" SPECTATOR" REPLIES TO "J.W."

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXVII, Issue 4237, 14 March 1871, Page 3

" SPECTATOR" REPLIES TO "J.W."

TO THE EDITOB. Sir,— It is no use attempting to argue with "J . W." As soon as you give him a poser he begins to talk about something else. He is evidently imbued with a great deal of the spirit of a small book which is known in colloquial language in Ireland as "The Father and Son." The whole drift of the many columns with which he favours your readers is, that things may be pretty well managed, but if "we" had the sole management the state of affairs would be much improved. The absurdity of calling the Prussians quarrel* some because they defend themselves against their enemies is oa a par with considering the United States quarrelsome because they had a great struggle in defence of justice ami humanity. What is the quarrelsomeness of the United Stahes compared with Mexico, Central America, Bolivia, Peru, or even old Spain, in all of which "we" have had the sole management ? Itt those countries anarchy has been supreme for at least half a century. Surely "J.W." does not hold up the Spanish Court as a moral example to the world ? But, to the question of scheols. My own opinion is ttat in a free country the the State should not interfere with religion in either the churches or the schools. One thing I have remarked — about nine-tenths of the criminals in our commuuity claim to be members of the two denominations which most strongly advocate denominational schools — a very poor comment on prudish fear of contamination. Allow me, in allusion to the first part of my letter, to state that, to my Quakerish mind, quarrelsomeness is not likely to cease so long as the churches continue to bless warlike expeditions, banners, &c , Yours, &c* Speotatoe.