Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-07-29
ALEXANDRIA DAILY GaZETT.E.
1>ro sHEw
THE VERY AGE AND BODY OF THE TINE
HIS FORM AND PRESSURE"
MONDAY MORNING, July 20.

MONDAY MORNING, July 29.
Robert Smith, Esq. has published another
Address to the People of the United States,
in the Baltimore American. 1t is In reply to
what MIR. Madlson's Reviewer has written
respecting Consul Erving's affair: Mr. Smith
thinks that none of the other articles In his
first Address require any further elucidatlon;
or, in other words, that they still remain un-
answered by the Reviewer.
In this additional explanation, Mr.. Smith
adheres to his first statement, insisting that
MIR. Madison had no right to authorize Mr..
Erving to retain the sum of 1882 dollars.
And with regard to the claim having been
allowed and settled at the Treasury, MIR.
Smith makes the subjoined observations:
"This reviewer could not but have known;
at least, Mr.. Madison and all the officers OF
the treasury well know, that the auditor and
comptroller had authority only to sxamne the
details and vouchers of these accounts, and
not tie PRINCIPLE uhon which this particular
claim was founded that the question as to
the propriety of allowing to Mr.. Erving the
1882 dollars could not in any 7uay, and, III
fact, neper zvas before the auditor or the
comptroller or the secretary OF the treasury;
but that that question svas, and every such
question mast be decided and settled by The
President himself upon his own responsibility
and his direc ion thereon must in all Cases De
transmitted in the name of and through the
secretary of state as voucher to the auditor.
And as to Mr.. Gallatin's report, it does not
even pretend to set forth his own personal
knowledge or opinion of the case. 1t barely
states these words. The accounts are Vo-
" luminous, have passed the offices of the au-
litor and comptroller, and are, am i'll
formed, correct in every respect
The stile of this Address is temperate
throughout; and SO far at least Mr.. SMith
maintains decided superiority over his adj
versaries, whose zeal has transported them
very far beyond the bounds Of digni6ed op-
position. Mr.. Smith takes not the slightest
notice of J, 3, Coly!a's late publication,
Some whining Farmer at Richmond is
raising dreadful sputter about the conduct
of the Federalists. After allowing that II
is tossi6Le for men to differ honestly on pol"
ical subjects, he adds: & But when we sec
men from their very infancy, resolutely fixed
on a course neither marked with truth or ho-
nor, if reason will not reclaim them, charity
and ,for5earance are no longer eyoined utom
us.'-Ttis IS sound democratic doctrine but
it will not frightcn Federalists from constl-
tutional opposition to wicked and ruinous
measures. Our GARNER conjures up the
old bugbears of alien and sedit;on laws, which
ne says committed most woful havoc: but If
he would apply to Farmer Giles, he might
hear some particulars of a certain Habeas
Corpus law, which passed the "republican
senate of the United States the most mia
nous attempt, beyond all comparison, ever
made to destroy public liberty. Had such a
measure been proposed during Mr.. Adams's
administration, rebellion might have been
the consequence
On the 4th ofFebruary last, Jonathan Lam
bert of Salem, took formal and absolute pos
session of the islands of Tristan d'Acunha,
viz, the Great Island, the Inaccessible ana
Nightingale islands, In his Edlct announc-
ing the event, he says he shall submit TO no
laws but those of hospitality and good fellow
ship, and the law of nations. He has estaO-
lished peculiar Flag, and promises to sup
ply vessels with such provisions as his do
minions afford, at moderate rate. us
tan d'Acunha is lofty island in the S. Allan
tic ocean, Is miles in circumference long
IL, 40, w. lat. 81, 8, S." 1t appears to nave
been hitherto unclaimed by any foreign pow
-. L. ol,,a~t IN c0lnCr there