Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-01-26
MISTAKES RESPECTING AMERICA.

MISTAKES RESPECTING AMERICA
The fo'lowing iJdicious remark. are
extracted i'an communication in the
New-YCrk Evening Post, Of tie 18Th in
slant, expo:iLg The u.i-tases ert,r'sinsl
by foreigners relative to the Y. State.
and which certain r"lticai writers in
England have fOuud it Convenient b.,b
to iabncafe end GifuSe:
" / institute 30 comparison between
the a,tainments Of Americans and f..
rcicners in the higher department. Of
science; but lave ALWAYS imagined
that actual residence, research aud cb.
scrvaii"n we're among the best Cualifc,.
tions, il not indispensable requisite. in !
writer Of original geography; and when
| see a rea ctsble w9k on this cour'rr
published in Paris in 1876, deriving i;
authority and copying its accounts from
the compilations (anong others) of tie
veri,able Weld and Henry, who ended
his travels in l776; and when see TIE
prospectus Of Mr.. Warden, speaking q
ftrsnty-ons sites ard fire terri'oris, >
and find in one Of the most superb AMI
respectable ALIASES ever published in Il:
English language, from the first engr,
vers and geographers in London, DIV 4,
Nee!es. in 1917 state Of franklin
elegantly delineated, Nrw-Jerscy d..
trict on the Alississippi, and the Indilr,
territory placed in Virginia, | canuof b.,
suspect a general deficiency in h. mea
Of information. or a wilful design TO il.
ccivc ard mislead, in the transat'arn:
au'hms ard comTi!ers Of maps and go.
graphies OF the EnIrt States.
Nor can ! but view IL as scmrv'nI
singular, in any writer, however ti>'ir.
euished by his talents ard erudilion. G,'
he should advance as principal Gua'.6
cation for writing histTy aud acscnr.
ton OF tie United States, residence q
ten years at three thousand miles d .'.,;
from the country! How strangely mss /
prcp1s is the case Of Nichaux, quoted g
successful instance Of a work upon 4.
meTica BY a foreign author! MichiyI
father and son. personally explored he /
cnU.iry. with great labor, care md asa.
duty. by tlayersir: ard examining it a [
foot. in different directions, from h.
stat. of Georgia 10 Canada. and publish.
ed the esuIt of their actual observations
and personal remarks. OF what Fl.
topcan geosrapher can as much be saih /
This was materially different from u
residence in Paris Of ten years, and real! (
Ing ten thousand newspapers there.
complain, generally, OF a di:pc, !
ton in nv cOuntrymen to patlouize e.
otto talent aud enterprize in preference
TO American genius and undertakings
] mention the case Of a respectable ger
fleman purchasing a map OF tie Unite
States. published in Paris, at price
twenty dollars, after refusing to pay le
for Bradley. | censure no foreign:
for making books for u, when ne know
they will he preferred TO those Of our oei
rrarufscture. On tie contrary, ] ue
cheeriu'ly yield nv gratitude arL d;
plause for the incalculabIe benefits Vi
have derived f:cm them. Put for infr
nation ottte nature. character, feature
history. statistics and geology Of o.
cosntry-knovledge TO he derived cr.'
from the personal experience Of autho'
or compilations Of editors. ccncei, IL
United States. rs the source. ought Toe
the seat and repository of ;nteIi!rTo
whether the publication he Intended o
European mr. American readers. IoG
tend and dinuse correct informant i
laudable attempt. and by people 50
norant as the readers cf our FreHc1 c'c
ri!a.icn must be. should be gratetD! yH
csiyed and literally supported. o.
side tie atlantic the case is entirely
rerent.
But a more serious comrla'rt, '
Editor, | must prefer against Europe
!SarGnS. who. with means of infn"
better knowledge within their power
body and disseminate the most la'.l
cient. incorrect ard injurious sCcc-.
Of the United States. | strongly $50
a design in these admirers e lrg"D!
ROYALTY, TO 6e,i''le' ard pisfeFrf'd
from political motives, every mora. GA
" and staff. teal fact in this gro"N-
public. Else Why publish accos1s
our condition and history. writer t;''
or thirty years preced., ., omi''i7:
neglcc.irg period in which tn t''
States have doubled in a!mos: e..
thing, AID Ser'esent TIE state o.
country in 1-.5 as IFS al cor1''
in 1876: Why are the French go
told, .or instance. hat in 1916 y!
ierson aas president: fact mem
oEIy 10 shsw the period in WHICH Tue
lume was writer. notwithstanding
,icuIar statement al the Giherc"t sec''