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Grey River Argus, Issue 251, 22 August 1867, Page 2

We publish to-day a letter which the hon. member for- the Cpbden district, Mr George Dqinie, has addressed to us with reference to a paragraph we some time ago extracted fi'QW 0. Nelso.ii paperregarding the hon, gentjeinan ; and to 'a letiding article criweiswg ]»s career in the Council that appeared in tliis journal, If any additional proof were needed of this gentleman's indiscretion, his letter supplies it, Whilst not at all astonished at the selfrsufficieut arrogant tone of this epistle, we uiust express our surr priso that any perspji who, like, Mr Donne, can boast of haying been " tqo long personally associated with newspapers to affect an indifference to journalistic criticism," should betray such a lamentable ignorance of the prinpiples. by wljich a}l respeptable journalists regulate their comments on public m.en and their public actions. Mr Donne ought to know and must know, that a journal which hag earned and maintained an honorable place in the ranks of tlje colonial press, would not pern^t its columns to be used '• for the gratification of individual, political, or personal animus." The article which appears to have excited Mr Donne's iudignation did not travel beyond the limits of fair criticism, and the opinions we expressed were the result of a close .acquaintance with Mr Donne's prpceedings in thp N.elson Council. We can assure Mr Donne that no personal considerations induced us to give his name so much prominence in our columns. It was in his character of representative of an important constituency that we had to deal with him, and we felt it our duty to criticise rather severely the mistakeu course the member for Cobden pursued in the Cpuncil. Nor are we singular in the wo .expressed, for we believe that; if the whole of the members of the Council were canvassed, nine-tenths of them would reiterate our own views. If Mr Donne considers our criticism unfair, why docs he not defeud himself properly, iustead of descending to that infallible resort of thin-skinned people — imputation of personal motives. The obscure author whose first book is damned by critics who never saw or knew the writer; usually satisfies his self-esteem by crediting die unfavorable opinions to personal jealousy or enmity. Mr Donne is every bit as sensitive, and quite as foolish as a raw young author who had expected his first production to shake the spheres, but which never survived the reviewers' flagellation. In small communities little men often look big, and notoriety is easily attained. We have no doubt that George Donne, Esq., M.P.C., is a very important person in Brighton, arid probably deserves so to be ', but the halo of local glory no longer surrounds him when he enters the Council Hall at Nelson, and he has to associate with men who have been accustomed to conduct their discussions in a dispassionate reasonable manner. Mr Donne appears to have forgotten this fact, until undeceived by his waut of any real influence in the House. By this time he has, we have no doubt, found out that tact is a necessary quality of a successful politician, just as science is more useful than mere strength in boxing. And if Mr Donne will take our advice, and abandon the "heavy business," and select a more genial " role," he will contribute much to the success of the "Corps Legislatif" which at present treads the "political boards; and Will secure as much applause as will satisfy any reasonable performer.