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above-mentioned C. M. Falsen proposed were in the same spirit.
But the Storthing of 1824 put aside unanimously and without
debate all the constitution proposals, both royal and private. The king
repeated his proposal at the following assemblies. They were
discussed, for the last time, in 1839, the result being the same as before.
The Norwegians’ observance of the 17th May as Constitution
Day is also closely connected with the opposition that was raised
against the attempt to remould the existing constitution. This
day was first observed in Trondhjem, and after 1824 in Kristiania
too, and gradually the whole country followed their lead. At
first, as it was known that Carl Johan objected to its observance,
it was limited to private arrangements; but in 1827, it was
said that Count Sandels, the statholder of the country, had
succeeded in showing the king that his prejudice against the day was
groundless, and that the king had yielded to the wishes of the
people. The 17th May, 1827, was consequently celebrated in a
very marked manner. On the 4th November of the same year,
some young men hissed a Swedish company at the theatre, who
were performing some wretched stuff called «The Union» or «The
Festival of Peace». This foolish trick was put before the king in
such a bad light, that for a time he believed that a rebellion had
broken out. He thought that Sandels was not equal to his duties,
and had him replaced by Count Platen, a good and upright man,
but a one-sided and narrow-minded politician. Hitherto, however,
he had always shown himself to be a friend to the Norwegians.
In 1828, Carl Johan succeeded, by a royal command, in preventing
the Norwegians from celebrating Constitution Day. An extraordinary
Storthing was summoned principally to receive notification of this
matter; and in order to give the king’s representations due
emphasis, troops were encamped near Kristiania, and Swedish regiments
stood, ready to march, upon the border. But the year following,
great crowds gathered in the Kristiania market-place. Curiosity
and the extraordinary preparations that had been made by civil and
military functionaries, drew the people together, and they were
dispersed and driven to their homes with sword and musket («the
Market Battle»). From that time, the day was celebrated with rising
enthusiasm as a national festival, and Carl Johan had to put up
with it, although he did not change his opinion. Count Platen
died not long after the Market Battle, and the feeling aroused by
the events in connection with this, made it unadvisable to fill his
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