Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1874-04-16
HON. CHAN. +. De l.ON0.

HON. I'll N. Fee Bbk WV
4 Washington dispatch informed us
a few days ago that this gentleman had
been knighted blythe King of Holland.
In noticing the pleasant incident. and
the circumstances prompting the be-
~towal of So marked an honor upon
our fcllow-citizen. the Carson Appeal
has tie ~suljoined interesting sketch:
There are soine very interesting and
gratifying facts relating to- Mr.. De
Longs services in behalf Of the Dutch
Government, which are not out of
place here. Those facts, in brief, are
substantially as follows:
Holland. rs is generally known. ~
one of the most orulent of nations.
Still it carries AN enormous pubic
debt. The reason of this debt is found.
not in the necessities of the Govern
ment. but in order that the Dutch pco-
pie may have. at hand. Il place where
heir surplus means may find Il safe
investment. The Government. i'll other
words. borroWS the h~Oarding> of the
people and pays them Il certain rate of
interest tor the issue of the same. 1t
happens. then. that in order to enable
itself To meet these seli.imposed obi
cations. The butch Government en-
-agcs in trade with other peoples. This
policy has been II distinctive feature OF
The Government of the Netherlands for
several centuries. In pursuance OF
these commercial ventures the Dutch
and Japanese Governments have had
dealings with one another, dating
ln,.l- t,r ,,,Av.n tl,,p WI,k lrtN.lvnl 4. -
I'm fact The Dutch were the first Euro
pean> 10 have any dealings with Japan.
In the course of years. Japan the GoN-
eminent of which country is essential
~ pa riachal in its relationship 10 all
branches of bu mess amongst its peo-
plcl got largely in debt Il Holland.
For scores of Years these debts accii-
INFLATED and b. came further and fur
Their removed fl ON II satisfactory set
Element; and they probably never
would have been settled but for Mr..
he Longs efforts in obtaining COM
pari>on of accounts and Il >Iuarlny of
he books. he Longs intcrpo>ilion
was brought about hv / direct request
of the Dutch Minister. sanctioned. of
course, by the HomeGovernMen,. This
Ambassador. III an intcrVi w with Mr..
De Long. upon the OF his depart
urc for Rome to which court he had
been then but just appointed told De
l.ongtlIat ii Was tie request otthe Meth
rrlaHd> Government that he should act
i,r them until anew minister could he
appointed. .Af.er ON demurring. Mr..
De Long consented to serve; but II was
only after having committed himself
past recall, that he knew what Il ire
-, ,. .l-t ls-.
these long cuts auding differences
had been imposed upon him. He
found. as he relates. that the Dutch
Embassy had an enormous pile of old.
tim, stained GO uinents to he exam
med and dige>l,d, and that the japan
csc Government had Il no less torInid-
able heap of tho, It dry mementoc> of a
credit system, which dated back
through two drearv centuries. But it
was he Longs disregard for the moldy
forms OF dii lpnacy that was wanted:
for the Dutch Embassy had witnessed
his energy and audacity and estimated
il at its true value. Finding himself
i'll for it, De Long wa> not the man
to desert the field. He made straight
way tothe r~e>idence-nut the office
of the Japan. >e Minister of Finance.
anu ltIt iliS btiSltlc>S iN'lDTc ll!IIb. ia
functiouary held up his hand, in
horror; for these claims had been the
nightmare of generations OF Japanese
statesmen. But DE Long Was not at IA
loss for al argument. lie represented
20 the minister that these claims, if
they were held by one of the tir>,-cla>S
Powers. such AS England or France or
he Cni:ed safes, could he collected bv
a more torcetul process than could be
employed by 50 weak IA Government
as Holland; and that therefore it was IA
matter Of honor that they should he
settled with a> little delay as possible.
Stimulated with this view of the mat
ter. the Minister Of Finance gave his
instant assent to proceed with the ne
gotiationS. II is with Il of pride
which every American may share, that
weadd. that in le>sthan twelve months
time. this indebtedness due from Japan
to Holland, and amounting to millions
of dollars. Was paid paid because
DE Long insisted that the accounts
should be audited and the balance
struck. Is it any wonder that the
King of Holland ordered that Mr..
De Long should he decorated with the
rare di>tinction->hared by but thirteen
persons in the world-the Cross of "A
Knight Commander of the Netherlands