The Evening Star TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1872.

Evening Star, Issue 2989, 17 September 1872, Page 2

The Evening Star TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1872.

There is exceedingly little news by the Sun Francisco Mail. This is partly to be attributed to the want of arrangement on the part of tlic telegraphic agents —partly, perhaps to judicious care on their parts not to forward intelligence that has already appeared ; and partly to the difficulty of unravelling the mazes of American papers. Setting aside the rumors of a rather extraordinary number of petty wars, begun, proceeding, or talked about, there is not much to interest beyond the commercial news, which is on the whole good.

The Genova Commission appears to bo progressing with its work, and most probably England will find there will be a somewhat heavy bill to pay, although it will be trifling compared with the extravagant demands at first put forward. There can bo no doubt whatever in one instance there was culpable delay in seeking to prevent a vessel sailing: which looked very much like secret connivance somewhere; and although the. Government may have been earnest and sincere, the country will have to suffer through the corruption or neglect of some employe. At Home, Ireland seems t© have given another instance of incapacity for self-government, and that Home Rule would be equal to self-destruction. Some years ago, in order, if possible, to to prevent one section of the people provoking the other to wrath, a law was passed forbidding processions. The flaunting of flags and banners, denoting the triumph of one religious sect over another, is rather a rough, a Gallinacean way Of Using a victory. Were there any religion in those so-called religious sectarians, it would display itself by kindliness of feeling, seeking rather to sympathise with the mortilicatiou of the defeated party than to aggravate it by insult. Such, however, is not the fashion in Ireland. Its people nurse the memory of victory on the one side, and oppression on the other, and every now and again Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, Orangeism and Fcnianism, in some shape and by some name crop up. The law prohibiting processions was at first sulkily obeyed, and perhaps it would have been wise to have allowed a generation or two to have passed before repealing it ; although its operation was somewhat galling through drawing a distinction between that ' country and England and Scotland. To avoid even the appearance of placing the Irish under disabilities, it was repealed, and the first use made of liberty was to rush into riot and to renew that feud which two centuries have not been sufficient to wear out. The riots appear to have been more than orinarily rowdy, and ill-feeling has been renewed in more than its old intensity. Judgingfrom the riots that have taken place, it would appear that fooling on both sides hud gathered strength through being pent up. Lot us hope that, now the effervescence has spent itself, the future will be marked by mutual forbearance.

The strike of agriculturist laborers lias been marked by an event that reveals the lingering of a spirit of meddling between masters and men in favor of a class, that would not be tolerated excepting in a country of landlordism. Whatever their demands, it is for laborers to make them, and for employers to refuse to concede them. It is a fair question of arrangement, if labor is in demand, it should bo paid for, and no (Government can justly interpose to prevent laborers taking advantage of circumstances to improve their position. The harvest was just the time when the laborers on strike were justified in supposing that necessity would have induced the farmers to agree to an equitable arrangement; but

j the opportunity was marred by the au--1 thorities consenting to allow the solcliery to assist in securing the harvest. Wc have known many instances where this has been permitted, when laborers were so fully employed as not to be obtained at any rate of wages; but^ wo never before heard of their services being granted under similar circumstances. Is is time that some outlet was afforded to the Colonics for these farm servants, where no aristocracy has influence to interpose between them and their employers. No doubt it is inconvenient sometimes to pay dearly for work that must bo done; but it is equally inconvenient on the other side to have to give way when work is scarce. There is no reason why the advantage should be solely on one side. Had such favoritism of a class been evinced in the Colonies, the world would have rang with the news of the oppression. In accordance with promise, we expect to sec to-morrow morning a most ample apology to Mr Webb, in the columns of the Daily Times. The report published some time ago, with such exultation, of an alleged debate in the American Congress, concerning the San Francisco subsidy, turns out, as we showed on most conclusive evidence, to be a forgery. We consider our contemporary not so much to blame for publishing it, as for refusing to make the am mule honorable when it was proved false, for the same-evidence was open to the Daily Times as to the Star. It is, however, not a matter to be lightly disposed of, and we think that the Daily Timor, in common with the Colonial press, should take steps to ascertain Avho was the author of such a malicious and atrocious libel. If information cannot be relied upon, newspapers, instead of being an advantage to a country, arc a nuisance. Falsehood is a fearful evil on the smallest scale. Between human beings it brings misery and ruin, but its malefic consequences are indefinitely aggravated when spread by the printing press. Wc consider the honor of our contemporary requires vindication, and, as one of the New Zealand press, shall be glad to join with the rest of the journals of the Colony in supporting any well-directed efforts to expose and punish the author of such a gross imposition.