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18 - History of Iceland by Knut Gjerset · History of Iceland

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  Speaker 1: Chapter sixteen, Part one of History of Iceland by Canute Guyuersett.
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  Speaker 1: This LibriVox recording is in the public domain. Romanticism in
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  Speaker 1: Iceland Struggle for autonomy. The Icelandic Constitution of eighteen seventy
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  Speaker 1: four improved economic conditions under the influence of the French
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  Speaker 1: Revolution and of great writers like Voltaire Rousseau and others
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  Speaker 1: who sponsored it by demanding freedom of thought, press and conscience.
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  Speaker 1: The intellectual life, as well as the social thought of
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  Speaker 1: Europe at this time, was undergoing a profound change. In Germany,
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  Speaker 1: the ideas of the Revolution had made but slight impression,
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  Speaker 1: but due to the stimulus of the times, a new
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  Speaker 1: intellectual movement known as Romanticism was started, which brought about
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  Speaker 1: a complete literary revolution and created a new national life.
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  Speaker 1: Feeling and tender emotions were expressed in the new Romantic literature.
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  Speaker 1: A strong patriotic sentiment tinged with emotionalism, swept over the fatherland,
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  Speaker 1: demanding freedom from the prevalent foreign intellectual influence on the
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  Speaker 1: one hand and from foreign political dominion on the other.
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  Speaker 1: Everything national was to be studied and cultivated. The study
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  Speaker 1: of Germanic philology began to flourish at the expense of
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  Speaker 1: the hitherto predominating interest in classical languages, folk songs and
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  Speaker 1: fairy tales were collected, and scholarly knowledge was fostered in
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  Speaker 1: everything pertaining to German antiquities. The Germans became conscious of
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  Speaker 1: their unity as a people, discovered that they had a
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  Speaker 1: common national destiny, and found that their strength lay in
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  Speaker 1: building their national political and intellectual life on their own
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  Speaker 1: past history and cultural traditions. A new nationalism, destined to
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  Speaker 1: win for Germany political unity and independence and an equaled
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  Speaker 1: prosperity and power, was cradled in this new movement. From Germany,
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  Speaker 1: it soon spread to the north. In eighteen oh two,
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  Speaker 1: the Danish poet Lenschlager began his literary career as leader
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  Speaker 1: of the new movement in Denmark, where it soon won
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  Speaker 1: the enthusiastic support of the younger writers. In icelanded one
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  Speaker 1: complete ascendency through Biarni Thororensen seventeen eighty six to eighteen
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  Speaker 1: forty one and Jonas hel Grimson eighteen oh seven to
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  Speaker 1: eighteen forty five, the two greatest poets in modern Icelandic literature.
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  Speaker 1: During his stay in copenhagenists student at the university. Thororensen
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  Speaker 1: became a Romanticist through the influence of el Lenslager and
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  Speaker 1: the philosopher Henrik Stevens. In eighteen oh five he wrote
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  Speaker 1: the song eld gamla Isofold, which became so popular that
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  Speaker 1: it has since remained the national song of Iceland. In
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  Speaker 1: his own country, he stood four teen I'm alone as
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  Speaker 1: representative of the Romantic movement, as the the Alfklroung, under
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  Speaker 1: the leadership of Magna Stephenson, was still strong. In contrast
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  Speaker 1: to Stephenson, he loved all national traditions and institutions. He
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  Speaker 1: worked with enthusiasm for the restoration of the all Things,
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  Speaker 1: wishing that it should assemble again on the old thingstead
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  Speaker 1: of Thingvellor. He also organized a company to improve the
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  Speaker 1: overland routes of travel between southern and northern Iceland, a
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  Speaker 1: project in which he spent much of his own private means.
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  Speaker 1: As a devoted nationalist, he was opposed to the whole
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  Speaker 1: movement headed by Stephenson, to his rationalism, his corruption of
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  Speaker 1: the Icelandic language through the introduction of foreign words, and
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  Speaker 1: to his disregard of the ancient traditions of Iceland. Though
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  Speaker 1: Rowensen was a devout Christian believer. He desired to restore
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  Speaker 1: the purity of the Icelandic language and sought to arouse
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  Speaker 1: the people's national feeling and love for their own historical traditions.
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  Speaker 1: That two movements so diametrically opposed could not long exist
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  Speaker 1: side by side, so became evident. Sharp clashes grew frequent.
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  Speaker 1: But the Rornson had the advantage of rare poetic talent
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  Speaker 1: and the support of the reawakened national sentiment of his countrymen.
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  Speaker 1: The people felt that he was a true Icelander who
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  Speaker 1: loved his country, its history, and its culture. With rare power.
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  Speaker 1: He conjured up in his poems the heroic figures of
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  Speaker 1: the Saga times Gunnar of Halida, Rendi, Nayar of berg Thor,
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  Speaker 1: Spahal Sharp Fiddin and others, and encouraged the people to
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  Speaker 1: seek the elements of progress, not in imitation of foreign lands,
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  Speaker 1: but in the fortitude and heroism which was theirs in
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  Speaker 1: ages past. He sang of the beauty of Iceland and
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  Speaker 1: pictured its nature and its Titanic mythological grandeur. Here was
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  Speaker 1: a country to be preferred to the level Denmark. Why
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  Speaker 1: should not the Icelanders take heart He summons them to
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  Speaker 1: fight again as of old, against foreign frost, against enervating
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  Speaker 1: and corrupting foreign influence. If they fail in this fight,
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  Speaker 1: let them sink into the ocean and perish. Better die
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  Speaker 1: with honor than live in shame. Thornsen did not rhyme
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  Speaker 1: with ease or great skill. He was no master of form,
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  Speaker 1: but his poems are like trumpet calls that awakened his
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  Speaker 1: people to strive for new national life and progress. Jonas
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  Speaker 1: all Grimson, his younger contemporary, love nature as though Rowenson
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  Speaker 1: loved the people of Iceland. As he was a great
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  Speaker 1: artist inversification, his poems excelled those of his contemporary inform
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  Speaker 1: and beauty Thlough, he did not possess his power of imagination.
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  Speaker 1: As poets, the two are of equal excellence and supplement
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  Speaker 1: each other in their production, the Rarinson devoting himself principally
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  Speaker 1: to the inner forces, and all Grimson to the exterior
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  Speaker 1: side of human life. All Grimson's intimate knowledge of Iceland,
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  Speaker 1: which he acquired while traveling through the country as a
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  Speaker 1: natural scientist, enabled him to write descriptive poems of unexcelled charm.
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  Speaker 1: Among his most noted productions are Island and gou nor Hoolmmi.
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  Speaker 1: When the latter poem appeared in the periodical Fijor near
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  Speaker 1: Thorarensen was so impressed that he exclaimed, now I think
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  Speaker 1: it is about time that I quit writing poetry. In
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  Speaker 1: the wake of these two leaders followed many poets of
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  Speaker 1: last note. Jan Thoroddnsson was especially important as novelist. Ghisli
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  Speaker 1: Byrne Nielson wrote political poems, elogies and love songs. Grimmer Thomson,
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  Speaker 1: a disciple of Thornson, devoted himself especially to the writing
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  Speaker 1: of ballads in the style of the old folk songs.
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  Speaker 1: Sigurd brad Feword was a productive lyric poet and the
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  Speaker 1: last representative of the rhymer poety in Iceland. Iyal Mar Johnson,
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  Speaker 1: stein Bjorn Iggleson, rector of the London School in Reikievik,
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  Speaker 1: Paul Olofsson and others also distinguished themselves as lyric poets.
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  Speaker 1: To this group must also be counted the inspired lyric
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  Speaker 1: poet and dramatist Matthias juch Mussen eighteen thirty five to
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  Speaker 1: nineteen twenty, one of the most influential men in modern
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  Speaker 1: Icelandic history. Also in the various fields of scholarly work.
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  Speaker 1: Learned men appeared in this great age of national awakening
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  Speaker 1: and intellectual productivity. John Arnison collected and published Icelandic folk
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  Speaker 1: in fairy tales under the title of I len skar
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  Speaker 1: bath so geragh fin They and excellent work which has
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  Speaker 1: been translated wholly or impart into Danish, German and English.
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  Speaker 1: In philology, the Icelandic scholars won great distinction. Especially noted
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  Speaker 1: in this field our Conrad Gisslssen eighteen o eight to
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  Speaker 1: eighteen ninety one, professor in the University of Copenhagen, who
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  Speaker 1: wrote numerous philological treatises and edited many Old Icelandic works,
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  Speaker 1: and good brand Wigfisson eighteen twenty seven eighteen eighty nine,
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  Speaker 1: professor in the University of Oxford. He completed and published
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  Speaker 1: Iceland English Dictionary, published a complete collection of Old Norse
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  Speaker 1: and Old Icelandic poems with English translations, and corpus Poeticum.
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  Speaker 1: Boreale edited a number of sagas and wrote numerous treatises
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  Speaker 1: dealing with northern antiquities. The intellectual awakening in Iceland produced
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  Speaker 1: a literary renaissance which gradually broadened into a great national
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  Speaker 1: patriotic movement, political as well as literary in character. It
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  Speaker 1: had its inception in the romanticism of Germany and Denmark,
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  Speaker 1: but it derived its chief strength and impetus from the
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  Speaker 1: revolutionary movements which convulsed Europe, challenging the established principles and
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  Speaker 1: institutions of the old regime. Many events contributed to the
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  Speaker 1: growth of liberal ideas which were remodeling European political thought.
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  Speaker 1: The old mercantilistic economic theories had been shattered by Adam Smith,
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  Speaker 1: the advocate of free trade and non interference of government
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  Speaker 1: in industrial pursuits, who published his up making work Inquiry
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  Speaker 1: into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
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  Speaker 1: seventeen seventy six. The American Declaration of Independence, the founding
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  Speaker 1: of the Republic of the United States and the framing
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  Speaker 1: of its constitution, the French Revolution and the constitutions of
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  Speaker 1: the French Republic, the Spanish Constitution of eighteen twelve, the
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  Speaker 1: national uprisings against Napoleon, and the Norwegian Constitution of eighteen
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  Speaker 1: fourteen created a liberal sentiment and national spirit in Europe
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  Speaker 1: which made the old benevolent despotism antiquated and ultimately impossible.
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  Speaker 1: After the downfall of Napoleon. Reaction triumphed for a while,
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  Speaker 1: but the July Revolution of France in eighteen thirty so
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  Speaker 1: strengthened the liberal movement that the frightened rulers hastened to
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  Speaker 1: make concessions to save their thrones. In Iceland is Elsewhere,
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  Speaker 1: an intense patriotic sentiment was awakened through the influence of
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  Speaker 1: the new national poetry, the stimulus of revolutionary ideas that
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  Speaker 1: people were waking from their apathy to demand freedom from oppression,
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  Speaker 1: restoration of their all things, recognition of their rights and
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  Speaker 1: character as a distinct nation, and rehabilitation of their country, which,
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  Speaker 1: during years of misfortune, had been reduced to abject political
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  Speaker 1: and economic dependency. In eighteen thirty five, the young patriotic
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  Speaker 1: leader Thomas C. Mundson, together with the poet Yonas Halgrimson,
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  Speaker 1: the philologist Conrad Gislessen, and the jurist Berne Yolf Peterson,
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  Speaker 1: founded the periodical follol Ner, which became the rallying point
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  Speaker 1: and organ of the new patriotic movement. The poet Biarnie
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  Speaker 1: Thorrensen also assisted in the undertaking. According to the introduction
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  Speaker 1: of the periodical, written by C. Munson, its purpose should
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  Speaker 1: be to reform Icelandic literature, purify the Icelandic language, cultivate
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  Speaker 1: the people's esthetic sense, and arouse their patriotism and love
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  Speaker 1: of liberty by stimulating at for the country's ancient greatness
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  Speaker 1: the old Icelandic institutions, language and literature. In a beautiful
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  Speaker 1: poem Island printed in the first number, how Grimson pictures
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  Speaker 1: the great national dka by comparing the present state of
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  Speaker 1: Iceland with conditions in earlier times. In former days, says
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  Speaker 1: the poet, the Icelanders met at the old Thing and
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  Speaker 1: passed laws. Now there is no longer any add thing,
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  Speaker 1: but Snorri Godie's thing booth is used as a sheep pen.
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  Speaker 1: Only the country itself remains unchanged, as beautiful as in
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  Speaker 1: days of yore. Tummas Siamenson, who had studied theology in
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  Speaker 1: the University of Copenhagen, had traveled extensively after completing his
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  Speaker 1: university studies. On these travels he learned to see more
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  Speaker 1: clearly than ever how deep was the national downfall of Iceland,
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  Speaker 1: and he became inspired with an ardent desire to create
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  Speaker 1: among his countrymen a new national life. When he returned
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  Speaker 1: to Iceland, he became clergymen in his home parish and
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  Speaker 1: later provost. The periodical Fiolner was published in Copenhagen by
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  Speaker 1: his associates, but he continued to exercise great influence on
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  Speaker 1: the undertaking through his untiring energy. It was his wish
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  Speaker 1: that the chief stress should be laid on political and
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  Speaker 1: economic questions, the fostering of national patriotism and the improvement
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  Speaker 1: of economic life. These views he could not carry out,
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  Speaker 1: as his associates were more directly interested in the reformation
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  Speaker 1: of the literature and the purifying of the Icelandic language.
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  Speaker 1: Siemenson died at a very early age, seven years after
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  Speaker 1: his return to Iceland. How much Iceland and Icelandic literature
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  Speaker 1: lost by his death it is not easy to estimate,
• 12:41
  Speaker 1: says Voltier Goodmunson, but from his writings in letters one
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  Speaker 1: gets the impression that he was the greatest personality which
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  Speaker 1: Iceland possessed in the nineteenth century. Denmark had remained an
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  Speaker 1: absolute monarchy since sixteen sixty, but after the July Revolution
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  Speaker 1: in France in eighteen thirty, some of the more far
• 13:01
  Speaker 1: cited statesmen deemed it prudent to begin to pay some
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  Speaker 1: heed to public sentiment. With the support of King Frederic
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  Speaker 1: the sixth, they undertook to organize assemblies of estates which
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  Speaker 1: were to serve as advisory bodies to the sovereign. By
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  Speaker 1: ordinances of May twenty eighth, eighteen thirty one and May fifteen,
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  Speaker 1: eighteen thirty four, four such assemblies were created, one for Judland,
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  Speaker 1: two for the Duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, and one
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  Speaker 1: for Sea Land and the Islands. In the latter which
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  Speaker 1: numbered seventy members. Iceland was to be represented by two
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  Speaker 1: delegates elected by the people. This shadow of representative government,
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  Speaker 1: in which Iceland was to figure only as one of
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  Speaker 1: the smallest and most obscure provinces of the Danish Kingdom,
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  Speaker 1: could in no way satisfy the liberal sentiment and growing
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  Speaker 1: national aspirations of the Icelanders. The arrangement was vigorously opposed
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  Speaker 1: by the talented Icelandic jurist Baldwin Anderson, who maintained that Iceland,
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  Speaker 1: being so different in character from the rest of the realm,
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  Speaker 1: should have its own national Assembly, as two or three
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  Speaker 1: Icelandic delegates sitting in a large Danish body wholly unacquainted
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  Speaker 1: with affairs in so distant a country, could exercise but
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  Speaker 1: little real influence. Few could speak Danish so well that
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  Speaker 1: they could serve as delegates. The voyage to Denmark was
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  Speaker 1: long and costly, and the election of delegates was difficult,
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  Speaker 1: as they were so few in number that the people
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  Speaker 1: had to vote for persons living in distant parts of
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  Speaker 1: the country. Neither could the interests of each district be
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  Speaker 1: known nor properly furthered by so inadequate a representation. The
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  Speaker 1: difficulty connected with being a representative in Denmark was also
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  Speaker 1: so great that few would be willing to serve, as
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  Speaker 1: a person chosen would have to spend almost two years,
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  Speaker 1: far away from his family and his business interests, to
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  Speaker 1: attend one session of the Danish Assembly. On the other hand,
• 14:52
  Speaker 1: the advantages of a Icelandic Assembly would be many. The
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  Speaker 1: people would have the opportunity to take an active part
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  Speaker 1: in public life affairs, and a center would again be
• 15:01
  Speaker 1: created for Icelandic national life as of old. This reasoning
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  Speaker 1: made an impression on the King and the Danish political leaders.
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  Speaker 1: In answer to a petition for a separate assembly sent
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  Speaker 1: to Copenhagen by the Icelanders, steps were taken to make
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  Speaker 1: the Icelandic representation more effected by creating in eighteen thirty
• 15:20
  Speaker 1: eight a commission of ten royal officials, which was to
• 15:23
  Speaker 1: assemble every other year at Reikievik under the presidency of
• 15:27
  Speaker 1: the Stiptam Methther, to investigate conditions in Iceland and report
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  Speaker 1: to the government. But this arrangement was of little practical
• 15:35
  Speaker 1: value and did not satisfy the Icelanders. In eighteen forty,
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  Speaker 1: King Christian the Eighth, who ascended the throne December three,
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  Speaker 1: eighteen thirty nine, instructed the commission to consider the advisability
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  Speaker 1: of establishing a national Assembly or All Thing in Iceland,
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  Speaker 1: with representatives chosen by the people. The commissioners were to
• 15:54
  Speaker 1: express their opinion about the organization of such an assembly,
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  Speaker 1: whether it should be called All Things, and whether it
• 16:00
  Speaker 1: should assemble at Thing Beller as formerly. This step on
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  Speaker 1: the part of the King caused the greatest rejoicing in Iceland.
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  Speaker 1: The poet Yonis Halgrimson readed the news in one of
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  Speaker 1: his finest poems, and the patriotic leader Tomas Siemenson, who
• 16:15
  Speaker 1: was now a dying man, rose from his sick bed
• 16:17
  Speaker 1: to write about the organization of the All Thing. He
• 16:20
  Speaker 1: urged that it should be organized as nearly as possible,
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  Speaker 1: like the old All Thing, and that it should meet
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  Speaker 1: at Thing Beller as in days of old, an assembly
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  Speaker 1: differently organized a meeting in a different place he regarded
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  Speaker 1: as equivalent to no assembly. In considering the suggestion of
• 16:37
  Speaker 1: the King, the commissioners found that it would be advisable
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  Speaker 1: to greet a separate assembly for Iceland, and that it
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  Speaker 1: should be called All Things. But with true bureaucratic spirit,
• 16:46
  Speaker 1: they havel that since it was to be coordinate with
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  Speaker 1: assemblies of Denmark and slushpig Holstein, it should resemble them
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  Speaker 1: as closely as possible. Also in organization, they opposed the
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  Speaker 1: Old Thing instead of Viler as a place of meeting
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  Speaker 1: for the new Assembly, and recommended Rekievict, the capital of Iceland.
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  Speaker 1: The number of representatives was to be small, only twenty
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  Speaker 1: to be chosen by the people and four or six
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  Speaker 1: appointed by the King. Only owners of a required amount
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  Speaker 1: of land should be eligible or have the right to vote.
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  Speaker 1: The deliberations of the All Things should be conducted in
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  Speaker 1: the Icelandic language, but those who could not use it
• 17:22
  Speaker 1: might speak Danish. Such beach as to be ordered translated
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  Speaker 1: by the presiding officer. The report of the Commission was
• 17:29
  Speaker 1: sanctioned by the Danish government. The All Thing was re
• 17:32
  Speaker 1: established March eighth, eighteen forty three. But the defects in
• 17:35
  Speaker 1: the fundamental law for Iceland thus outlined were so apparent
• 17:39
  Speaker 1: that a Danish member of the Assembly of the States,
• 17:42
  Speaker 1: Balthasar Christensen of Copenhagen, demanded many important changes, such as
• 17:47
  Speaker 1: an increase in the number of representatives, the lowering of
• 17:50
  Speaker 1: the requirements for eligibility and the right of suffrage, exclusive
• 17:54
  Speaker 1: use of the Icelandic language and the deliberations of the
• 17:57
  Speaker 1: All Things and the selection of the Old Things instead
• 18:00
  Speaker 1: a Thing Beller as the place of meeting for the
• 18:02
  Speaker 1: new Assembly. But these demands were looked upon by many
• 18:07
  Speaker 1: as radical and found little real support. Since many of
• 18:10
  Speaker 1: the Icelandic representatives themselves stood hesitating and without any definite plan,
• 18:15
  Speaker 1: A new leader now appeared to guide the Icelanders along
• 18:18
  Speaker 1: the path to self government. This was Jon Sigurdson, the
• 18:22
  Speaker 1: greatest figure in modern Icelandic history. This remarkable man was
• 18:26
  Speaker 1: born at Havrun Seyri in north western Iceland June seventeen,
• 18:31
  Speaker 1: eighteen eleven. After entering the University of Copenhagen, he continued
• 18:35
  Speaker 1: to reside in that city In his extensive colony activity,
• 18:38
  Speaker 1: he devoted himself especially to philology, archaeology and history, fields
• 18:43
  Speaker 1: in which he showed great talent and performed a work
• 18:46
  Speaker 1: which attracted wide attention. For the Royal Northern Tech Society,
• 18:50
  Speaker 1: he published two volumes of the iceland Gas Soogur, including
• 18:54
  Speaker 1: the iceland Book landa Monk Book and six other Sagas
• 19:00
  Speaker 1: published the Younger Eda and wrote a catalog of the
• 19:03
  Speaker 1: Icelandic manuscripts in Copenhagen, Stockholm and Duppsala in Annaler for
• 19:09
  Speaker 1: nordisk Old kin Dye he published for Sagas, he published
• 19:14
  Speaker 1: the first volume of the Diplomaarium Icelandicum, and assisted in
• 19:19
  Speaker 1: the publication of scriptors Raverham Dannikarum and Rejesta Diplomatica history
• 19:25
  Speaker 1: e Dannie. His articles on themes dealing with history and
• 19:29
  Speaker 1: philology were very numerous, and he was an active member
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  Speaker 1: of many learned societies. In eighteen forty eight he became
• 19:35
  Speaker 1: Secretary of the arna Manian Commission, a position which he
• 19:40
  Speaker 1: retained till his death. But although he distinguished himself as
• 19:44
  Speaker 1: a scholar, he was in the field of practical activity
• 19:47
  Speaker 1: and constructive statesmanship that he was to render his people
• 19:50
  Speaker 1: the greatest service and to win his most lasting renown.
• 19:54
  Speaker 1: He became the peerless leader of his people in their
• 19:56
  Speaker 1: struggle for national liberty and representative government in all fields
• 20:00
  Speaker 1: of activity. His stimulating influence was so strongly felt that
• 20:04
  Speaker 1: the progress made by the Icelanders in the nineteenth centuries
• 20:07
  Speaker 1: largely traceable to his guidance and initiative. The Danish writer
• 20:11
  Speaker 1: Mister Glund describes him as follows. Jan Sigerson was a
• 20:16
  Speaker 1: harmonious personality, a healthy soul in a healthy body. He
• 20:20
  Speaker 1: was tall and powerful, and only in his later years
• 20:22
  Speaker 1: was he weakened by sickness. His hair turned white early,
• 20:25
  Speaker 1: but his brown eyes were keen and brilliant. His facial
• 20:28
  Speaker 1: expression was kind but firm. His appearance dignified and attracted.
• 20:32
  Speaker 1: His home in Copenhagen was the meeting place for all
• 20:35
  Speaker 1: his countrymen in the city, who were attracted by his hospitality.
• 20:39
  Speaker 1: Though his pecuniary circumstances might often be difficult, Jan Sigerson
• 20:46
  Speaker 1: was a man of deep insight and trustworthy judgment, who,
• 20:49
  Speaker 1: with singular tenacity of purpose, devoted his life and talents
• 20:53
  Speaker 1: to the great cause of champion ning the rights of Iceland.
• 20:56
  Speaker 1: Together with a few frends. He began in eighteen forty
• 20:59
  Speaker 1: one the public dedication of the periodical Ni Valascrit of
• 21:03
  Speaker 1: which he became editor and which continued to appear till
• 21:06
  Speaker 1: eighteen seventy three. In this organ all vital questions of
• 21:09
  Speaker 1: the day were discussed, problems of education, finance, trade and politics.
• 21:14
  Speaker 1: Of its thirty volumes, Jan Sigurdson himself has written about
• 21:18
  Speaker 1: two thirds In two articles printed in the first volume
• 21:21
  Speaker 1: of this periodical, he clearly outlines the issues which gradually
• 21:25
  Speaker 1: became the national program of the Icelanders, demanding an independent
• 21:29
  Speaker 1: national legislature free from all control of the Danish Assemblies,
• 21:33
  Speaker 1: greater independence for Icelandic officials, the abolition of the right
• 21:37
  Speaker 1: of the Supreme Court of Denmark to render decisions in
• 21:39
  Speaker 1: purely Icelandic cases, and finding the greatest possible participation of
• 21:44
  Speaker 1: the people in all political activities. He did not share
• 21:47
  Speaker 1: the romantic ideas of Tomas Siemundson and the others who
• 21:51
  Speaker 1: wished to re establish the old Allthing at Thing Beller.
• 21:54
  Speaker 1: This form of representation he considered antiquated and unpractical. He
• 21:59
  Speaker 1: wished the new Assembly to be a legislative body of
• 22:01
  Speaker 1: popularly chosen representatives, like the national legislatures of other lands,
• 22:06
  Speaker 1: as its place of assembly. He favored Rikievik, the capital
• 22:10
  Speaker 1: of the country and the growing center of its new
• 22:12
  Speaker 1: national life. The Icelanders were strongly opposed to the plan
• 22:17
  Speaker 1: proposed by the Danish government on the basis of the
• 22:19
  Speaker 1: report of the Royal Commission. Petitions were sent to the
• 22:22
  Speaker 1: King and the Crown Prince, one signed by sixty three
• 22:25
  Speaker 1: farmers in Eastern Iceland and others signed by the two
• 22:28
  Speaker 1: Icelandic representatives in the Danish Assembly and all the Icelanders
• 22:32
  Speaker 1: in Copenhagen, asking for changes in the organization of the
• 22:36
  Speaker 1: proposed Icelandictic Assembly, but the government paid no attention to
• 22:39
  Speaker 1: these requests. On March eight, eighteen forty three, the New
• 22:42
  Speaker 1: All Things was created in accordance with the recommendation submitted
• 22:46
  Speaker 1: by the Royal Commission. It was to consist of twenty
• 22:49
  Speaker 1: six representatives, twenty of whom were to be elected by
• 22:52
  Speaker 1: the people and six to be appointed by the King.
• 22:55
  Speaker 1: It should be an advisory body equal in rank to
• 22:58
  Speaker 1: the assemblies of the states in Denmark and slushvig Olstein.
• 23:03
  Speaker 1: Its meeting place was to be Reykievik, where it assembled
• 23:06
  Speaker 1: for the first time in eighteen forty five. The new Allthing,
• 23:09
  Speaker 1: the faulty in many respects, represented a most important victory
• 23:13
  Speaker 1: for Icelandic national aspirations. Since the introduction of absolutism in
• 23:19
  Speaker 1: Denmark in sixteen sixty, Iceland had been regarded as an
• 23:23
  Speaker 1: integral part of the Danish Kingdom, governed by royal Danish
• 23:26
  Speaker 1: officials and often according to Danish laws, though it had
• 23:29
  Speaker 1: retained its old code d Yan's Book, which was still
• 23:33
  Speaker 1: in force. Through the establishing of a new Assembly, the
• 23:36
  Speaker 1: rights of the Icelanders as a distinct people were recognized.
• 23:40
  Speaker 1: In Iceland was given rank with the duchies of Slushwig Holstein.
• 23:44
  Speaker 1: Yikievic became a center of Icelandic political life. A national
• 23:47
  Speaker 1: representation had been created through which the will of the
• 23:50
  Speaker 1: people could express itself, and the patriotic sentiment was greatly strengthened.
• 23:55
  Speaker 1: That the representative government established in eighteen forty three failed
• 23:58
  Speaker 1: to satisfy the popular demains became apparent even during the
• 24:01
  Speaker 1: first session of the All Thing. The rather stormy and
• 24:04
  Speaker 1: excited debates made it clear that the new Assembly was
• 24:07
  Speaker 1: regarded only as an initial step in the direction of
• 24:11
  Speaker 1: representative self government from all parts of Iceland. Petitions were
• 24:15
  Speaker 1: submitted asking for various changes in the new system of representation,
• 24:19
  Speaker 1: but the Royal Commissioner read a letter from the King
• 24:22
  Speaker 1: stating that no further concessions would be made. With mixed
• 24:25
  Speaker 1: feelings of gladness and disappointment, the first session closed without
• 24:29
  Speaker 1: definite action on the pending problems. When the All Thing
• 24:33
  Speaker 1: again assembled in eighteen forty seven, the debate on the
• 24:36
  Speaker 1: proposed changes was renewed. The chief points at issue were
• 24:39
  Speaker 1: increase of the number of representatives to the All Things,
• 24:42
  Speaker 1: extension of the suffrage, public sessions of the All Thing,
• 24:46
  Speaker 1: publication of its deliberations, and the exclusive use of the
• 24:49
  Speaker 1: Icelandic language in its sessions. Other questions like that of
• 24:53
  Speaker 1: diet and traveling expenses of the representatives were also discussed
• 24:57
  Speaker 1: for pecuniary reasons. The demand for an increase in the
• 25:00
  Speaker 1: number of representatives was finally dropped, but the removal of
• 25:04
  Speaker 1: the restrictions on suffrage, the introduction of direct voting in
• 25:08
  Speaker 1: such a way that each five voters should choose one elector,
• 25:11
  Speaker 1: the publication of the proceedings of the All Things, and
• 25:14
  Speaker 1: the exclusive use of the Icelandic language, and its sessions
• 25:17
  Speaker 1: were reforms insisted upon. It was resolved to address that
• 25:21
  Speaker 1: petition to the King asking for revision of the fundamental
• 25:25
  Speaker 1: law on these points. While the All Thing was taking
• 25:28
  Speaker 1: these initial steps in its work, the political situation was
• 25:32
  Speaker 1: suddenly changed through the death of King Christian January twenty,
• 25:36
  Speaker 1: eighteen forty eight. The growing national sentiment in the German
• 25:39
  Speaker 1: duchies of Slushbig Holstein was developing into a strong desire
• 25:43
  Speaker 1: for autonomy, resulting in a bitter antagonism between these duchies
• 25:47
  Speaker 1: and the Kingdom of Denmark, where a strong political party
• 25:50
  Speaker 1: demanded unity of the realm, with the Eider River as
• 25:53
  Speaker 1: the southern border, a name which, if accomplished, would result
• 25:56
  Speaker 1: in the absorption of Slushbig in the Danish Kingdom. The
• 26:00
  Speaker 1: liberal political ideas had now grown so strong that the
• 26:03
  Speaker 1: new King, Frederick the Seventh, shortly after his accession to
• 26:06
  Speaker 1: the throne, issued a rescript January twenty eighth, eighteen forty
• 26:10
  Speaker 1: promising to grant his kingdom a constitution and the hope
• 26:13
  Speaker 1: that this would conciliate the dissatisfied elements throughout the realm.
• 26:17
  Speaker 1: The old absolute regime would give place to a limited monarchy,
• 26:21
  Speaker 1: a General Legislative Assembly for Denmark and the Duchies of
• 26:24
  Speaker 1: Slushwig Holstein would be created, but the assurance was given
• 26:28
  Speaker 1: that no change would be made in the existing provincial assemblies,
• 26:32
  Speaker 1: the union of Sluswig Holstein, or the relation of the
• 26:35
  Speaker 1: two Duchies of Holstein and Laurenburg to the German Confederation.
• 26:40
  Speaker 1: Iceland was to retain its all things as before, but
• 26:43
  Speaker 1: how the proposed change would affect the status of their
• 26:45
  Speaker 1: country naturally filled the minds of the Icelanders with nervous apprehension.
• 26:51
  Speaker 1: In dealing with the demands of the Icelanders for an
• 26:53
  Speaker 1: autonomous home government, two aspects of the question had to
• 26:57
  Speaker 1: be considered. The isolated location and natural condition of the
• 27:00
  Speaker 1: country made it advisable, as Baldwin Inerson had pointed out,
• 27:04
  Speaker 1: to establish a separate Icelandic Assembly. The law of eighteen
• 27:08
  Speaker 1: forty three had been framed chiefly on the basis of
• 27:11
  Speaker 1: this policy of expediency. Little attention had been paid to
• 27:15
  Speaker 1: the question whether Iceland had any right to local self
• 27:18
  Speaker 1: government as a distinct people united with Denmark under a
• 27:21
  Speaker 1: common crown. As the custom had grown up of considering
• 27:25
  Speaker 1: Iceland an integral part of the Danish Kingdom. But this
• 27:29
  Speaker 1: question had already been raised by Jan Sigurdson, and with
• 27:32
  Speaker 1: the awakening national sentiment not only in Iceland but throughout
• 27:36
  Speaker 1: all Europe, it was clear that no satisfactory settlement of
• 27:39
  Speaker 1: the question touching Iceland could be made until the relation
• 27:43
  Speaker 1: and mutual rights of the two countries to be more
• 27:45
  Speaker 1: clearly defined. Shortly after the appearance of the Royal Rescript
• 27:49
  Speaker 1: of eighteen forty eight, Sigurdson published in the Naiphila crust
• 27:54
  Speaker 1: an article entitled hug the Yah till Icelanding, in which
• 27:59
  Speaker 1: he set forth the views of his people regarding their
• 28:02
  Speaker 1: national rights and the relation of Iceland to the Danish realm.
• 28:06
  Speaker 1: He showed that in the study of the history of
• 28:08
  Speaker 1: governments in Iceland, three chief features must especially be noted.
• 28:12
  Speaker 1: In twelve sixty two, Iceland was united with Norway under
• 28:15
  Speaker 1: the agreement known as the Gamli sat Mali, which defined
• 28:19
  Speaker 1: the rights and position of the Icelanders. In sixteen sixty two,
• 28:23
  Speaker 1: they were persuaded to surrender many of their rights into
• 28:26
  Speaker 1: the hands of the king by swearing allegiance to King
• 28:29
  Speaker 1: Frederick the Third at Kappa Bogh as hereditary monarch. But
• 28:33
  Speaker 1: now that the king through his own declaration, had renounced
• 28:37
  Speaker 1: his absolute power and had taken steps to establish constitutional government.
• 28:41
  Speaker 1: The rights which the Icelanders had surrendered to the King
• 28:44
  Speaker 1: reverted to them. Their relation to the realm was now
• 28:47
  Speaker 1: the same as under the Gamley sat Mali, the only
• 28:51
  Speaker 1: existing union agreement. According to this governant, neither the Danes
• 28:55
  Speaker 1: nor any other people had any rightful power over Iceland
• 28:59
  Speaker 1: or any show of right to control Icelandic affairs. The
• 29:02
  Speaker 1: Icelanders would deal with the King alone regarding the constitutional
• 29:06
  Speaker 1: provisions in all questions touching Iceland, for to him alone
• 29:09
  Speaker 1: they pledged their allegiance of their own free will in
• 29:13
  Speaker 1: twelve sixty two. The Icelanders, he continues, are a distinct
• 29:16
  Speaker 1: people with their own language and national life, which makes
• 29:19
  Speaker 1: it necessary for them to have their own government. The
• 29:22
  Speaker 1: chief demands raised by Sigurdson on the basis of this
• 29:25
  Speaker 1: interpretation of Iceland's position were that the Icelandic All Thing
• 29:30
  Speaker 1: should have the same power in dealing with Icelandic affairs
• 29:33
  Speaker 1: that the Danish rigs Dog had in dealing with Danish affairs.
• 29:37
  Speaker 1: That a viceroy or governor should be appointed for Iceland
• 29:41
  Speaker 1: responsible to the All Thing, that a Minister for Icelandic
• 29:45
  Speaker 1: Affairs should have a seat in the King's cabinet, and
• 29:47
  Speaker 1: that the Icelandic finances should be separated from those of Denmark.
• 29:52
  Speaker 1: Jon Sigurdson had stripped the issue regarding the Iceland of
• 29:56
  Speaker 1: all romantic theory, and had given its so definite and
• 29:58
  Speaker 1: practical a form that his comparatriots adopted his views as
• 30:02
  Speaker 1: their program in the struggle for national freedom. Before the
• 30:05
  Speaker 1: plans suggested in the Royal Rescript of January twenty eighth,
• 30:09
  Speaker 1: eighteen forty eight could be carried out, the French Revolution
• 30:12
  Speaker 1: of February eighteen forty eight further aggravated the political situation
• 30:15
  Speaker 1: in Denmark. The news of the revolution created the greatest
• 30:19
  Speaker 1: unrest throughout Europe. At kiel In, Hostein, and Flinsburg and Schleswig,
• 30:24
  Speaker 1: intense excitement prevailed. The Danish statesmen had adhered with short
• 30:28
  Speaker 1: sighted tenacity to the policy of a united Danish Kingdom
• 30:31
  Speaker 1: with the Ider River as the southern border, a policy
• 30:34
  Speaker 1: which was adopted also by the Danish Liberal leaders. In
• 30:38
  Speaker 1: opposition to their effort to unite the whole of Schleswig
• 30:41
  Speaker 1: with Denmark, a strong party was organized in the Duchies
• 30:44
  Speaker 1: to maintain the union of Schleswig and Holstein. The German
• 30:48
  Speaker 1: population in the Duchies, in their struggle for autonomy, looked
• 30:52
  Speaker 1: for assistance to Prussia and the German Confederation, while the
• 30:55
  Speaker 1: Danes turned for sympathy and support to the Scandinavian kingdoms Norway, Sweden,
• 31:00
  Speaker 1: and succeeded in developing a strong pan Scandinavian and anti
• 31:04
  Speaker 1: German sentiment throughout the North. The uncompromising attitude of the
• 31:08
  Speaker 1: two parties increased the growing tension, rendering a peaceful settlement
• 31:12
  Speaker 1: of the controversy impossible. When news was received of the
• 31:15
  Speaker 1: February Revolution in Paris, a meeting of representatives of the
• 31:19
  Speaker 1: two duchies in Flensburgh decided to send a deputation to
• 31:23
  Speaker 1: Copenhagen to demand a separate constitution for Slushbig Holstein and
• 31:27
  Speaker 1: the incorporation of Slashbig in the German Confederation. The Danish leaders,
• 31:32
  Speaker 1: learning of this move, met in the casino in Copenhagen
• 31:35
  Speaker 1: and drafted vehement resolutions demanding a constitution for Denmark, including
• 31:40
  Speaker 1: Schlesbigh as an integral part of the Danish Kingdom. To
• 31:43
  Speaker 1: this pressure, the king yielded in a conference with the
• 31:46
  Speaker 1: delegates from the Duchies. He stated that he would grant
• 31:49
  Speaker 1: Hosteim a constitution and permitted to remain united with the
• 31:53
  Speaker 1: German Confederation, but with regard to Schlesbigh, he would strengthen
• 31:57
  Speaker 1: its indissoluble union with Denmark. This proposal was rejected and
• 32:01
  Speaker 1: war was precipitated between Denmark and Schleushbig Holstein. During this conflict,
• 32:07
  Speaker 1: the King and his advisors were able to carry out
• 32:09
  Speaker 1: their constitutional program according to their own views. On April four,
• 32:13
  Speaker 1: eighteen forty eight, the King revoked the rescript of January
• 32:17
  Speaker 1: twenty eighth and summoned the assemblies of Jutland, Slushbig, Seaaland
• 32:21
  Speaker 1: and the Islands to consider the calling of a constitutional convention.
• 32:25
  Speaker 1: The icelandic all Thing, although coordinate with these assemblies, was
• 32:28
  Speaker 1: not summoned or consulted. According to the plans submitted by
• 32:32
  Speaker 1: the government, the convention should consist of one hundred and
• 32:35
  Speaker 1: forty five delegates from Denmark and Slushbig elected by the
• 32:38
  Speaker 1: people in forty eight, to be appointed by the King.
• 32:41
  Speaker 1: Among the letter should be five delegates from Iceland and
• 32:45
  Speaker 1: one from the Pharaoh Islands. The arbitrary and unjust character
• 32:49
  Speaker 1: of this proposal is at once evident the all Thing
• 32:52
  Speaker 1: was ignored and Iceland should have known popularly chosen representatives,
• 32:56
  Speaker 1: only five delegates appointed by the King. When this news
• 33:00
  Speaker 1: reached Iceland, an assembly of notables was convenied at Rikievik,
• 33:03
  Speaker 1: which demanded that four of the five delegates should be
• 33:06
  Speaker 1: popularly chosen. A petition to this effect was sent to
• 33:09
  Speaker 1: the King, but this rather lame step did not satisfy
• 33:12
  Speaker 1: public opinion in Iceland. The people of Arnisisla and of
• 33:18
  Speaker 1: Boorgarfjardar Sisla sent petitions to the King demanding a popularly
• 33:24
  Speaker 1: elected legislative assembly for Iceland. On August the fifth, nineteen
• 33:28
  Speaker 1: of the foremost men from the various districts of Iceland
• 33:31
  Speaker 1: met that Thing Beler to consider what measures should be
• 33:34
  Speaker 1: taken to safeguard Icelandic interests. A petition was drawn up
• 33:38
  Speaker 1: and signed in which they took cognizance of the King's
• 33:41
  Speaker 1: promise to grant the constitution, but they held that the
• 33:44
  Speaker 1: plan of establishing constitutional government could be realized for Iceland
• 33:48
  Speaker 1: only by making the Old Thing a truly national assembly
• 33:51
  Speaker 1: of popularly chosen representatives. They pointed out that the proposed
• 33:55
  Speaker 1: Icelandic representation in the constitutional Convention to be assembled would
• 33:59
  Speaker 1: be wholly inadequate to safeguard Icelandic interests. Finally, they demanded
• 34:04
  Speaker 1: that the measures passed by this Convention, so far as
• 34:07
  Speaker 1: they had reference to Iceland, should be submitted for ratification
• 34:11
  Speaker 1: to an Icelandic Assembly as popularly chosen as that of Denmark,
• 34:16
  Speaker 1: and that representative national assembly should be established for Iceland
• 34:20
  Speaker 1: with the same powers as that of the Danish Assembly
• 34:22
  Speaker 1: which was to be created. The petition drawn up at
• 34:25
  Speaker 1: King Vellar was repeated in nearly all districts of the country.
• 34:29
  Speaker 1: In all, eighteen like worded petitions bearing one nine hundred
• 34:33
  Speaker 1: and forty signatures were sent to the King by the
• 34:35
  Speaker 1: Stig Tom Mather Mettius, Dons rosen Nord, who added in
• 34:41
  Speaker 1: a communication to the government his own views on the
• 34:44
  Speaker 1: situation in Iceland. He stated that although the news from
• 34:47
  Speaker 1: Denmark had caused great excitement in Iceland, the people were
• 34:51
  Speaker 1: very loyal to the King, but being imbued with a
• 34:53
  Speaker 1: strong national patriotism, they wished to share in the benefits
• 34:57
  Speaker 1: to be derived from a change in the form of government.
• 35:00
  Speaker 1: Would not be satisfied if this change was made without
• 35:02
  Speaker 1: the cooperation of the all thing they would not object
• 35:06
  Speaker 1: to being represented in a general legislative assembly dealing with
• 35:10
  Speaker 1: the affairs of the whole realm, if matters involving Icelandic
• 35:13
  Speaker 1: interests would be referred to the all thing, and if
• 35:16
  Speaker 1: the interests of Iceland would be properly respected and safeguarded
• 35:20
  Speaker 1: in the reorganization of the government. The petitions, together with
• 35:24
  Speaker 1: this communication from the stip Tom Mather, made such an
• 35:27
  Speaker 1: impression on the King and government that a very courteous
• 35:30
  Speaker 1: reply was returned September twenty three, eighteen forty eight, stating
• 35:34
  Speaker 1: that although the King, under the existing circumstances, had found
• 35:38
  Speaker 1: it necessary to grant Iceland a representation in the Constitutional
• 35:42
  Speaker 1: Convention different from that of the Danish provinces, it was
• 35:45
  Speaker 1: not his intention that constitutional provisions touching Iceland should be
• 35:50
  Speaker 1: finally adopted before an Icelandic assembly had been given an
• 35:53
  Speaker 1: opportunity to consider them. The members of the Danish Constitutional
• 35:58
  Speaker 1: Convention were chosen in October twelve, and it caused general
• 36:02
  Speaker 1: satisfaction in Iceland that among the five Icelandic delegates appointed
• 36:06
  Speaker 1: where the two political leaders Jan Sigurdson and Young Gourd Mundson,
• 36:11
  Speaker 1: the leading advocates of Icelandic autonomy. At the opening of
• 36:15
  Speaker 1: the Convention October twenty three, eighteen forty eight, the chairman A. W.
• 36:19
  Speaker 1: Molt Key stated that measures regarding Iceland would not be
• 36:23
  Speaker 1: definitely resolved upon before an Icelandic Assembly could be consulted.
• 36:29
  Speaker 1: The outline of a constitution, together with the draft of
• 36:32
  Speaker 1: an election law, were submitted to the Convention. In the constitution,
• 36:37
  Speaker 1: Iceland was not mentioned, but in the election law it
• 36:39
  Speaker 1: was provided that Iceland should have seven representatives in the
• 36:43
  Speaker 1: Danish Legislative Assembly, the higgs Lag Denmark one hundred and
• 36:48
  Speaker 1: fifty three, lesh Big forty two and the Faroe Islands too.
• 36:52
  Speaker 1: It is evident that such an Icelandic representation could exercise
• 36:55
  Speaker 1: so little influence in a large legislative assembly that the
• 36:59
  Speaker 1: position of Iceland would be that of a province or
• 37:02
  Speaker 1: district in the Danish Kingdom. Through the efforts of the
• 37:05
  Speaker 1: Icelandic delegates, the paragraph proposing this representation was stricken from
• 37:09
  Speaker 1: the document, with the understanding that this matter was to
• 37:12
  Speaker 1: be adjusted later. The same was done also with a
• 37:16
  Speaker 1: similar paragraph regarding the representation from Schleshbigh and the Pharaoh Islands.
• 37:21
  Speaker 1: With these and a few other minor changes The drafted
• 37:24
  Speaker 1: constitution was adopted and received royal sanctioned June five, eighteen
• 37:29
  Speaker 1: forty nine. As adopted, it affected only Denmark, not Iceland,
• 37:33
  Speaker 1: Schleswig or the Pharaoh Islands. The election Law, which was
• 37:37
  Speaker 1: also passed, was sanctioned by the King the sixteenth of
• 37:40
  Speaker 1: the same month. In Iceland, the sentiments and opinions touching
• 37:43
  Speaker 1: the new constitution were expressed in numerous articles in the
• 37:47
  Speaker 1: leading Icelandic periodicals. Judge Thorder Yonison, representing the most conservative view,
• 37:54
  Speaker 1: urged the importance of preserving the union with Denmark and
• 37:57
  Speaker 1: the need of an Icelandic representation in the Danish riggs
• 38:01
  Speaker 1: Dog together with an Icelandic national Assembly organized according to
• 38:05
  Speaker 1: an agreement to be made with the Icelanders themselves. In
• 38:10
  Speaker 1: the new liberal newspaper the yoru Ul for the priest
• 38:15
  Speaker 1: Speine Jorn Halgrimson, his editor, wrote a series of articles
• 38:19
  Speaker 1: in which he made more radical demands by advocating a
• 38:22
  Speaker 1: national constitution and government for Iceland. In the knee Villa Spirt,
• 38:28
  Speaker 1: it was also urged that an Icelandic representation in the
• 38:31
  Speaker 1: Danish Riggsdag would be useless, that Iceland should have its
• 38:34
  Speaker 1: own constitution defining its relation to the rest of the realm,
• 38:38
  Speaker 1: and that the government officials should reside in the country
• 38:41
  Speaker 1: and should be responsible to the all things, which should
• 38:43
  Speaker 1: be a properly constituted legislative assembly. Similar opinions were advanced
• 38:48
  Speaker 1: also by other writers, who argued that the relation between
• 38:51
  Speaker 1: Iceland and Denmark was that of a confederation of the
• 38:54
  Speaker 1: two countries under a common king, that the all thing
• 38:57
  Speaker 1: must be an assembly every way coordinate with the Sanish rigsdog,
• 39:01
  Speaker 1: that an Icelandic executive government responsible to the all things
• 39:04
  Speaker 1: should be created, which should act together with the King
• 39:07
  Speaker 1: through a minister residing in Copenhagen, and that the all
• 39:10
  Speaker 1: things should be reorganized on the basis of political equality
• 39:14
  Speaker 1: for all and the most extensive suffrage. Public meetings were
• 39:17
  Speaker 1: held in all districts throughout Iceland to discuss these important questions.
• 39:22
  Speaker 1: Most notable was an assembly of one hundred and eighty
• 39:24
  Speaker 1: men representing nearly all the election districts of the country,
• 39:28
  Speaker 1: convened at Thingvella June twenty eight to twenty nine under
• 39:32
  Speaker 1: the presidency of Peterson, Church Historian and Lady Bishop of Iceland.
• 39:37
  Speaker 1: Petitions from local meetings were read and a memorial was
• 39:40
  Speaker 1: drawn up to be presented to the All Things. A
• 39:43
  Speaker 1: new election law was outlined, according to which the restrictions
• 39:46
  Speaker 1: on suffrage should be reduced to the least possible, and
• 39:49
  Speaker 1: the National Assembly should consist of forty eight representatives, forty
• 39:53
  Speaker 1: two of whom should be chosen by the people in
• 39:55
  Speaker 1: direct elections in conformity with the Prince announced by the
• 40:00
  Speaker 1: King September twenty three, eighteen forty eight, and sanctioned by
• 40:04
  Speaker 1: the Danish Constitutional Convention that provisions touching Iceland could not
• 40:08
  Speaker 1: be adopted before an Icelandic Assembly had had the opportunity
• 40:12
  Speaker 1: to consider them. The Icelanders now took steps to deal
• 40:15
  Speaker 1: with their own problems in connection with the new constitution.
• 40:19
  Speaker 1: Since the All Things, a purely advisory assembly, did not
• 40:22
  Speaker 1: possess the power to deal with questions of this kind,
• 40:25
  Speaker 1: a constitutional convention would have to be called in Iceland,
• 40:28
  Speaker 1: as had already been done in Denmark maybefore delegates could
• 40:32
  Speaker 1: be chosen. The new election law framed by the Danish
• 40:36
  Speaker 1: Constitutional Convention would have to be submitted to the All
• 40:39
  Speaker 1: Thing for ratification. On July eighteen forty nine, the All
• 40:43
  Speaker 1: Thing assembled, but the Royal Commissioner had not yet arrived
• 40:45
  Speaker 1: from Copenhagen. The Assembly was therefore called to order by
• 40:49
  Speaker 1: the strip Mather Rosenorn. John Sigurdson was chosen President of
• 40:54
  Speaker 1: the Assembly, but as he had not yet arrived from Copenhagen,
• 40:57
  Speaker 1: the vice President, Reverend Hannas Evenson, presided over its session
• 41:02
  Speaker 1: till his arrival. The question of the new election law
• 41:05
  Speaker 1: was brought up, but since the draft prepared by the
• 41:08
  Speaker 1: Constitution Convention had not yet come from Denmark, the one
• 41:11
  Speaker 1: proposed by the meeting at thing Vella was submitted to
• 41:14
  Speaker 1: the Assembly and referred to a committee headed by Joan Goodmunson.
• 41:19
  Speaker 1: After some days, young Sigurdson arrived in Iceland, accompanied by
• 41:23
  Speaker 1: the Royal Commissioner Paul Melstad, who brought the new election law.
• 41:27
  Speaker 1: This differed from the thing Veler plan on many important points.
• 41:31
  Speaker 1: Instead of an increased number of representatives to the National Assembly,
• 41:35
  Speaker 1: direct elections and only slight restrictions on suffrage and eligibility
• 41:38
  Speaker 1: to office proposed by the latter, this law provided for
• 41:42
  Speaker 1: a small number of representatives, indirect elections and unequal representation
• 41:46
  Speaker 1: of the election districts. It was therefore rejected by the
• 41:49
  Speaker 1: all things, the thing Villa draft was adopted with but
• 41:52
  Speaker 1: few modifications, and sent to the King together with the petition,
• 41:56
  Speaker 1: asking that he would give it his sanction and return
• 41:59
  Speaker 1: it at the earliest possible date, in order that representatives
• 42:02
  Speaker 1: might be chosen to the convention. Some fear was entertained
• 42:05
  Speaker 1: that the King might object to the law, but it
• 42:07
  Speaker 1: was sanctioned September twenty eight, eighteen forty nine, and returned
• 42:11
  Speaker 1: as a request in May eighteen fifty. The election of
• 42:14
  Speaker 1: representatives took place, and everything was ready for the meeting
• 42:17
  Speaker 1: of the Convention July fifteenth of that year. In the meantime,
• 42:21
  Speaker 1: the new Reaction, which was spreading through Europe, was beginning
• 42:24
  Speaker 1: to exert its influence also in Denmark. The wave of
• 42:27
  Speaker 1: liberal sentiment following the Revolution of eighteen forty had spent
• 42:30
  Speaker 1: its force. In France, the populace had begun to greet
• 42:34
  Speaker 1: pent Napoleon with the shout of long Live the Emperor,
• 42:37
  Speaker 1: soon to be followed by a coup d'etas and the
• 42:39
  Speaker 1: restoration of the Empire. In Italy, the liberal national movement
• 42:43
  Speaker 1: was crushed in the Battle of Novara March twenty three,
• 42:47
  Speaker 1: eighteen forty nine. The Hungarian Republic was overthrown in July
• 42:50
  Speaker 1: of the same year. In Austria, the liberal movement was
• 42:53
  Speaker 1: completely suppressed, and in Germany the vacillating King Frederick William
• 42:57
  Speaker 1: four had thrown himself into the arms of the reaction.
• 43:00
  Speaker 1: The Prussian diet was dispersed by troops and finally formally
• 43:03
  Speaker 1: dissolved December eighteen forty eight. The war between Denmark and
• 43:07
  Speaker 1: schlesbig Holstein was renewed after the expiration of an armistice
• 43:11
  Speaker 1: signed and mal Mah August twenty sixth, eighteen forty eight.
• 43:15
  Speaker 1: But Prussia, which had hitherto supported the Duchies, now took
• 43:18
  Speaker 1: the same attitude as Russia, and the two powers gave
• 43:21
  Speaker 1: the King of Denmark free hands to suppress the uprising
• 43:24
  Speaker 1: of schleshbig hostein which was no longer regarded as a
• 43:27
  Speaker 1: struggle for national self determination but as rebellion against a
• 43:31
  Speaker 1: legitimate sovereign at Instead, the Danes won decisive victory July
• 43:35
  Speaker 1: twenty five, eighteen fifty. Pressed by the Great Powers, and
• 43:39
  Speaker 1: seeing the uselessness of continuing to struggle, the schleshbig hostein
• 43:43
  Speaker 1: nurs dissolved their assembly and disbanded their army. Under these circumstances,
• 43:47
  Speaker 1: the attention of the King and the political leaders in
• 43:50
  Speaker 1: Denmark was directed chiefly to the strengthening of the unity
• 43:54
  Speaker 1: and solidarity of the Realm. The final determination of the
• 43:57
  Speaker 1: relation between its various parts was to be carried out
• 44:00
  Speaker 1: with a view of uniting all into a firmly consolidated kingdom.
• 44:04
  Speaker 1: While Iceland was preparing for the meeting of the Convention,
• 44:07
  Speaker 1: which according to royal rescript, was to assemble July fifteen,
• 44:11
  Speaker 1: eighteen fifty orders were received from Copenhagen, postponing the session
• 44:14
  Speaker 1: till July fourth of the following year. The reason for
• 44:17
  Speaker 1: this strange act was said to be that the provisions
• 44:20
  Speaker 1: regarding the future relation of Iceland to the Realm which
• 44:22
  Speaker 1: were to be submitted had not yet been formulated, and
• 44:25
  Speaker 1: that it would not be expedient to make final arrangements
• 44:28
  Speaker 1: with regard to Iceland while the question concerning other parts
• 44:31
  Speaker 1: of the Realm was still pending. It is quite evident
• 44:34
  Speaker 1: that the situation in Iceland was nearly the same as
• 44:37
  Speaker 1: in Slushbig. In both countries there was a strongly expressed
• 44:41
  Speaker 1: desire for full autonomy and complete self government in local affairs.
• 44:45
  Speaker 1: While the King and government wished to incorporate both Slushbig
• 44:48
  Speaker 1: and Iceland in the Danish Kingdom under a common constitution.
• 44:52
  Speaker 1: It was undoubtedly feared that any concession to Iceland at
• 44:55
  Speaker 1: this moment would be cited as a precedent and would
• 44:58
  Speaker 1: tend to encourage the national aspirations in Slushbury host time.
• 45:02
  Speaker 1: The disappointment and apprehension created by this unexpected action of
• 45:06
  Speaker 1: the government only increased the people's interest in the constitutional question.
• 45:11
  Speaker 1: The periodicals continued to publish articles dealing with all phases
• 45:15
  Speaker 1: of the relation to Denmark and the features of the
• 45:17
  Speaker 1: new constitution. The the EO the Over, which maintained that
• 45:23
  Speaker 1: the only bond of union with Denmark was a common king,
• 45:27
  Speaker 1: advocated a liberal self government for Iceland, pattern on that
• 45:30
  Speaker 1: of Norway. Local meetings continued to be held throughout Iceland,
• 45:34
  Speaker 1: the more representative assemblies being convened at Thing Veller. On
• 45:38
  Speaker 1: August in eighteen fifty, two hundred representatives met at the
• 45:41
  Speaker 1: Old Things to consider the question regarding the constitution. Reports
• 45:46
  Speaker 1: and opinions of local meetings were heard, and a committee
• 45:49
  Speaker 1: was appointed, which, through its chairman beyond Goodmunson, presented a
• 45:53
  Speaker 1: report demanding complete autonomy for Iceland, together with a national
• 45:57
  Speaker 1: government consisting of a Yuro or God, with an Icelandic cabinet,
• 46:02
  Speaker 1: an Icelandic minister in Copenhagen, full lawmaking power for the
• 46:05
  Speaker 1: all thing, and a return to the old agreement between
• 46:08
  Speaker 1: Norway and Iceland as the basis of union. It was
• 46:12
  Speaker 1: further decided that local committees should be chosen in all
• 46:15
  Speaker 1: election districts, with a central committee stationed at Reykievik, which,
• 46:19
  Speaker 1: in conjunction with the local committee, should consider all features
• 46:22
  Speaker 1: of the pending questions. On August twenty three, the Central
• 46:25
  Speaker 1: Committee at Reykievic began the publication of a periodical, the
• 46:29
  Speaker 1: under Bunnig's Plot, in which the important features of the
• 46:34
  Speaker 1: proposed constitution were discussed. The government viewed this movement with
• 46:38
  Speaker 1: growing alarm. Among other steps taken to discourage it, the
• 46:42
  Speaker 1: stipptem Mouth count Tramp issued a regulation forbidding all unlawful meetings.
• 46:48
  Speaker 1: When the first impulsive order ebbed away, some of the
• 46:51
  Speaker 1: leaders hesitated, and the first bigorous demands were followed by
• 46:54
  Speaker 1: more calm deliberation. One of the members of the Central
• 46:57
  Speaker 1: Committee stated that to consider the various features of the
• 47:00
  Speaker 1: constitution before the government proposals had been submitted was useless.
• 47:04
  Speaker 1: And confusing. But on June twenty eight, eighteen fifty one,
• 47:08
  Speaker 1: a new meeting of one hundred and forty delegates was
• 47:10
  Speaker 1: assembled at King Bellar. The main features of an Icelandic
• 47:14
  Speaker 1: constitution were outlined. The old thing, according to this plan,
• 47:18
  Speaker 1: was to be a law making body with full legislative
• 47:20
  Speaker 1: power in conjunction with the King, with full power to
• 47:23
  Speaker 1: raise revenues, fixed public expenditures, levy taxes, and to deal
• 47:27
  Speaker 1: with all matters which would naturally come within the scope
• 47:30
  Speaker 1: of authority of such an assembly when popularly organized. An
• 47:34
  Speaker 1: executive branch of government consisting of officials responsible to the
• 47:38
  Speaker 1: people should be established within the country itself, and a
• 47:41
  Speaker 1: Minister for Icelandic affairs should be stationed in Copenhagen. The
• 47:45
  Speaker 1: demand of the year previous that a eurol should be
• 47:47
  Speaker 1: placed over Iceland was dropped after passing resolutions that this
• 47:51
  Speaker 1: draft should be placed before the Convention when it assembled.
• 47:54
  Speaker 1: The meeting adjourned after the termination of hostilities and Slushbury
• 47:59
  Speaker 1: holsts done. An assembly of notables was convened that Glennsburgh
• 48:03
  Speaker 1: May fourteen, eighteen fifty one, to consider plans for the
• 48:06
  Speaker 1: organization of the realm. According to the opinion of the
• 48:09
  Speaker 1: majority of the representatives. Hostein should have nothing in common
• 48:12
  Speaker 1: with the rest of the realm but the king foreign
• 48:15
  Speaker 1: affairs and the navy. But Schleswig should be so closely
• 48:18
  Speaker 1: united with Denmarques to have only a slight degree of
• 48:20
  Speaker 1: local autonomy. The plan of separating the two duchies was
• 48:24
  Speaker 1: opposed by the powers and could not be carried out.
• 48:26
  Speaker 1: But the desire of the Danish leaders to unite all
• 48:29
  Speaker 1: parts of the monarchy into a well consolidated whole had
• 48:32
  Speaker 1: been clearly expressed. That Iceland would be treated like the
• 48:36
  Speaker 1: rest of the realm would naturally be inferred, since no
• 48:39
  Speaker 1: provisions were suggested with regard to it. End of Chapter sixteen,
• 48:45
  Speaker 1: Part one,