45th November.
Yesterpay the Union-flag of the Swedish Norwegian Consulate-Gen-coal was replaced by the Royal Danish Standand, the Acting Danish Consul, Mr. Hagberg, giving a reception for the Danish community in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of King Christian's accession. It may be truly said, that every one of the large gathering, whatever his political opinion, met in the feeling of deep respect and sympathy for the venerable king—the senior of all monarchs,—who for forty years has accomplished the difficult task ruling the little but historic kingdom of Denmark. Difficult, for small as the country is, it has, during his reign, gone through hardships and struggles, not only with its mighty neighbour south but also within its own boundaries. Rarely has there been a king less popular at the moment of is accession than Kin, Christian, The late King Frederick VII stood to all Denmark as the very incarnation of patriotism, as the "Folks" King—and the little ha'f-German Prince who for years had been his successor-elect, but stood without am connection with the leading Danish politicians, was received with suspicion. During the disastrous war with Germany it was the rule to make him the scapegoat for all the unfortunate circumstances which led to the loss of Schleswig-Holstein. With no justification whatever, because in the very first days of his reign he struggled his hardest to prevent the war.
Later on cate the domestic political trouble, the long struggle between the democratic and aristocratic parties; the country ruled in defiance of the constitution by provisional Inws, never passed by the Parlament. Loyal as the king was, he trusted in his advisers, until finally he saw that he was misled. And then he did the greatest deed in his life. Without a complaint, he sacrificed his old personal and political friendships for what he now considered the good of his country. He surrounded himself with advisers who in the heat of the struggle for what they thought right, had been none too lenient in their judgment of him personally. A man who, more than eighty years of age, for his country's uke sacrifices yeraonal sympathies certainly deserves the love of his subjects. And His Majesty fully obtained his desert; there is nota Dane at home or abroad, whose heart does not beat in admiration for the great Patriot, King Christian. In these sentiments of respect and admiration the whole foreign community of Shanghai heartily joins. the "sea-king" father of our own beloved Queen, the British people have always felt for King Christian a peculiar regard; the Empress Dowager of Russia is a no less devoted daughter of the Danish monarch; while King George who has so pluckily re-built the ancient kingdom of Greece is, of course, His Majesty's second son. There is scarcely a Royal Family in Europe which has not close ties with the royal house of Denmark, and there are no more august reunions in Europe than those which annually assemble in homely fashion at the Court of Copenhagen.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.