DR. FEATHERSTON’S BLACKGUARD NEWSPAPER.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume XII, Issue 1289, 9 December 1857, Page 3

DR. FEATHERSTON’S BLACKGUARD NEWSPAPER.

Last Saturday, the Independent, in an article bearing evident marks of Mr. Fox’s liandi. work, published an article containing six columns of close matter, under the title of “ A Word to our English and Australian Friends on the late Elections.” This is, to describe it properly, n summary of all that the beaten party have got to say ibr themselves ; and really intended, not for England or Aus tialia, but for this colony, and especially for the Province ot Wellington. The naughty boys, who have at length got the sound thrashing which they so long deserved, threaten to fetch their “big brother" from Australia, and to tell “their mother” in England. But they are really in hopes that the melancholy story they sobbingly whine out about the wav they have been treated will regain for them the sympathy of their “master,” the Public here, who decided against them when he settled the quarrel at the elections, —and of the boys in the neighbouring schools, —the other Provinces—who are jeering the Featheii-my-Nest set for having been licked so thoroughly, and gi inning at them still more forbearing their pounding so badly. Nobody supposes for a moment that people in England or Australia will read the Independent'« long rigmarole. Still less is there any chance of people not on the spot understanding one half of it. Even if they should both read and understand it, and be thereby induced to sympathise with the poor injured innocents, nobody here cares one lig whether they do or not, Jt is a strange day indeed, when the self-styled champions of “ free institutions ” and “ local self-government.” appeal from the adverse opinion of a majority of the Electors of the Province, to •• Lord Grey" and “a certain large house at the bottom of Down ing street," —namely, the Colonial Office! It is only, however, under cover of such a supposition that any man, or set of men, could have ventured to put into print such a heap of falsehoods as are crammed into the article alluded to. Going to England er Australia, they might possibly be believed by strangers. Here they can bo exposed and laughed at ; and the shameless Press, which has prostituted its privilege, by affording the protection of being nameless to the writer, can be held up to the public scorn and derision it deserves.

The falsehoods, of which we speak, arc of such various kinds and degrees, and so inter woven with a sprinkling of fact, that we should fill our columns if we endeavoured to unravel and contradict them all. We shall therefore confine our remarks to some of the most re markable instances, —of what the Independent calls “ a few truths ivlncli clamour and violence have hitherto suppressed.” The principal portion of these falsehoods, coupled with unfounded calumnies or remarks calculated unjustly to lower the character of their objects, are directed against Mr. Euwaiid Gibbon Wakefield, and his sou Mr. Edward ,1 ebninciiiam Wakefield. Of ’he former it is said that, on his arrival in the colony he “ brought to the task ” of engaging in its politics “ talents sharpened by a long life of political and social intrigue." What does the writer mean by the words which we have underlined Something which he is too cowardly to do more ’han hint at, and which he dare not put his name to. What, however, was the reception which Dr. Featherston and his followers then openly gave the mnn. whom they,now thus anonymously denounce? On the 10th of March, 1853. when he arrived herein the Minerva, Dr. Featherston hastened on board to greet him ; and in a few hours the following Address was presented to him : — TO EDW.IHD GIBBON WAKEFIELD, ESQ. Sir, —We, the undersigned Inhabitants of Wellington beg to oiler you our sincere congratulations, and a hearty welcome, on your arrival in this settlement. Recognizing (as we do) in yon the most able and powerful advocate of Colonization; regarding yon as the Founder of this Colony, and more especially of the various Settlements formed under the auspices of the New Zealand Company and other Associations; knowing fall well ‘.he lively interest you have ever evinced in their progress and welfare—the zeal and ability with which yon have often pleaded and advocated their cause ; hut, above all, appreciating most warmly your strenuous and untiring exertions towards the procuring for ns the Constitution Act recently passed by the Imperial Parliament—we are glad to avail ourselves of the opportunity now offered, to bear, thus publicly, our testimony to the value of the many important services you have rendered—to declare our gratitude for them, and to express our fervent hopes that you may yet have the proud satisfaction ol seeing your anticipations ami predictions, as to the future destiny of New Zealand, fully and completely realized. We would only further beg yon to accept our best wishes for your health and happiness. Wellington, March 10, 1853.

This was signed by 155 persons: foremost among whom were the names of Featherston, Pitzl icrbert, Clifford, .John Johnston, J .yon, Birth, Howard Wallace, James Smith, Pliinmor, Kelham, Carter, Schultze, W. Dorset, Hcvnns, Captain Smith,—and —Thomas APKenzie and James Mltr, the proprietors of the Independent!

II thcc.e last have dilfered from Mr. Wakefields politics, they have had ample opportunity of stating I'aiily the grounds of their dif lerence : but they were well aware then of what his previous life had been, and yet they greeted him in the above words. Nay, more, the leaders among those named not only rejoiced to obtain his aid in polities so long us he agreed with their, but they welcomed him to their suciul circles. Any of the persons who signed that address ought to be ashamed of reproaching Air. Gibbon W'aki-.fii li> with anything which he may have done before they tints addressed him. And yet not only do the Featherston set cast such" foul reproaches upon him, but their obsequious tools, Al’Kenzie anil Muir, lend them the shield of their newspaper from under which to throw their venom in safety. Jt is quite true that Mr. Fox, the probable writer, was not here then : but he, also, was too glad to be associated in England with Mr. Gibbon Wakei jeld in the work of procuring the Constitution. It is next asserted that, “ under the. reality or pretence of illness, he had, after his defeat in the General Assembly of 1854, shut himsell up in his private house, and retired altogether irotn public life and from public gaze.” Can anything be more malevolent? Can anything show more strongly the malicious and enduring hatred with which Dr. Feather, ston and his clique regard Mr. Wakefield for having once opposed them? Air. Wakefield has. happily, many warm and intimate friends, of a//classes, who have deeply sympathized with his severe affliction during the List three years, and who have earnestly rejoiced al the recent improvement of his health. It does not need the testimony of an attached manservant, who lias faithfully attended him during the whole of the. time, or that of a inedi cal friend of the highest ability and character, who has visited him during more than twelve months past, to refute the petty insinuation that he has slummed illness, lie lias been nearly on a death-bed more than ouee duriii” that long period. They must have low. grovelling minds indeed, who yet bear such undying malice after three years of perfect retirement on his part, as to sneer at the infirm, and insult the privacy of his sick couch by a taunt so unworthy of every manly feeling We pity, more than we despise, the writer and the printer of sttch expressions. A large part of the article consists of an endeavour to prove that the aim of all Mr. Makefield’s colonizing schemes and labours has been “ to keep down the working man bv preventing him from buying land.” We shall not at this time go into the arguments bv which the contrary mrty be proved. We shall content ourselves with quoting what was said on the subject by Mr. JJ enter and Mr. Stokes at a public meeting at Barry's Theatre on the sth November, when returning thanks for their election on that day. Mr. Hunter said :—

” the assertion tlint Mr. Edward Gibbon Wakefield had never been the working-mail’s friend was certuinlv something new to him ; lie had always been under the impression that if any man more tliau another deserved that title it was that gentleman,- who, lie need not remind them, bnd spent he might almost say a life-lime in encoitriiging and promoting emigration, which tended it was generally admitted, more than anything else to improve the condition of the labouring classes both at liome ami in the Colonies (i-beers). Having been one of -the original seniors, lie bad many opportunities before he sailed from England of seeing the care and solicitude displayed by .Mr. tVakefield, who at that time superintended all tiie emigration arrangements on bi-hall ol the New Zealand Company, ami be need not inform tiieni that he took good care to prevent the possibility of siicli frightful scenes taking place as have lately occurred on board tile ever to be remembered ship Ann If ilrot. (cheers). lie believed there were very many working men as they are termed, in this country, <n South A nslraha, ami elsewhere, who are now in independent ein-nmstam-es, men of fortune indeed, who would not be above acknowledging ihat they owed their present prosperity and success in life, to the advice and assistance they have received from the author of “ England ami America,” ami the “Art of Colonization” (loud cheers).'’ Air. Stokf.s said

“ A very unfair attack had been made on Mr. Gibbon Wakefield, who had been repri-si-ulcil by his opponents as opposed to the interests of the working classes. But until Mr. Wakefield, had written on rolouiztilion, the subject was viewed by most public men ns an im known, an imdiscovered, country. It was mainly through his exertions that the system of giving away tile waste lands of a colony by a Governor to his lavomites was put a slop to, r.ud the prim-iple established that the wtrue lan,ls of a colony should be sold, and the proceeds devoted to iuimigrntion and public works, an.l he (Mr S.) only repented ilia hingitage formerly used by Mr. Wakefield's opponents when he said that for having done this, Mr. Wakelield deserved to be considered the benefactor of tiie wmkii'g classes, for in having ell'ei-ted this elumge, through hi- iu.-trnmeiualiiy limnsands—aye, tens of thousands—of the working classes, who by his means had been enabled to bcconie colonists, had been made happy and prosperous (<-ln-ers).”. These cheers anil loud cheers resoumlctl through :i room containing-100 or him people, the huge majority of whom were of the class alluded to. It will lie a long while before tin' empty snarls of the sham-Democrat Fox, or the vicious murmuis of those determined enemies to Democracy, the proprietors of the Independent, provoke cheers of the hearty kind with which the working-men of ibis City thus responded to praise of Air. Gibbon Wakefield's ellorts on their behalf.

The last charge against him is that of being in “unnatural alliance" with (he Nominees, —namely J.udlam, Hunter,Stokes, and Aloore. after spending years in denouncing the “ bureaucratic party” of which the/«</epe«dent says they are tne leprescntativcs. This •stupid charge has already been amply answered Air. Wakefield denounced the system under which ft Governor ruled without consulting elected representatives of the people. While (hat system lasted, the above gentlemen defended and assisted the Governor in carrying it out, as they believed, with as much benefit as possible to the colony. Hut when the first elected rulers of the people abused their trust, mid established a new ’• bureaucracy'' by multiplying offices and corrupting the independence of the members thereby, they came iorward to help the people in the elliirt to re Ibrin so vile a state of things; and it would have been very natural that Air. Gibbon Wakefield, if in good health enough, should have joined with them. As it was, his sun did so, wo trust with lasting success. We had nearly passed over the assertion, that “Air. Fitzherbert. as a debater proved more than a match I'orMr. Gibbon Wakefield.'' A sufficient proof to the contrary is found in the fact, that the Council more than once made Air. Fitzherbert apologise for timin' temperate language from which he could not restrain his tongue, when sninrting under the

repeated and complete def.-ats which Im re. I eeived Irom Mr. Walmlicld's sup.-rior know ledge, closer argil I. Ix-tu-i- temper. more popular addre.-s. Mr. Fitzherlmrl’s I gradual increase of power over the Connell arose in no way from ihe force of logi,’or lea- | smi : but simply from the imseriqmlous nsid ol places, contracts, ami other Government layers to buy votes. Mr. jlkrninguvm Wakki’ikld of course, comes in lor his share of abuse. Fifty itvk j tmms is the name ot lather or sun mentioned I in the article ! The son is in good health and - spirits, in full possession of all his bodily and | mi -,tal faculties, mid appears to be endowed j with that thick skin which is absolutely essen- I tial to any active politician in this place. He < is always able ti> defend himself from these lying attacks,. whenever lie thinks it worth w tile* , and his name seems to Become more popular, the more ho is abused by Mr. Fox, Ml. Ivxowi.es, and such other small fry in the Indepcudf-nl. \\ c must, however, notice two or thtee neuters with regard to which mention is made of him. Il is said that he “attempted to supply hi- i Giber s place that Im “partook ol'tlu- family Imhng of making use of calspaws to do tn'e work they lear to face themsi-lves;” that he is only Gibbon Wakefields representative.'' c hi-ailily congratulate him on the simcess ol the attempt to represent, or supply the place, 01, his father. Jle cannot wish for higher praise than that of being considered a worthy chip ot urn old block.” As to " catsiancs,” there arc few men so fearless as both the AVakkfiei.ds have been, in facing either the legitimate, consequences of their political acts, oi the mean, lying, and cowar.ilv bi-canse anonymous, attacks made upon them in such a newspaper as the Independent. M’Kenzie mid Muir might look at home, and mark how thetj arc being made “ catspaws." in order to serve the malignant revenge and mortilied vanity of Lox, Featherston, l-'itzlierbert, and the rest of the jiretendcd Democrats whom the people have found out. It is asserted that “all the Wakefield systems have but one aim—the benefit of the Wakefield family ;’ —that “ the promotion to well pmd offices of themselves, their brothers, nephews, mid other relatives, has attended the operations of tiie Wakefield system from the beginning.” Now. what are the facts ? No one will deny to the memory of William W akki-ield, who is buried here, and Arthur Wakefield, whose remains lie at W’airau. that they used their offices and spent their salaries to the advantage of the public rather than their own. There are, or were recently, twenty blood relations of Air. Gibbon Wakefield in various parts of this colony. The only ones among them holding paid offices have been Air Dillon Bell and Air. Daniel W akeficld, both of whom accepted offices under Str George Grey without any interference or advice irom Gibbon or Jerningham. W hat shall be said, however, of Air. L’ox, the writer m the Independent, who took advantage of the ’•Wakefield system ” to hold “well paid office” as Agent to the New Zealand Company, and who did not scruple, while holding that office, to feather his nest by buying up at a cheap rate the “ compensation scrip” which they issued ? It is said that Mr. J. Wakefield “Had jiuldii-ly and in print to retract (lie ciiarf’es” (bronslit i.y Mrs. Swain asainst Mr. Clill'.ird) “ and apoliij’i.-'e—ilionL’li with liis usual perceptions of gene-1 rosily lie did nut do so till the apology was dragged out of liini tiy “afro-ml” whom Mr. Clilfonl -ruliuds-sioni-d” to art in tiie matter.’’

This is simply false. The writer knows it [ to be false. When the Independent once before i so treated the matter, Air. John -Johnston ’ begged Mr. Wak.'field to believe that neither j 1 he nor Mr. Clili’ord were in any wav parties!'' to such statements.. We have no doubt but L that, on this repetition of the lie. Air. Wake - ■} field will require Messrs Johnston and Clifj' ford when they return from .Ahuriri and' 1 Canterbury, to give the lie in this matter to ; J Mr. L’ox. or whoever the anonymous slanderer L in the Independent may be. The fact is that ’ t Mr. Wakefield, of Ins own accord, promised i' Mr. Clifford that he would, so soon as he was ‘ convinced that it was right to do so. give him !, a written acknowledgement as to how far he j i had been led into unjust reflections on Lis p character by Alls. Swain's statement. Pre-! 1 vious engagements in the country having de I' Inyed Air. Wakefield in re-examining Airs, i! Swain ami writing a long letter afterwards, j t Mr. Johnston called to ascertain the reason of I’ the delay—Mr. Wakefield having vohintoercd P to write it, if satisfied, before Mr. Johnston I. knew anything of the matter. Half-a-dozen ■ ] civil words, containing tin* above expLmation, i i were .",11 that passed between the latter mid 1 Mr. Wakefield. Mr. l’ox. or whoever writes! 1 the lies in the Independent, would make it ap- :, pear ns though Mr. John Johnston called I upon Mr. Wakefield as .Mr. Clifford’s Imlhj. to ' •' drag ” that out of him wliieh he would not p otherwise have given. Now we do not think I i Mr. Johnston likely to act in that character I j far anybody. Nor do we believe Mr. Wake- i field tn be coward enough, either to be intimi- 1 dated by any one into doing that which he ' dm s not think right, or toshrink from allbr.ling ' the amplest reparation to any one to whom ! he might have done injustice on false inl'or- i mation. The anonymons coward who writes ;

in the Independent cannot appreciate the courage of doing reparation without being threatened: and. therefore, feeling safe from any personal I'onsi'quences so long as .M’Kenzie mid Muir do not give up his mime, he raps mil the bare faced lie that " mi apology was dragged out of Mr Wakefield by a friend " The foul aspersions, east by Dr. Featherston on the candidates opposed to him, are repeated and enlarged upon, under the pretence of explaining them away, by the anonymous blackguard who writes in lite Indepen dent. Ile asserts that “ On the ‘ Wnlielichl ticket.’ there were at least tiro candidates to ivhmn it was very well hurwn the harshest of the expressions above used did apply thiit “ in :t very manly speech which Dr. Featherston <h-liveieii he intimated that lie never would put in n position of public trust men to whom such imputations as we have | mention'-d attached,” lie adtls, •• IFZo/u the expressions glanced at was very welt known and understood. It was perhaps not uimatnrul that those emulidiiles v.lm were not obnoxious to the charge should be vety angry al its assumed generality—hut they must remcinbt i

(hat yOu cannot touch pitch without being dvlilcd, am: ' that if they chose Io mix themselves up with plimdei- 1 ers of (lend men’s estates, \e." to take them by the ' luiml. to give all their aid in placing them in the high > position of trust which n Provincial Coimeillor hills, | it is their own act, and they have no more, right to con - I plain thtin the pigeon bud when the fowler who (-aught I him among the crows proceeded to wring his neck."

! Ju short, the ch;irim is :i'.r . : n m-serfud t-»| Io at Itu.l bro<>\' the ('andidnles. but the I acctisor dan s Hut Haiti*? citltrr hi.umi !f « r ’ h< .•? I whom he And lhe candidates inI iioeeilt ol these arc* quietly told that | they are aiiswcrtibh- for mixing themselves up with persons not specified, who are alleged bv i unknown a tensers to have committed ci ini KS 10l the deepest dye’ Perhaps, however. Messrs. ■ APKenzie and Muir may yet smart for ‘■(.•boos i ing to mix themselves up with ” such anonyI moils slander. ■ The writer marvels that “ any persons calli ing themselves r.-spcrtable could countenance I toe ak'dield party,” and denounces as | ” strange allies” of that party, Acchdeacon Uaueiem) for his active support c.f Dr. Welch, ! and the Lev Aiithur Baker for attending tm* public meetings as a lis'eti'T. and after wards voting “ for the whole ticket (including . the plunderers, Ac.)’’ A manly and convincing letter irom the Arcluleaffiu in reply, a copy of which we publish to-day thoroughly i explains the reasons why persons so deservedly respected as those have at length openly and | vigorously opposed Dr. Featherston and Mr. ' rox ; and it at the same time proves, in a ■ j startling manner, how vindictive and arbitrary •, must be the disposition of Dr. Fea iit eksion. | wm?n he duns not scruple grossly to misrepresent II private conversations, or to seek the illeyal dis- ■ \franchiscnient of those, whose votes he seeks to obtain by the most disgraceful means ajter he has failed to deprive them of the privilege. Our extracts from the Auckland newspapers ‘ will show how thoroughly all parties then? condemn and ridicule the conduct of the expiring faction. We shall relnrn to this subject on a future occasion, principally to show how spindully Mr. Fox, or whoever is the anonymous blackguard that writes in the Independent, resents the active part which, men of smalt means are now taking in politics. Mr. Fox and the In dependent thus opiutly display the hollowness of their pretensions to any regard for “ the people.*’