The Empire County argus., 1855-10-13
The Danish Sound Duties,


acted of vessels passing through the Danish Sound
has lately devoted some consideration to the SUBJ
iect and furnished historical Summary of the
question, derived from the documents transmitted
by the Executive of the United States to Congress-
The following is translation of the leading por-
tions Of the article from the French paper:
"On the 18th of April last the United States mott
fed the Danish Government of their resolution not
to pay hereafter the Sound duty, and with this
view to put an end to the treaty of commerce con-
cluded in 1926 between the two States. According
to one of the stipulations of the treaty the con-
tracing parties can not release themselves from
their obligations until one year after notice given
of such resolution.
It is next spring therefore, when North America
will be morally free to refuse payment for the right
Of way which Denmark claims from every vessel
passing the Strait Of the Sound on its way from
the North Sea into the Baltic, and vice versa
Force must then decide between Danish demand
and American refusal
This affair is much more complicated and serious
than might be supposed at first view. 1t is of a
general importance, and it interests in high de-
gree all the maritime and commercial powers The
conflict once excited, must infallibly draw into its
vortex several European States, especially Prussia
on the one side and England and Russia on the
other The Sound duty weighs more heavily on
Prussia than on all the other nations since nearly
the third of the vessels thus taxed bear the Prus-
sian flag Therefore, encouraged by fhe steps tax
en- by the United States, the Second Chamber of
Prussia declared, on the 18th of April last that
the moment had arrived to labor for the abolition
of the Sound dues, and it invited the Government
to take as soon possible the measures necessary
to this effect The Government, through its organ,
the President of the Council, declared itself per-
fectly convinced of the Importance of the reasons
which operate in favor of the abolishment asked
for; and the Cabinet of the King, added M Man
teutfel, had actively and seriously considered the
subject but thought it better to prelude its steps
with silence than with speech. On the other hand,
England and Russia, although the Sound duty
weighs equally on their navigation, have each a
private interest by which they are pledged to sus-
tain the pretensions of Denmark The latter can
with difficulty renounce them, as one of the princi-
pal sources of her revenue for ages has been found
in this duty, exacted from all flags.
What we have just said will leave at once to be
inferred the strange complications which might be
brought about by conflict in which Prussia would
be found In manifest opposition to Russia, while
England would become the atty of this Power that
question at present is only whether there is any
reason to expect to succeed, before the fixed delay
of year shall have expired, in arranging the af-
fair in friendly manner and in this way to pre-
fair in friendly manner, and in this way to pre-
vent the struggle between the United States and
Denmark. We see it with regret, the history of
the negotiations which preceded the American no.
tication of the 18th of April appears to US to ex-
clude this hope, All dip plomatic means were ex-
hausted by the Union before it took this decisive
The Journal des Debats then gives historical
summary of the negotiations from the date of the
letter of Mr.. Calhoun, as Secretary of State, to
Mr.. Irwin, who represented the United States at
Copenhagen, (Sept. Is, 1874 inviting him to en-
iotiO fho 4l.4
Mr. Calhoun's immediate predecessor had adopted
quite different mode of settling the difficulty, to
wit
"The predecessor of Mr.. Calhoun, the impetuous
Mr.. Upsher, had adopted quite different mode
one which the United States seem disposed to fol-
low next spring. Merchant vessels were to be con-
voyed by vessels of war and force the entrance to
the Baltic without paying the Sound impost, by
braving the cannon of Kronburg and of Elsinore
which threaten the uncomplying flag. The eight
merchant vessels-two destined for Stettin, five for
st. Petersburg, and one for Stockhom--as we'll as
the five vessels Of war, carrying two hundred and
fiftyeight guns, and destined to convoy them under
the command of Commodore Stewart, were already
prepared to weigh anchor when the sudden death
of MIR. Upsher by the explosion of cannon which
was undergoing trial. hindered the execution of the
plan"
The Journal proceeds to say that Mr.. Calhoun
tried more pacific means but that the negotiations
to which Denmark lent itself with bad grace,
were dragged out to length without advancing,
until more important affairs caused them to be al
most forgotten at Washington, and that it was only
on the 8th of September 1S48, that Mr.. Flenni-
ken, the American minister at Copenhagen, again
drew the attention of his government to this ques
ton. After sketching the subsequent history of
the case, the Journal comes down to the laconic
dispatch of Mr.. Marcy to Mr.. Bedinger, of the
Sth of Nov, 1858, the precise terms of which are
as follows:
"DEPARTMEYT OF STATE,
Washington Nov. 8.
SIR: Your dispatch of the 18th ultimo was re-
ceived on the 5th instant, and am directed by the
President to inform you, in reply to your question
respecting equivalent to Denmark for the aboli-
ton of the Sound dues that he declined author