Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1854-11-17
WASHINGTON NEWS And aossIr.

ASd1noIUN N6Wo ANN 0Ooo4SSa
The Refusal Retracted-The readers g. he
Star will find in our telegraphic columns an
important despatch from New York, wherein
hey will perceive the gratifying news that the
French Government have promptly reviewed
heir action In the Soule affair.
There was no cause given by this Govern.
ment-none whatever-for the tone of hos
tility evinced by tho French Government in
its action to Mr. Soule personally, and in the
subsequent interview between Mr.. Mason and
the French Foreign Affairs Minister as re-
ported in the newspapers. This fact very
naturally caused much indignation among the
Americans in France and England, as well as
home, in this country, as exemplifed by the
tone of the American press.
The despatch to which We allude above
comes, doubtless, upon the strength Of some
private letter in the Asia's mails, in which our
we'll informed and ever careful New York
telegraphic correspondent places full conf
dence. We, therefore, hasten to say that this
prompt reversal of its obnoxious order, reflects
the highest credit upon the discretion and
friendliness of the French Government. which,
as it will DO seen, fastened, most honorably,
to disavow any intention of insulting the
United States, or Of seeking . rupture with
Us, on the moment it became satisfied that it
had acted under q Misrepresentation of the
facts involved.
We rejoice in this result, inasmuch as moth
ing would have given Us greater pain than to
be forced to conclude that France had lost her
ohivslry of bearing as nation and because
we know Of naught that would be more dis.
tressing to our country at large, than An inter-
ruption of that comfy and good understand
ing which, up to this time, has existed without
serious interruption between our ancient ally
(when her friendship was to us the pearl be-
yond price, and the United States of America
Getting their Eyes open.-The readers of
ehe S!ar will perceive in the following extracts
from the Washington letter of X, in the Bal
timore Sun, a simple reiteration of facts stated
long since in the Star. We stood absolutely
alone among the press of the country, insisting
congress of American diplomatists was purely
accidental meeting, and also that the business
of Mr.. Assistant Secretary of State, Mann,
had nothing in the world to do with public
affairs. We call attention to this verifcatioa
of our views, published when all the rest of
the press of the country were in error upon
the subject-matter, only by way of illustrating
the truth that the Star must be looked to by
all who desire to avoid being misled with ref
erence to American public affairs in any quar-
ter of the glooe.
"The talk about the American congress.
lately held at Ostend, in Belgium, (not the
Netherlands, as the New York papers have it,
is all moonshine. The meeting was purely &C.
1t is not true, as has recently been
stated, that credit of $50, 900 was opened
with the Earrings to carry out the views and
purposes Of that congress.
cit Is wholly and unequivocally untrue
that the late trip of tho Assistant Secretary of
State, Mr.. Mann, was at all connected with
diplomacy, and it is equally untrue that be
and MIR. Sickles, Secretary Of Legation in
London had any business entrusted to them
relating to the acquisition of Cuba incline
to the opinion that Mr.. Mann was especially
that his visit to Paris was purely of q private
character, and for his own individual benefit,
I that of his healthy and that, 80 far from be-
ing sent abroad, he merely asked permission
to 60, which was granted So all the specula.
lions which have been built upon his going
and returning, and all the nice deductions
made from it, must necessarily fall to the
ground"
The Patent 0fice-When Judge Mason,
of Iowa, first entered upon the discharge of
the duties of Commissioner of Patents, it will
be remembered that the newspapers from
Maine to Texas were constantly publishing
complaints against the bureau, though his
immediate predecessor had done much, for
the short time he was in Office, in the way of
breaking down the wide spread dissatis faction
with that bureau pervading nearly all who
did business with it. 1t is worthy of remark
however, that now such thing as news.
paper paragraph complaining of the action of
the Patent Office is a thing unheard of. This
fact tells the tale of the condition of its
business in all its branches. Business was
never before done 80 promptly there, nor was
there ever before q time when it was, as at
present, done 30 as apparently to preclude all
complaints from parties interested. No
question Of Importance is adjudicated in the
Patent Office wherein there are not two parties
interested, one for and the other against the
decision, be that what it may. Millions. too,
are not unfrequently involved in the decisions
of the Commissioner, yet all appear at length
to be satisfied with the way in which that
functionary disposes Of the questions coming
before him.
Progress Of the Mexican Boundary Com
mission on the oath Oct Major Emory and
party had reached point Is miles west Of
San Antonio on their route to Ell Paso, whore
it was expected he would find the Mexican
Commissioner. He had received advices from
his assistant, who had been sent in advance
to that point, however, dated the 10th of o.
tober, that the Mexican Commissioner had
not arrived, and had not been heard from.