The Nevada journal., 1855-11-09
JOURNAL.
E. c. WAITE, EDITOR.
FRIDAY MORNING, NOVEMBER 8
Danish Sound Dues,

nish government By our own, of the ter
mination of the treaty of 1926, has been
the fruitful theme of comment throughout
the United States. The press with one
accord whatever may be the relations each
bears to the Administration, or whatever
its views On the policy of resisting the
payment of the toll levied on the COM
merce of the Baltic, has chara cterizcd the
"Sound Dues" as species of Black Mail
which ought to be discountenanced-
Enough has been written on the American
side af the question therefore, and as we
are not disposed to follow in the beaten
track Of others on all occasions, and as
there appears to be another, and stron-
ger side, we take it. Between Denmark
aid SV ed m is narrow strait or sound
which is the entrance to the Baltic Sea-
This strait is FIVE miles in width at FL
sineur, the place where the toll is levied
and paid. According to the Ency yclope-
dia Americana, the rate of toll is fixed st
one per cent on the value of the cargoes
of British, French, Dutch and Swedish
vessels, and one and one-fourth per cent
on all Others The amount of revenue
derived from this source to the Danish
government amounts to about S 900, 900
annually. It is one of the best sources of
revenue to the Danish government. It's
collection has been sanctioned by treaty
and usage from time almost immemorial.
The right of Denmark to levy toll on
vessels trading in the Baltic has never
been earnestly disputed by the civilized
nations of Europe. In all their treaties
with Denmark the justice of the claim to
tax the commerce of the Baltic has been
admitted. The commercial nations of the
globe are governed in their intercourse
with each other by the laws of nations for
the regulation of maritime trade The
customs and usages of nations in one par
tlcular may not seem to one government
to be in strict accordance with abstract
rights, but the will of the majority of COM
mercial states is allowed to define the du-
ties of all, to the acknowledged rights Of
one II commerce is hampered in any
way by the imposition of the Danish gov
ernment, Russia, Prussia and Sweden,
ought to know it as they are more largely
concerned than any other nations, their
entire commerce being subject to the re-
strictions, if restrictions they are. But
they do not complain, while the United
States government, not the American
merchants, assume to meddle in an affair
IN which we are comparatively little inter
ested. Our entire trade in the Baltic sea
ifdestroyed would not be sensibly felt to
the commerce of the United States.
We have started out on the Monroe
doctrine that Europe shall not interfere
in American affairs. We assume it to be
the policy of the American republics, that
the power of the monarchies of Europe
must not increase ON the Western conti-
nent. And we take the stand alone, well
knowing that from the weak and distrac-
ted Hispano-Ameriean republics no assis-
tance to enforce the observance of our
rights, as we view them, need be expected |
How great is the arrogance of America
who assumes alone to dictate to the twen-
ty civilized nations of Europe, in respect
to their right to interfere in the affairs of
this continent, and yet ignores the strong
er right of Europe to establish even its
own commercial regulations, in which we
are but pecuniary interested to the amount
of one-tenth of the whole commercial
world.
But the right of Denmark to compel
the payment of her Sound Dues is as clear
as that ofany nation to collect port char
ges. She sits at the entrance of the Bal
tic The Sound at certain seasons of the
year is filed by wind and tide with ice
A heavy outlay is necessary to clear the
distractions, and properly light the chan
mel, which Denmark undertakes to do, re.
celvlng as compensation therefor by the
consent of all nations who trade in the
Baltic, per centage on the value of all
eargoes passing the Sound. The per
eentage may be large, but it is the busi
ness OF the pieayune nations of Europe to
complain, and not for our national credit
to exhibit parsimonious spirit in mat
ter OF trifiug pecuniary Importance. Be-
sides, we're not the right to levy the Sound
Dues sanctioned by immemorial usage,
and virtually guaranteed by the laws of
nations as expressed in twenty stipula-