Show OUR STOCKHOLM LETTER STOCKHOLM april 26 special specia the gang pub punished pubis I 1 dished hed a few days ago an editorial which was evidently inspired d by the leaders of the most radical wing of the left its aim being to demonstrate that the present union of sweden and norway is unnatural in several respects the swedes and norwegians Norwegia ns are two different nations the paper says we are placed close to together ether but we differ greatly from each ott other er noray turns c chiefly to the west across the north sea and the atlantic we have been we are still at home by and on the sea more than the swedes our historical traditions connect us chiefly with iceland greenland finland scotland ireland normandy and the netherlands sweden turns chiefly to the east and south finland Esth land germany phrases do not count much the forests and mountains between norway and sweden separate more than the they connect the two nations X A history of more than a thousand years separates us our internal development our external connections have been different hence the results are different in norway we have ind epen dent farmers tilling their soil in sweden a rich development of sweden has fostered a pronounced ty type e of aristocracy norway an equally equally strong type of democracy all attempts since 1814 to assimilate the two nationalities have failed while on the other hand we have always been successful in developing profitable intercourse by opening avenues of trade building international railways etc this is a pointer to us in what way we are to operate cooperate co for the benefit of both nations we do not believe sweden wants to treat us in the same manner as russia is treating finland will sweden interfere and impede afree a free develop development mentin in all directions in our country impossible t at the close of his life the swedish statesman degeer admitted our right to an independent life and did not even deny our right to secene secede from the union if it were felt as an oppression we do not doubt that every swede who conscientiously studies the question wilt will arrive at the same conclusion this editorial seems to indicate that the left looks on the crisis as the thin edge of the wedge which may possibly split the union in twain and they almost court such a possibility when king oscar was out walking the other day near the Blasie holm harbor past came two laborers who were removing ice from the street one of them knew the king and said to the other stop the king is co coming what do I 1 care said the other meanwhile the king had come close enough to hear the remark and he asked the irreverent laborer what did you say what did I 1 say what does the gentleman mean by that well I 1 am the kin king that s more thau thai il I 1 k knew new 11 the chamberlain who accompanied the king was already on the way to a patrolman who arrested the laborer and brought him to the police station but here the laborer denied having said what he was accused of and to the he honor of the police of stockholm be it said that the man was set free again without any further ado the N norwegian norwegian crisis is looked upon by many swedish statesmen as threatening to the very union itself during a recent discussion in the upper house of the dag which house is very conservative serva tive it was however surprising ing i to see the liberal tenor in which many of its members spoke on the subject I 1 senator thought the norwegian people had not considered I 1 how much it costs to run an independent national government so that even if norway should secede from the union the not would in a few years realize their folly and apply for read re ad mission senator had always been a friend of the original union but not of the present carrica ture of a union he advised every swedish trian man sn and woman to be prepared fora fera dissolution disso luXion of the union in the course of a the last nine years the speaker had gradually been convinced that this would be them the ultimate result of the complications he was of the opinion that so far the union had cost more than it was worth mr Reuter entreated the swedish people pe e to keep keel cool and not be disturbed tu ae d b by the abuse to which they were being subjected by the norwegians Norwegia ns minister of state bostrom did not expect the dissolution of the union but i a thorough revision of the act of the union would be highly desirable inasmuch as it would remove the present difficulties for a series of years to come bishop billing said the swedish people hada had a good conscience in regard to its relations to norway neither the swedes nor the majority of the nor are in favor of the dissolution of weans the e union he believed the nor would be more friendly toward the swedes in case they were better informed re regarding gardin athe the true sentiment of the latter the e unexpected the bishop said has always been an imbor tant element in history to me this is divine interposition god has bound the two nations together and I 1 think jre he still has thoughts of peace for them 11 senator flach had observed that the dignity of the monarchy had been degraded in norway but he was of the opinion that though there were cranks in norway there were also prudent men who love their country and the union senator lithander read a paper to the effect that sweden had been considerate and humane in her treatment of norway while norway had continually made fresh demands the left of norway had treated the union king in such a shabby manner that it was high time for the swedish to speak in no uncertain tones |