M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1856-01-10

+ lps yment Of Sound dues. not SO much
because of tbe amount. which issa .se'
Ieohdsfy N atier, but because 1t is 10
effect the fecogn ilion of the tight Of
Denmark totreat ohe'of the gtea mari
lime highways OF nations as Gloss ses, /,
and the navigation Of Il as privilege
for which tribute may be imposed upon
those who haveoceasion to use H.
THIS government, or a former oeca :
sion not unlike the pIsss nt. signsliEed
its determination to maintain the free
dom Of the seas. and OF the great natur
al channels Of navigatiou' The Bar
barry States had, for long iime, coer.
ced the payment of tribute from ell ma,
tons. whose ships freequentsd the
MadileTnnean. 10 the last demand Of
such payment made by them, the Uni
ted States alhpugh suffering less by
their depIsdntiaas than many other ma.
Itions. rstpgnad. ihe expIic pnsWsr. that
We pyele Ted war 10 tribute, aud thus
opensd The way To- the relief Of the COM
metce Of The sworld from an ignomini.
aus taEr so,loag submitted q 70 ,by the
Iatm powerful nations Of ,hswotld.
lf the maqnef Of the payment Of the
Sound Dues difer from that cf ths til
butte foEusly conceded 70 fts Barbary
States. still their sIacticn W. Denmark
haSaoI better foundation iaIigkt. Each
was in its origin nothing but : tax on
a common natural right, eI:oFisa BY
those, who werS al that tfme,abls 70 ob
struct th9 free end secufs enjOYmsnl
Of Il. but who no longer Pq'sss' thai
power. -
Denmark, while fesisting our ssSsr-
lion of, the freedom Of the Baltic
Sound Gnd Belts, has Indicated read.
dinsss 20 make some nav arrangement
on the gubject.and mas Invited the gov
ernments interested. including the
United Sta!es, to Ss Iepreientet in 2
convention to assemble for the.purpose
Of rscsiyirg end considsrinsa proposi.
tion, which ihe intends to submit. fer
ths capitalization OF the Sound Dues,
aud tho di stribulion OF the sum to be
paid as commulation among tie govern
ments. according to the respective pro.
portions Of their meritime commerce to
and from the Baltic. have declined
in behalf Of the Udited Site, 10 ec-
cspt hisiivitatioh, for tho most co.
gent reasons. One is. that Denmark
does not offer to submit 10 the conSen-
tion the question Of her light to levy
the Sound Dues. A second is, that If
the convention wei allowed TO mks
coghizance of that particular qestion,
still il would not bc competspt'to deal
with the great International p'lHciple
involved which affects the right in OF.
her cases Of navigation and commercial
freedom, as we'll as that Of access 10
the Baltic. Above all, by the eIprsss
tsrnls Of sthss spIopOsition g,sis eopism.
plated that the consideration ol the
Sound duss shall be commingled with,
and made subordinate to,a matter Who'll
lily extrapsous, the balance of power
amor the governments of Europe.
| While, however, rejecting this pro.
position, and insisting on the right OF
free transit into and from the Baltic, |
have expressed to Denmark a willing
ness, on the pHf: Of the United States
to share literally with other powers in
compensating her for any advantages
which commerce shall hereafter derive
from expenditures made by her for The
improvement and safety OF the naviga
ton Of the Sound Of Belts. d,
lay before you herewith sundr!
; docsmsnts on the subject in which M
vieu5 are sage fully enclosed Should
not satisfactory, arrangement be soor
concluded, | shall again cal your at'eh
ticn 10 the subject, with recoiEmen'a
uon of such measures as may apaeeei y
be required in order to assertant se"ut
the rights of The United States, SO fa
as they are effected BY the prstensionr
Of Denmark, .4..I
FRANCE .y ..