Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-08-19

We informed him that we should not dispose of
II for less sum than we had estimated il at,
viz $50, coo; at which price he accepted Il, and
we closed a contract for the same
These facts we believe to be sufficient to sat
isfy all not disposed to find fault with the
present administration because it is Demo-
cratic party administration, that the Secretary,
and the commissioners also, have throughout
this transaction duly protected the public in.
terest; realizing more for the Government by
far, than could have been otherwise obtained
Appropos-We may not appropriately add
here, that the current efforts of the Republican
party press to get up misunderstanding be-
tween the Secretary of War and his predeces-
sor, relative to the Wool sword, has already
proved abortive: t-+- .,sF
Always con the lay for opportunities to
bring accusations against Democratic function
aries, not long since they seized on what struck
US as foolish letter from General Wool to Sec
rotary Floyd, acknowledging the accompanying
the sword recently presented to that officer,
in which very characteristic reflections were
hurled at Jefferson Davis and by garbling the
correspondence they essayed to make it appear
that the Secretary-rather than Gen. was
the author of the veritable aspersions upon the
conduct Of his predecessor, in which Wool in
dulged. The prompt publication OF the whole
correspondence showed ths-mendacity of their
effort, in proving that nothing could have been
further from Secretary Floyd's mind than in
that correspondence to cast reflection on Gen
Davis
Our friend of the Mississippian, however,
ere seeing the explanation, took fire at the YER
sion of the matter got up by the Republican
newspapers, and opened his batteries on the
Secretary; whereupon, there arose universal
shout in abOlitiondOm, that longs so to get the
Democracy fairly by the ears. Their joy, how
ever, is destined to be short-lived, for, by this
time, the whole correspondence must have
reached the editor of the Mississippian, and
satisfied him, as we'll as all other Mississippi
friends Of ex-Secretary Davis, that the offensive
illusions to him by General Wool were entirely
uncalled for by anything that Secretary Floyd
had written; being simply just such things as
all the world have come to expect from General
Wool's pen, against any and everybody who
may seem to stand in the way of the gratifica-
ton of his so amusing mania for the Presidency;
Secretary Davis from his own experience knows
we'll, no perfectly sane man should be held ac-
countable.
RUNORED SEIZURE OF THE ISLAND OF For
MosA BY UNITED STATES NAVAL FORCEs.-The
day, in these fast times is rarely without its sem
satiOn event. That of this veritable nineteenth
day of August, A. D. 1857, is rumor that Com
modore Armstrong lin command of the U. s..
squadron in the Chinese seas) has seized the
Island of Formosa. 1t reached the United
States by the steamship Columbia, that arrived
at New York on the day before yesterday.
A letter in the New York Daily Times tells
the story intelligibly, in few words, as follows
U. S. FLAGSHIP SAN JAcINTo,}
Hone KONG. June 9, 1857. :
stated in my letter Of May %, that there was a
project on foot for the seizure Of the rich Island OF
FOrmosa. BY letter received yesterday by an
ofiicial-to which yet very little publicity has
been given-I learn the following additional
facts. They are perfectly reliable
Some three months since Capt. j. ID. Simms,
of the United States Marine Congratulated to
the San Jacinto-was mysteriously missing, gone
nobody but our executives knew where. 1t was
understood after few weeks that he had been
detailed for duty; where and for what kind was
known only to the elect. Ii is now ascertaned
that his Instructions tcere TO proceed 10 Formosa
flag and take formal possession OSthe island
1t is to be held an indemnity for the losses
tanned by American citizens during the present
war Ours being the prior claim will of course
be respected by the contending parties, be they
English, French or Spanish, all Ofwhich Powers
may have finger in this pie.
This step has g wen the English authorities
in China huge satisfaction, as. every successive
step towards further collision with the Chinese
does. This, in my opinion, Is a wise step to-
wards securing our rights in China, and a safe
Of
SEES Should we seek territorial acquisitions in
this part Of the world no more desirable portion
OF the Chinese Empire could he e Zed upon than
Formosa-rich in mineral and agricultural
wealth. its valuable coal mines, make il d coveted
spot with the maratime nations of the world Ii
is only within few years that it's resources have
become known, owing to the hostility and exciu-
siveness OF its people, who are Cinnamon AL
ready there is profitable trade carried on be-
tween foreigners in China aud its people, and it
only needs developing to make it Invaluable. OF
this matter, more anOn.n
The island in question has long been used as
a sort of Chinese penal colony, and therefore
contains great many "hard 'uns'' among its
two millions Chinese population, exclusive of
the half-civilized natives. 1t is some Is, 900
square miles in extent, and lies 80 miles off the
southeast coast of China.
While there can be little doubt that the
PASFoASuSO Va hucIlCdu luuucuce OVcI Inc
island in question, to the extent of securing for
the United States its free use for all purposes
connected with our commerce with China, and
the necessary naval operations of this Govern.
ment for the protection of that commerce, we
confess never to have heard of any demand on
our part upon China for indemnity for losses
sustained by American citizens in the course of
the current Chinese war; heretofore, if we mis-
take not, an inevitable preliminary to such a
seizure as this purports to have been.
Representations of such losses were undoubt.
eddy made to the last Administration, and were
the subject Of prompt attention on the part Of
Secretary Marcy; and, we have every reason
to believe, of instructions to our representative
in China and Commodore Armstrong. Yet il
can hardly be that the matter had come to q
head. That is, that the negotiation concerning
it had arrived at point whereat it was neces-
sary to take such step. However, this is but
an opinion of ours. The Washington outside