The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-03-09
SARDINIA.
HAROLD.

The Goha Almanac names Mr.. Nathaniel
Niles as the American Charge d'Affaires at the
Court OF the King Of Sardinia. This we be-
lieve is mistake, although we know that Mr..
Niles succee led two or three years since in ne
gotiating a very favorable commercial treaty
with the Sandman government. Another gen
tleman we believe was appointed Charge, but,
| if we mistake not the Office is now vacant.
| The treaty with Sardinia is in one particular
more liberal in the privileges which il comedies
to the commerce of this country, if we do not
err in our recollection, than any which has been
entered into with any European power Be
sides securing an entire equality and reciprocity
of privileges TO the navigation OF the two ma
lions in their respective ports, so that vessels Of
the United States are permitted to carry to the
ports of the Kingdom of Sardinia the produce
not only of this country, but of other countries,
on the same terms, and subject to the payment
of the same duties, as are charged on like pro-
ducc imported in Sandman vessels, it secures
further, for the benefit Of American shipping, the
free transit of American produce, and merchan-
disc destined to the United States, through the
continental territories of Sardinia, to and from
the port Of Genoa, which for this purpose is a
free port. This stipulation is in the following
words. 'iAl articles of commerce, the growth
or manufacture of the United States of Amer-
ca, and the products of their fisheries, with the
exception of salt, gunpowder and tobacco manu-
featured for use shall be permitted to pass in
transitu from the free port of Genoa through the
territories of his Sandman Majesty to any point
of the inland frontier of the said territories, and
rice rersa, all articles of commerce coming from
any point Of the Sandman inland frontier des-
tined for the United States, shall be permitted to
pass the territories of his Sandman Majesty to
the free port of Genoa, without being liable to
the payment Of any duty whatever, levied in
the name or 10 the profit of the Government, the
local authorities, or any private establishment
whatever, other than such as are required to
meet the expenses OF the necessary precaution-
ary measures against smuggling, which precau-
tionary measures, to be observed in regard to
transit to the frontier, shall be the same, whether
the said articles of commerce are imported by
the vessels of the one or of the other Of the high
contracting parties
We are not aware that our merchants have
taken advantage of this stipulation to any con-
siderable extent; yet from the position and
the wants Of the countries accessible by this
route we should presume that it might become
the means Of effecting beneficial extension of
American trade 1t is probable that the provi-
sion of the treaty is little known or at least that
few of our merchants are acquainted with the
methods of awaiting themselves of it. Had Mr..
Niles, whose intelligence and sagacity were in
strumental in procuring this provision Of the
treaty, been appointed to watch over the execu-
ZION oil III, we uOuDt not ne WOulu nave Deen
alike instrumental in rendering it beneficial TO
our commerce. We doubt not there are pro-
ducts of our industry which might be advan-
tageousy introduced to the interior of the Euro
pean continent through this channel, and il
would be gratifying to see American enterprise
employed in prosecuting a successful traffic in
this quarter. To encourage such enterprises il
is necessary not only that favorable treaties
should be made, but that the men appointed TO
represent our government, and to watch over
the interests Of our countrymen, should be intel
ligent, active, and perseyerng. They should
make themselves acquainted with the state, and
the wants of trade in those countries, and be
ready at all times to communicate authentic in
formation. They should be able to communi
cate with those with whom they are required TO
hold intercourse, in the language of the country
which they trade, and thus capable OF readily
acquiring the information necessary TO qualify
them for the efficient discharge of their duties.
| Such a man, we believe, was Mr.. Niles, who
negotiated the treaty above named, and who
was previously employed in successful nego-
tiation with the government Of Austria. We
know not why he was not appointed, after the ra-
tificaton of the treaty, to the situation fCharge
d'Afairs, for which he had shown himself so
well qualified. 1t was probably because the
| place was wanted for some other person, on the
principle on which our foreign agencies are toe
| apt TO be filled.
We have made these remarks, not so much
4 with special reference TO this particular case