present Storthing by the Const.i.tution, they shall, with regard to Norway, have and retain the same authority as the Const.i.tution of that realm, and they must not be altered but in the way indicated in -- 112 of that same Const.i.tution.

FOOTNOTES:

[72:1] This paragraph describes the joint so-called provisional Government.