Retraction, 3/25/1812

We have good reason to believe that the account of the late earthquake, signed John C. Edwards, copied from a North Carolina paper into the National Intelligencer of the 28th ult. if not altogether untrue, was greatly exaggerated; as we find, from a Knoxville paper of a later date, that the Painted Rock, which, in that account, was stated to have fallen down and buckled up the road, retains its old station, unmoved.

Not satisfied with having imposed upon the public by one wonderful account of this phenomenon, a second story has been published, under the same signature, more extraordinary than the first; wherein it is stated; "that a VOLCANO had burst forth at the top of Spear's Mountain, in Buncombe county, which continued to burn with great violence, and to throw up lava, &c. in large quantities, with the most tremendous noise. &c. &c."

This second story, which is told as circumstantially, and with the same plausibility, as the first, is doubtless equally devoid of truth; as the representative of Congress from the district of North Carolina has received letters from thence of a later date, which are entirely silent as to any such extraordinary event. It is to be regretted that this personage, whoever he may be, has no better employment.