New York Tribune

WHY NORWAY WILL REMAIN A MONARCHY.

No undue attention must be ascribed to the threats of the Norwegians to proclaim a republic, which are merely made for the purpose of hastening King Oscar and his son, the Regent of Sweden, as well as King Christian of Denmark into giving a reply to the proposals which have been made to them for the election either of Prince Charles of Sweden, married to a daughter of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark, or of Prince Charles of Denmark, married to the youngest daughter of King Edward, to the throne of Norway.

True, the Norwegians are in many senses of the word the most democratic people in Europe, and it is the only monarchical country where the nobles do not exceed a score or so all told. Indeed, they may be said to be, in many senses of the word, republicans at heart. But yet, although most practical, they have a sentimental side to their character. They cannot forget that Norway has an unbroken tradition of monarchy covering more than one thousand years, and they claim that Norway was the first country in Europe to be organized into a homogeneous state under one sovereign. To proclaim a republic would be therefore to break this time-honored tradition.

Moreover, the Norwegians are convinced that they will more speedily obtain recognition of their separate existence and more easily adjust their relations with other monarchical states under a sovereign than under a republic. Family connections still count for something in modern Europe-more particularly in the case of the smaller states-and the upshot was that it was decided by the Norwegians to retain the monarchical form of government.

The matter lies, as I said above, between Prince Charles of Denmark and Prince Charles of Sweden, some favoring the latter, while others, including the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs at Christiania, prefer Prince Charles of Denmark. Which of the two will eventually have the crown it is difficult as yet to say.

MARQUISE DE FONTENOY.