Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-05-14
CHAPTER OF BLUNDERs.

1t eenis TO be The i'll deainy ofthe pre-
iens Administration TO make INTAKES, in
almoit every I. eiiay towards ttatement, :"
which they make; and the blunder. mania
has Injected the fame party il the legiAa-
ture. In the report on the fubjeet OF ipo
liasions, it is ifated that according to
tie aIit article of the treaty Of I.oador,
of Nov. I9, 1894, every .4merlcan, who
lhall hold a commitlion from the enemies
OF France, as well as every flaman ot that
uqtiaa, competing the crew OF the Hips
and venels, fhall, by this fac alone, be
declared pirate, and treated as luch,
5vtfboat la6fsnng the pa1ty TO eitahIilh,
that the act was the conlequence OF threats
or violence. =
Firf, the language is incorrect. The.
words thai natter are not preceded by any
mention Of nation TO explain which ma
tion is intended the word Ameriean re-.
iers TO an individual, not a nation. The.
words quifhoat .lu6etmg," as the fen
tence is contributed, can refer only to Il
meuean and leaman, and bQrty refers to
the fame. The ientence then runs thus,
g Every American and every feaman,
holding commifions or being on board OF
a fhip belonging 70 the enemy Of France,
fhaIl be treated as a pirate, 7Vifbeat /uf-
firing bmie5fto eaablifh," &c.
Thefe, however, are common INTAKES.
Unfortunately for the committee which
made the report, the alf article of the
treaty Of London does not contain theie
provihons-lt contains a proyiGon thar
the fubjeefs Of either party, accepting
foreign commiilion or fitting out a priVa
teer 10 act againt the other party Great
Britain or the United States fhall be
deemed a pirate. This is a liquidation in
all cur treaties. But the remainder Of the
ifatement, thar tbe parry .<5allnet he PR
mifed 10 brOve thai be zoas t0reed on board
IT yac6 l6lp a. dn3rxDSd, is not found in
the treaty of London, but in decree of
the French, which declared every Anne
riean, found on board of Britilh fhips Of
war, to be a pirate, and condemned him
to be puniihed as a pirate, without fuf-
feripg himto prove that he was imPrei1ed.
How the committee of the honle oil repre-
ientatiyes could fall into fuch blunder,
by referringsa claufe in French edict, to
an article of the treaty of London, is left
for quje beads to explain.
In the copy ofrhe Genius, publilhed by
authority, there is at leaf one material
ror-the number of males, under 10
years Of age, in the fate of New York, is
33,l6I-the true number is S3,16I.-
This mifake of 10000, in one figure,
will be charged to the printer but the
heads of departments are refponible to the
public for the accuracy of official fate
ments, printed under their own revival at
the feat Of government.
We all recclleet the INTAKES and omit
1ions in the prelldent's return of law cafes
TO the two honles of congreis. Wesare
not difpoisd 10 be caPtious-- but too MAJ
ny errors Will not be carried to the account
of benasam ea lrra,s. A repetition Of
fach egregious blppders will be Ultimate
" charged TO the account of grofs negli-
gence. Indeed, the world talk loudly Of
quaat Of ability IN the party at the head
ofafalrs, 70 conduit The concerns of an ex-
/. !.