The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-16 00:00:00

THE SING 'OF DENMARK AND HIS

MINISTERS.

The struggle between the King of Denmark and his
people has reached an anxious crisis. The. King has
refused to recognise the constitutional veto of the repre-
sentatives of the people upon his appointment of bad
ministers ; and the representatives of the people have
resolved to, impeach the Ministers who have instigated
their Sovereign to such an unconstitutional resolve, and
have been his instruments in carrying it into effect. At
their last sitting, they voted by a majority of 80 to 6 the
appointment of a committee of. nine to draw up the
articles of impeachment. The Danes are naturally
loyal ; under many provocations they have up to the last
moment confined their attacks to Ministers ; not a whis-
per was heard against the King. His unwise conduct,
however, appears to be'producing a change in this respect.
Within the last week or two unpleasant ebullitions of
popular feeling, directed against the King personally,
have been witnessed. Nothing, however, of this has
Yet found its way into the Representative Assembly.
Every step taken there has been characterised by irre-
proachable legality and decorum.
It is well for the Danes that this contest has- been post-
poned until the mad ambition of the Czar brought France
and England into the field in arms. Their present dy-
nasty is regarded by the Czar as part of his own family ;
their country as an inheritance which must one day fall
to him or his successors. It is not probable that he
would have ventured upon an armed interference be-
tween them and their King, even had he not been other-
wise engaged. But had the season of negotiations and
protocols not been passed, he would assuredly have
set the whole of European diplomacy upon them, which
might have been still more detrimental. Again, the
Prussian Government has been taken with the crotchet
of making itself a maritime power, and might have
grasped at an opportunity of resnscitstmg discord be-
tween the Danish and German populations of Denmark.
As affairs now stand, the Danes have a prospect of being
left to settle their domestic controversies without foreign
interference.

The whole civilised world has an interest in the
preservation of the independence of Denmark. The
Danes wish to be governed by a Dane, and it would
therefore be the height of injustice to allow them to
bo absorbed into any German state. Again, the amal-
gamation of all the Scandinavian states into one mon-
archy, which some have dreamed of, might have an un-
favourable influence on the free navigation of the
Baltic. It is not desirable that both sides of the nar-
row entrance into that sea should bo in the possession
of the same Power. But the preservation of the inde-
pendence of Denmark is incompatible with any foreign
interference in its domestic affairs.. If the great Powers
of Europe were to take upon them to dictate to Den-
mark by what institutions it is to be governed, they
would find the exercise of this wardship the source of
innumerable jealousies and broils among themselves,
and might be tempted to wink at the extinction of the
state, in order to remove the apple of discord from
amongst them.

Whichever party conquer in the present intestine
strife—whether the people succeed in asserting •their
freedom, or the monarch in trampling it down—there is
one question with which the new Government must be
prepared to grapple—that of the Sound Dues. The ex-
action of a tribute imposol in a state of society which
bas long ceased to exist will not be much longer en-
dured by other nations.—Daily News.

OPTINING OF TRADE WITH JAPAN.

(Prom the IVashington Union of Sept. 28.)

The following interesting information has been received
from Commodore M. C. Perry, commanding the United
States' naval forces in the East India, China, and Japan
seas, dated—

" United States steam-frigate Powhattan, Harbour
of Hakodadi, Island of Jesse, Japan, May 30.
" I have examined the ports of Simoda and Hakodadi,
which are te be opened to the vessels of the United States,
and and happy to inform the department that with respect
to geographical position, convenience of ingress and egress
and commodiousness for all the purposes required, they can-
not be surpassed. This is ono of the safest and most con-
venient harbours I have ever seen for vessels of all classes,
and it is sufficiently capacious to hold half the navies of
the world.

" The authorities and people of the two towns and their
vicinities have manifested much kindness and attention.
The ships have been promptly supplied, at reasonable prices,
with wood, water, and such other articles as the country
could furnish. The singular abstemiousness of the Japanese
from animal food has never made it necessary for them to
rear and fatten animals for the market, and hence the
scarcity of that aliment so necessary to the people of the
western nations. It is quite probable, however, that they
will hereafter be better prepared to meet the demands of
the vessels visiting the two ports. Poultry and fish, and,
at the proper seasons, fruit and vegetables, may be obtained
in reasonable quantities, and ono or two ships could always
be provided with a sufficiency for their wants.
"At both places the officers and those of the crows who
have been permitted to leave the ships go freely about in
town and country, and on fishing and shooting excursions,
visiting the shops, the temples, and other places of interest,
without the slightest hindrance or molestation, and are
everywhere treated with kindness and respect, and espe-
cially by the country people. But ono instance has oc-
curred of annoyance to any ono, and this was at Simoda;
and, on its being represented to me, I demanded and re-
ceived an apology from the prefect, who disavowed the
acts of the officers who committed the oif6nce.
" According to arrangement, lam to meet one or more
of the Imperial Commissioners at Simoda on the 15th of
next mouth (June), to settle various matters connected
with a proper understanding of the treaty ; after this is
accomplished, I shall return to Hong Kong by way of Oho
Sima Loo Choo, and the ports of Ningpo, Foochow, and
Amoy, in China. The officers of my command have con-
structed siveral valuable charts of the harbours and coasts
of Japan, and our collections of specimens of natural his-
tory and of drawings, sketches, &e. is rapidly increasing.
One of the vessels in the squadron is now engaged in
making a reconnaissance of Volcano Bay, a conviaient
anchorage, about 70 miles from this port.
" Until this time I have not had it in my power to in-
stitute in a thorough manner the researches and inquiries
which the Department has ordered in its instructions of
October 26, 1852, May 16, 1853, and June 11, 1854, with
respect to the fate of our follow-countrymen, supposed
either to have been lost at sea or to be still alive and held
in captivity in Formosa or the islands of Japan.
" The authorities here have furnished answers to my
several inquiries upon the subject, herewith enclosed, and
I propose to send the Macedonian, accompanied by the
Southampton, to Formosa, there to prosecute every pos-
sible research, and at the same time to examine the coal
region of that island.

As evidence of__ the good understanding subsisting, as
well at this place as at Kanagawa and Simoda, I may
remark that the prefect, governor, mayor, and other per-
sons of rank visited this ship by invitation last evening,
and were entertained by mo at a formal supper.
" With great respect, I have the honour to be, Sir, your
obedient servant,

_
"M. C. PERRY.
" Commander•in-Chief, United States' Naval Forces,
East India, China, and Japan seas.
"Hon. J. C. Dobbin, Secretary of the Navy, Washington."

The Utica ( United States) herald has been furnished
with the following copy of the letter of the Japanese
authorities to Commodore Perry on his return to the
islands last winter :
" The return of your Excellency as ambassador from
the United States to this empire has been expected, accord-
ing to the letter of his Majesty the President, which letter
your Excellency delivered last year to his Majesty the
Emperor of Japan. It is quite impossible to give satis-
factory answers at once to all the proposals of your Go-
vernment, since these points are most positively forbidden
by the laws of our Imperial House ; but for us to con-
tinue bigotedly attached to the ancient laws seems to rills.
understand the spirit of the age, and we wish rather to
conform to what necessity requires. At the visit of your
Excellency last year his Majesty the former Emperor was
sick and is now dead.
arseceinndthede
" Since his Majesty the present Emperor hasis ca
the throne the many occupations demanding h
consequence thereof aro not yet finished,
and there r
is nois
finis to settle the other business thoroughly ;moreover, his
Majesty e
majesty the now Emperor, at his accession to the throne,
promises to the Princes and high officers of the empire to
observe the laws. It is therefore evident that he cannot
now bring about any alteration in the ancient laws. Last
autumn, at the departure of the Dutch ship, the superin-
tendent of the Dutch trade in Japan was icquested to in-
form your Government of
At
Nagasaki,this event, and a reply in writ-
ing has been received,
theveßisuhssioafnhais Go-
vernment sador recently arrived to communicate a
; ho has since left that place, because no answer
would be given tio.roawnyevnation that might communicate
similar wishes.
rhoon ugly er, we admit the urgency, and
vvkuply vith gat, propogii
of YQ Ci9TOll3.