THE LECTURE ON RECREATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume III, Issue 637, 27 November 1865, Page 5

THE LECTURE ON RECREATION.

To tho Editor of the New Zealand Herald. Sin, —I think I am justly ontitlod to a little space in ' our columns, for some remark* on your reporter's criticism of the »bov<j lecturo, if indeed a criticism it can bo called. It is the first time in ray life that I have been called nairow or intolerant, charges ngain«t which I feel not tho t-mulleßt e incern to defend inyself. I c in leave it to the g->od sense oI the audience on Friday night, if they should happen . lo see your reporter's remarks, to decide »lio ismoil 1 narrow. As to orntoric.il display it is of course a 1 matte' of individual tiste, your reporter having a 1 perfect right to his particular tasto, as I have to mine ; on tho question of what oratory is and what its use, I do not think that he and I would havo anything whatever in common. But sir, wiat I f-iel bound to cull attention to, i' the fact that tho reporter has reported nothing ; ho has simply jiiven his particular opinion, which may or may not be of any imi ortanco, especially sinco he has not given one single reason for h dding it. Instoad of reporting something, which, when I saw him there, 1 innocently thought was his proper business, he has fallen foul of me, leaving your readers utterly in tho dark as to what I did say ; grossly misrepresenting, by fastening on to me some ideas ihat ho must have been cogitating in his own mind, when, as I think, ho ought to have been reporting, if, as I presume, he had a free admission to the locture for that very purpose. He has not given your readers one single thing that I sai l in the lecture, but contents himself with saying that he " could not follow me," and then calls me narrow and intolerant, &c., as though this followod from his not being able to follow mo; whereas it might occur to some one that the vory opposite conclusion would follow; of this all would havo beon able to judge, if he had taken the trouble to report. I appeal to the whole audienca of Friday evening whether I attacked any person. It i* not my habit to atwck persons but things, and that I shall do when I deem them injurious to the morals ol the people. When he says that I wished all recreu tions to bo conformed to my liking, he says what is utterly false, for 1 repeated.y stated tlie very contrary. Unless ho was either asleep or cogitating his own ideas and when he should have been reporting, he knows quito .well that to dramatic representations and liorso racing in themselves I raised no objection whatever, but quite the (jonlrary. I gave mj objections to, and raised my protest against them, as they exist. If lie said anything at all, he was bound in honor to givo these objections, and then answer them if lie can. This would much better have become him, as a ropoiter, than indulging in such an ungontlemanly personal sneer as i* contained in tho following words: —"He (ref'rrii g to mo) " did not inform his audience in whose stable he hail hoen trained, or on what stage he made his fir3t appearance." I think, sir, that reporters have a certain 1 liberty to express their opinions on what they report. ' But when they totally neglect their work of reporting, palm upon the public representations grossly | false, and then on those misrepresentations found an j. ill-mannered personal atack, they are likely to become f a nuisance rather than a public good ; and the least i wo can ask is, that instead of sheltering themselves 3 under oditorial patronage, thoy should como out openly and give their individual view of the mattorß,

a' I give mill", and let tho public have an opportunity of judging witii whom there is most of bigotry and intoleiance. I am, Sir, yours truly, Samuel Edgeb. Pftrnell November 2nth. P S.—For the s tisfaotion of your rep >rte>-, I m •* prv that my training i- indicated bv a first-clasp dipl ma nf B in the London University [We willing affo-d Mr. Fdger's lett-r insertion ill our column', and our reporter to answer the charges made against him, which, from his long ex perienee with the pres9, on first-'lass papers at home, wo feel quite sure he is able to do. — Ed. N.Z.H.]