THE COLONIST. NELSON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1858.

Colonist, Issue 26, 19 January 1858, Page 2

THE COLONIST. NELSON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 19, 1858.

" As truth is truth, And, told by halves, may, from a simple thing By misconstruction to a monster grow, I'll tell the whole truth."

Sheridan Knowles,

We have received a letter from Mr. Alfred Saunders, expressing his disapproval of the manner in which our paper has lately been conducted, and requesting the withdrawal of his name from the list of those who subscribed for it. As that request belongs to the Publisher, an excellent individual, who resigned an improving business, to oblige Mr. Saunders and sundry others by coming here for public purposes, we gladly leave it with him to comply with the same, or otherwise as he may judge expedient. As for ourselves, we are indifferent either way.

Several days before the favour of the said communication, we had restored our Editorial responsibility to the worthy hands of our Publisher ;— for a veritable exposure of certain decisions of Magistrates in both Richmond and Waimea West had created anything but patriotism in "high quarters;" and the present Editor (pro tern.) was blamed for making public, facts about which he solely remarked, —"So much for even-handed justice." As we had apprehended that the publication of public abuses accorded well with the mission of the Colonist here, we never felt the least compunction for this small contribution to the vox populi, the audible spirit of the people. And, therefore, feeling that a certain animus of popular independence, a calm devotedness to the interests of the weak and less-informed, " did not stand where it should," we resolved at once to free ourselves from every influence unworthy erect manhood, or that we felt to be so. Nor were we unmindful of the fact that several of the parties on "the right side" had their names on the subscribers' list, like the worthy member of Waimea South. To that list we here intended to refer, but we see-the printing of it is discontinued. So far, part of Mr. Saunders' desire must be realized. And as wehave no ambition to be under the dictation of any parties, especially men whose political bias is on the side of those whom Mr. Saunders has pretty freely abused, we have felt the less reluctance in at once clearing away from the least semblance of deriving benefit editorially under their shadow, wonderfully encouraging though it may be. Neither do we very particularly wish Mr. Saunders' " name to appear," great and authoritative as it may possibly become, to be a sevenfold shield of anything in the Colonist " of a most improper and injurious character." It may be presumed that extreme statements are not quite new to him, prudent, select, and accurate in the use of terms and in the enunciation of sentimental or political proprieties, as he may fancy himself to be. Wo have some faint impressions that he is not the most accomplished of persons, at least in these respects ; he certainly has now and then appeared not over nice.

"Mischievous socially, in publishing violent personal attacks," we have never been. If on political grounds we have touched the vanity of any one 'ispiring, in almost utter unfitness, to be a public man, why all we can say is " the more's the pity" for any necessity of this sort. And Mr. Saunders, one might have thought, need not be so very sensitive on such points; w r e do not affect any emulation. As for misrepresentation of current prices, all we can say is, the printer is a careful man, and will only print what appears to be carefully reported. We presume he has no objections, like some of his betters, to improve upon any suggestions in a becoming spirit.

Mr. Saunders proceeds in his superlative style. "_1 most liberal, &c, system of Education," he says we oppose. We hope to live to enlighten the gentleman on this subject,—one, which if rightly unfolded may convey a little improvement to Mr. Saunders himself. Meanwhile we take leave to say that, to our; humble thinking, its chief liberality consists in giving plenty of words, and spending freely large sums of money under an administration upheld by legal, but not the less inequitable power; we can only say we regard both it and its abettors as promotive of extortion and oppression. Moreover, we tell Mr. Saunders, that all such systems, however good in some of their details, are neither calculated to produce respect for labourers as such, nor that educational endeavour which friendly rivalry of voluntary parental effort in the activity of its independence, if united with State provisions, would more nobly achieve. This is our opinion, and we opine we are free to propagate and defend it either with or without Mr. Saunders' influential and impressive sanction.

With regard to payment of members of Council, so far from opposing it, we have formally admitted its correctness, in general principle. But whether we should in certain cases " except to it" is another affair. If Mr. Saunders be correct when he says that " any representation at all" of the working classes iB caused " alone," or solely, by the said payment,—then, we can only say, we are very sorry for it. Our opinion of public spirit is not quite so low, nevertheless, as that of our correspondent. Something of the working classes we also happen to know, and we believe they form right views of all great matters, views as sound as even those of any colonial economist; and we persuaded ourselves they have not much opinion of the value of any man's services, as a working man, if he could not contrive to represent

them without the miserable shillings provided by the Council's wisdom.. At the same time, we repeat, all talent either in Council or out of it deserves its marketable remuneration. .<. .

If we have done wrong by Mr. Barnicoat, we think he does not require Mr. Saunders' championship. He is as we said, a shrewd, we mean a really clever man, and has no need for any shield bearer. When we said something about his being spared from the ranks of the Council, all we meant was there were "few others" that could be spared from the old members—as fit and proper men. Saunders is wanted for the foreground— Elliott for the Wairau, &c.—Ward, Parker, Wells, &c. for Committees—and Monro for everything, so that Mr. Barnicoat being in somewhat of an independent position was the fittest for the vacant chair, so thought all, and all voted for him, a sufficient compliment we think to render Mr. Saunders' service somewhat gratuitous.

A word to the honorable member of Waimea South, at parting. We are not in the least surprised by his favour. But we would sincerely say, in all kindness, we esteem it as a matter of regret, that one like himself, a man of redundant energy, should exhaust himself with lesser concerns, and not furnish himself with the means of discerning between occasions of salient humour and personalities, between the aim of unflattering journalism, urging forward from week to week, by various efforts alternately stimulant and moderating, a young people in a state of common colonial inertness both intellectual and political, and vulgar personalities which we detest. Our darts, if we use any, are for public men as such, and only for the fair game of their sayings and doings on public grounds only. We therefore shake off the dust cast upon us.

Besides, if any person glance over the pages of the Colonist he will find that excepting in harmless play, always beneficial to a man of the right stamp, we only cultivate the seed of a diversified welfare under the best treatment which duty requires. At all events we have no selfish schemes or aggrandisement of any species before us. Even pecuniary considerations, potent as they generally are, and fully entitled to them as we may be, are scarcely seen by us in the distant regions of adVenture. These being the principal features of our connection with the Colonist, the interests of which, for the sake of the settlement, whatever men may say or dream, we shall zealously promote either in seclusion or in Nelson, —we part with our Correspondent hi peace, and once for all bid him adieu.

" To the Editor of the Colonist. " Sir, —My name having for many weeks been published as a subscriber to the Colonist, I hope I am not making an unreasonable request in now expressing a hope that it will not be published again, because, although I did very cheerfully subscribe towards the establishment of a,second paper in Nelson, I never intended to subscribe to a paper conducted as the Colonist has lately been; and I feel that I ought not willingly to allow my name to appear in connection with what 7" now consider to be a publication of a most improper and injurious character. '' If you wish to know the reasons th at have led me to form such an opinion of your paper, I may briefly state that I believe the Colonist has been mischievous socially by very frequently publishing violent personal attacks upon individuals under anonymous signatures; commercially, by grossly misrepresenting the current prices of our produce; and, politically, by endeavoring to excite the working classes to commit political suicide by opposing a most liberal, beneficial, and increasingly appreciated system of Education; and that small payment to members of the Provincial Council, by which alone the working classes are enabled to obtain, in that Council, any representation at all.

'' I must add, that I have never seen a more inexcusable misstatement, or a more absurd attempt to deny the undoubted merits of a most valuafre public man, than that contained in your leading article of the Bth inst., in which you say, ' as few others of the old members of the Council could be spared from its ranks, Mr. Bamicoat was placed in the chair.' If, Sir, you had asked any of the old members, or if you had looked at the published proceedings of the late Council, you would have found that any one of the old members could have been better spared from ' its ranks' than Mr. Bamicoat.—l am, &c.

"Alfred Saunders."