OUR BIRTHDAY.

Auckland Star, Volume III, Issue 622, 9 January 1872, Page 2

OUR BIRTHDAY.

As intimated in our last issue, the Evening! Stae yesterday entered on the third year of its existence. On a journal's birthday it is usual to take note of passing time, and we feel that there are special reasons why in the present case the custom should not be waived. It is said that at Seirra Leone, where death is the rule and the continuance of life the exception, survivors on anniversaries look on themselves as a species of curiosity ,and wonder how on earth it is that they are alive. We have some such feeling to-day as we look back at the past and reflect on the mortality of journalism, The climate of Auckland is evidently an unhealthy one for literary effort, but thank goodness we enjoy rare health. We hare assisted in this city at the obsequies of the Auckland and Thames Leader ; the Morning Advertiser the elder ; its offspring, the Morning Advertiser the younger ; its twin brother, tho News of the Day ; the Tomahawk and Motley, which died of laughing ; the father of the evening press of Auckland, the Evening News ; and its ambitious offspring the Morning News. We have also heard the bells to'l!ing for the departure of the Thames Times and the Coromandel Argus. All these have lived and died during the short period of two years, which has made up the term of our existence hitherto; being on an average almost one paper defunct for each two months: This is certainly a remarkable state of things, and we arc warranted to-day in congratulating ourselves that we have not fallen with the rest of them. During almost all this time we have been in troubled waters, with storms raging around us; and we have been threatened so often with destruction, that the prospect of annihilation at the hands of angry people has become familiar to us. The boisterous weather appears, however, to have acted on us as storms do on the oak; and we flatter ourselves that our interests have become all the more deeply rooted in the kindly feelings of our fellow-citizens, from the rough buffetings we have encountered. Every paper professes to be an " independent journal"; but we think we have established a right to the title, if wo have not as some think, too much established tho right. We have not spared an abuse by whomsoever cherished ; and onejvory subject we have spoken with great plainness of speech. In this way we have offended many who would otherwise have been friends, but we have endeavored to pormit the claims neither of friendship nor of party to influence, when a cause required assistance, or a wrong demanded resistance. We sincerely like to have friends, but wo want no friends, if by friendship we are supposed to close our eyes to folly or condone abuse. We wish to do injury to none, and no one ever suffers from our attack |who does not throw himself in the way when our lanco is levelled at abuse.

We desire to tender our very sincero thanks to our friends for the liberal and generous support we have received; and by continuing to pursue an unfettered and fearless course, wo shall endeavor to present to citizens, what is often boasted of, but seldom attained, a journal thoroughly independent of clique and party.