The Globe. WEDNESDAY MARCH 6, 1878.

Globe, Volume IX, Issue 1247, 6 March 1878, Page 2

The Globe. WEDNESDAY MARCH 6, 1878.

There are a class of journals in tlio colony which arrogate to themselves tlio solo guardianship of what they call the rights and privileges of the people, and they bespatter with abuse all those who do not conform to their way of thinking. Not content with calling names, they are never tired of misrepresenting the opinions of those opposed to them. Instead of discussing public questions in a calm and judicial spirit, so that the truth may be ascertained, they are not above any petty artifice to gain an apparent victory. Conscious of the weakness of their own arguments, they avoid reasoning altogether. Those who oppose Sir G. Grey aud his policy, we are told, look upon the people as always ignorant, selfish, and besotted. Of course, the assertion is destitute of truth. No attempt even is made to show that such views are given expression to in any of the Opposition journals. The Ministerialists know better than to condescend to honest weapons. Misrepresentation and abuse are their favourite means of defending their cause. They know, of course, that some few may for a time believe their statements and applaud their vituperation. But we can assure them that the working men of Canterbury are not the fools they take them for. The labouring classes are quite able to think and judge for themselves, and are not likely to take for their guides, journals whose views are so manifestly formed in order to rise on the top of what they hope will be a popular demonstration in favour of the Grey party. If wo cared to take the trouble we could reproduce, from those very journals themselves, more violent abuse of Sir G. Groy than has ever appeared in the columns of those who have throughout consistently opposed him. Only a very short time ago the leading organ of the Grey party in Canterbury charged Sir G. Grey with being a revolutionist in ambuscade, and with attempting to reduce the Houses of Parliament to mcro cyphers. Such expressions of opinion, which occasionally make their appearance, indicate, we suspect, the existoneo of a strong misgiving on [the part of our opponents of the position which they occupy. But, whatever their own inmost thoughts are, we can assure them that the public of Canterbury will not bo misled. We have only to refer to the utterances of those journals a short time ago, on the questions in which they now profess to take so deep an interest, to show how rapidly they have altered their views, and their motives for doing so are so apparent that no one is deceived. Our opponents profess some curiosity to know what course the Opposition journals here will take on the arrival of Sir G. Grey in Christchurch, aud, measuring other people's corn by thenown bushel, conclude that those journals will either give way to rage, or considerately occupy their attention with some far away matter. As far as we ourselves are concerned, we can assure our anxious opponents that we are not ashamed of the course we have hitherto taken, and when Sir George comes to Christchurch we will try to keep our senses about us. Unlike some of the Premier's slavish admirers, we will not lose our wits in consequence of the presence amongst us of so distinguished a visitor. Nor do wo think the people of Canterbury will either. They will no doubt listen calmly to what the Premier has to say in defence of his conduct. We shall no doubt learn something new as to the motives of the Government in robbing us of our land fund, aud the Premier's attempted veto of the Land Bill. Wo shall hear some more treason talked under the guise of a reply to a purely imaginary attempt to tax the colonies, and we shall be told ihat we are doing enough when we are bearing the cost of defending ourselves against the enemy, without contributing to the Imperial revenue ! We have in a former article indicated one or two points upon which the Premier might praise the people of Canterbury. But wherever he has goue hitherto, he has also been liberal with his promises. We shall be curious to know what gifts are in store for us at his hands. He cannot well promise large expenditure on local works, for if he had not robbed us of our laud revenue we would have had more than enough for all our arguments. He cannot declaim against the locking up of our land against settlement, and promise to throw it open, for he has but to use his eyes, while travelling over the provincial district, to see that our hind laws have, in the past, been the means of making the 'district the most wealthy and prosperous in New Zealand. We are satisfied, however, that the Premier wi)j not he at a loss for subjects upon which to address the electors.