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New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4748, 3 February 1877, Page 2

In his "Address to the De'il" Burns appears desirous of re-habilitating that personification of all evil. The kindlynatured poet half hopes Old Nick may "take thought and mend" his ways, and otherwise would fain think Satan not so bad as he seems. We have heard of more successful attempts to re-habilitate Cain ; and, considering the agrarian squabbles of which ancient and modern history speaks, —the many wars, the tribal feuds, the hatreds, quarrels, fights, and murders occasioned by trespass of man and beast on his neighbour's cultivations, there may be more that might fairly be argued for Cain than at first sight appeal's in the sacred narrative. It might be shown, and indeed it has been argued, that Cain was a careful cultivator of the soil, had fenced in his little plot, and that Abel's sheep and goats broke in, trespassed, and ate up the product of the agriculturist's labours. The not unnatural result—(for the innocence of Eden had departed from both sire and son), was that quarrels arose, blows succeeded,- and- at last the agriculturist slew the earliest squatter. Had the Scripture narrative been merely a record of profane history, and had the story been a tradition merely transmitted through generations of established cultivators, instead of through people who owned ilocks and herds, doubtless some defence of Cain, or at least a palliation of his fratricidal deed, might have been attempted in the interests of the cultivating settlers. We go thus far back to the very dawn of Scriptural history to show that, from the dim twilight of far off antiquity until now, prolific sources of quarrel and bloodshed have been anger and jealousy between the cultivating and pastoral interests. The same cause of quarrel is seen to be altogether too prominent now, and we see repeated examples of its dangerous and sometimes fatal results.' Those who have experience of the disputes which . local feeling and local antagonisms in sparse country communities create in country School Committees, Road Boards, and the like, and know how, to gratify personal grudges, some parents will even go the length cf withdrawing their children from school because some one or othei - of the members of the School Committee are not to their liking, best understand to what a senseless and almost wicked extent personal animosities are permitted to influence and distort public and social duty. Much of this arises from disputes about fencing, trespass of cattle, and other small matters, which would be altogether obviated by the exercise of a little judicious forbearance, a little more cure, the cultivation of some

modicum of a free, frank bad feeling, recriminatory acta,;and then the little community, is set by the ears, until' permanent feuds supplant friendships which neighbourly kindness and fellow-feeling- should ~ establish-• and Sfc Thf h con<iemned cell of Mount Eden Gaol contains an unfortunate fellowbein"- whose life is forfeit: to theiaw,:and who will in ..a . Jew. .. .days r expiate his crime, on J the scaffold,, because a lono- course of personal animosity and. disagreement, trespass of .cattle, personal tlireats, and mistaken law proceedings, between two neighbouring eettlers endpd finally in the - highest' crime known to law. Yesterday at the Police Court a.case parallel in its nature to this quarrelling of neighbours, the., cattle, trespass, personal feuds, threatenings, and destruction of fences;; was .brought before the Magistrates sitting on the- Police Court Bench. A question of disputed boundary liee apparently at' the bottom of the quarrel, and four brothers on the one side and the complainant, .who declared himself afraid of his life on. the . other, make .up the parties to the quarrel. There were the usual high words, the threats, the destruction of "the complainant's fence, and the appeal for protection to the law. Why should not these men endeavour for their own sakes, and the sake, of their, families, to settle the alleged boundary disputes amicably? An accomplished and trustworthy surveyor, unknown to both sides, could be selected, and could settle the difficulty according to right and justice. With the baneful example now before their eyes of the possible end of such quarrels, it is pitiful to see country settlers aggravating each other by taking the law in their own hands. Well might Mr. Barstow, as he did in Court yesterday, caution these disputants against conduct similar to that which led to a lawless death and an impending legal doom/ Let us hope all who require the warning*will lay it seriously to heart. : : ■ . ■ : r