The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1873

Evening Star, Issue 3109, 5 February 1873, Page 2

The Evening Star WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1873

We were much amused this morning at the self-complacency of onr contemporary as displayed in the foot note to Mr Cargill’s reply to the unwarrantable attack upon that gentleman and Mr Street, as members of the School Committee. Xn those few lines the public are gravely assured that “ the Bail)/ Times very often does fulfil the honorable function of leading public opinion.” Accompanying this piece of news, Messrs Cargill and Street are threatened with another visitation of wrath, and must be terrified at the prospect before them of a repetition of a wigging such as they received from our redoubtable contemporary. In fact, we wonder at their temerity in daring to reply to so formidable an adversary. How can they expect to walk the streets in peace, under the terrible apprehension of that awful visitation that must conic upon them when the next bolt is hurled from the thuuder factory of the Daily Times ? Are they not told that sometimes it leads, sometimes it follows public opinion, just exactly' like a man’s reputation, which our lively French writers toll us follows him like his shadow, sometimes longer, sometimes shorter than himself. Only tliiuk, too, of the weapons it has at command, and the facilities for attack and defence which neither Mr Cargill nor Mr Street can make use of. They, poor bodies, must tight openly, straightforwardly, and honestly: defend themselves with a simple statement of truth. They have not even the privilege of the support of their fellow committee-men, who have agreed with them as to the best method of conducting the affairs of the School Committee. Their object is lost if they defend themselves behind the shield of a vom de plume. We sadly fear that when the second luxtehing of viperism emerges into light, they will be doomed to wander amongst their fellow-townsmen : Remote, unfriended, melancholy, jslmv. The prospect must bo horrible, appalling ! The vexy suspense must be torture ; and when that wonderful “Bull” that is to come docs come, those two poor com-mittee-mien are shut up. Even time will not shrive them from the curse of those two terrible leaders, and they will look hack in sorrow, singing— I’ve lately had two spiders Crawling upon my startled hopes. * * * * * Yet still they crawl, offensive to my eyes ; I would have some kind friend to tread upon ’em.

Perhaps, in the bravery of their hearts, and in their confidence in the power of truth, our doomed follow-townsmeu may imagine we arc nervously afraid on their account. They must not hatter them* selves that wc are apprehensive without reason. Our fears are excited by consideration of the weapons with which Hie “ sometimes leader of public opinion ” is invested. It must be remembered that it is a corporation, and eouseqtlehtly has ‘‘neithe'r a body to bo kicked nor a *ool to bo payed. It

is evident from this definition, it must he a nonentity, not even having the get-at-'ahleuess of one of those spurts that Mr Pkehles tells us of, whose mission is, without pay, to attend to calls at dreary seanees to satisfy the curiosity o doubting mystery mongers. Having, therefore, no personal identity, iesponsibility ceases, and it one m,I J ■judge from the results, leaders ot all colors and all hues, leaders true and false, leaders on all subjects, expressing every variety of opinions, are poured into the editor’s box, taken haphazard, and sent forth to the world to lead public opinion. Such a brnbo ot vanity is a splendid receptacle for the productions of lame, weak, spiteful, and unscrupulous writers. They arc shielded by the cloak thrown over the personate ot a newspaper. It docs not mattci i one day’s article stands directly opposed to that of a prior publication : although they may be both wrong, another on the same subject may chance to he right, hor instance, this morning’s attack on bpintualism is but a reply to one that appeared a short time back affirming it to bo a “great fact.” How many more attempts to lead “ public opinion on that subject will be made, depends upon the contents of the limbo ot vanity. What chance, then, has the visible against the invisible—the individual against the host of Belial, whose vocation it is to make — The worse appear the better cause.

Misrepresentation is looked upon as no crime, falsehood is not considered a thing to be abhorred ; the only aim appears to be to draw exaggerated pictures ot the drawbacks to the Colony, and to paint in the darkest colors the characters and principles of its public men. It ‘public opinion ” is led in a right direction by our contemporary, it is by accident, not as the consequence of well weighed thong i . When, therefore, the weapons so unscrupulously used by the Daily lime* arc considered, its changeableness, yonomousncss, unscrupulousness, dark-sidedness a paper so various that it seems to be Not one, but all mankind’s epitome ; Stiff in opinion, always in the wrong. Is everything by starts, and nothing long, we may reasonably fear for tlie fate of our worthy citizens dragged so unwarrantably into prominent notice. We have the more sympathy with their situation because we coincide with their explanations, and have already endorsed their ideas.