THE SPIRIT OF COBDEN.

Grey River Argus, Volume XIII, Issue 1639, 5 November 1873, Page 2

THE SPIRIT OF COBDEN.

[to the editor.] Sir — Your philippic against Cobden is divided into two parts. In order to treat them the more effectually I purpose taking them in the order they appear in your issue of the Ist inst. I shall premise my remarks by stating that I do not consider it the, duty of an exponent of public opinion to allow personal rancour, whatever be the kind, political or other, to bias that impartial view of a public question which journalists in the interests, not always of their readers, but of truth and justice, should have. Hitherto I and many others have looked upon the Argus as a sort of model West Coast paper, advocating the interests of Greymonth against "the world," with what may be in some respects a laudable purpose ; but, Napoleon-like, riot always caring about : the means so that the end yas attained. . : It is the misfortune not the fault of Cobden that the political divisions of New Zealand will not permit it to go into extravagant fits of joy over the prosperity of Greymouth. ., We have in this island some nine Provinces, each with a miniature Government of its own, each with interests as divided, jealousies as great as those of France and Germany, each striving its utmost .to outrun the others in the race for the lion's share of Government plunder. Since such reprehensible institutions do exist, is Cobden blameable for asserting her rights because they chance tobe antagonistic to thoseofrGreymouth. Though .the community be. small, would they be Englishmen if they looked calmly on and saw their rights taken from them one by one through official misrepresentations and Greymouth greed without a word of remonstrance. I think not. Through the calm indifference or blissful ignorance of Nelson of the value of this part of her Province, Greymouth has had whatever was thought worth asking for. Amongst many things I shall enumerate the railway that Nelson has to pay so dearly for, stone from Cobden to build Greymouth breastwork, timber from the mine for Greymouth piles. ! You may naturally ask what has all this to do with the case " Dinan v. Ray"? just as much as half your leading article on the same subject. It is quite transparent that • the active part taken by a Cobden resident against the encroachments of Greymouth has dictated your criticism of the case. Have teachers no privilege] Are they to be at the mercy of every unlettered ignoramus who chooses to bring a frivolous charge against them that may arise while discharging the duties of their arduous and thankless avocation 1 Is it reasonable that the discipline of a school should be relaxed because a Magistrate entertains some Quixotic notions regarding the treatment of girls? "Let ,the shoemaker stick to his last," or if he have the misfortune to appear before a Court, it is most unjust that he should be cautioned, like a common street; brawler, not to do it again, thus holding out encouragement to those who may be so inclined to prosecute at the * earliest opportunity with the almost certainty of a verdict and damages. And thou, O Press, that pillar of the State, the upholder and champion of the liberties of the subject, how your boasted independence flies before sordid interest and petty jealousies ! I shall conclude by expressing the opinion, without reference to any particular case, that even if a teacher be provoked once in a time somewhat to overstep the limits, it is hot • expedient to prosecute him for common assault, when it is no assault but a just punishment that should be meted out to all those who take it upon themselves to abuse a community for entertaining an opinion contrary to their own. I am, &c, . Justice. Brunnerton, Nov. 3, 1873. [Our correspondent, who must be complimented upon his letter in all but his contemptible insinuation of motives, has cleverly for the convenience of his own argument divided our "philippic" into two parts, whereas whatever was written was an entity, exhibiting what we believed to be a reprehensible paltry spirit diffused through a community by the influence of one or more small spirits, in its midst— an influence exercised, it may be, in thorough conviction as to its goodness, yet practically evil. The incident of the School Committee's action, or part of their action, was selected as an illustration of how, in the abuse of a prerogative, they, were establishing petty tyranny and' family feud, feud, in true keeping; with the spirit which we said had been promoted ; and what we have seen written since certainly goes to confirm this view, and the experienc c that men associated much with th c

youthful mind make mountains of verysmall matters. We assert that the community of Cobden has been wronged, or wronged itself, for years past by not accepting its position as an integral portion of a district or of the Colony, : an4 by preferring to consider itself the outpost of a principality, to .our correspondent's conception and comparison of very small things to very:great. -.Theextent of this evil they are now^, appreciating by the absence of all public "works in their district, and many things, which ,, they | might deserve— the partial result s of mis; representation, insinuation, and. abuse,. qf men and things through foreign media of publication, which were substituted for active interest in the place itself and' its surroundings. On this subject we are.not speaking without accurate knowledge > of, what^was done, and .what s it did. ,As to, the present exhibition of an' eccentric.' jspirit by which the inciclerit of dispute is forgotten, and a lot of little foreign things imported, we do not , care Jfco pursue the subject in the wide field over which the j Committee andthe, local teacher's friends are wandering. If there has been wrong done by the magisterial bench or by anyone near it, : it ; is to. be hoped the matter will be seen to by those who can see it, and', notwithstanding bur correspondent's insinuations, he never has founds and never , will . ,find, : ..represented in these columns "sordid interest" interfering with the. . : '-' upholding of the liberties of . the. subject " against magistrates, police, or anyone ipf^thatilk. And this— again notwithstanding our correspondent's insinuations— .we. hope would be done with ' 'due care J a ! s "Ho the means and the end— -without //personal, rancour," but according to the "dictum of an authority on the liability of an .editor to his personal friends— namely, that, under certain circumstances,; '^he. should have none : should: attack his , own father if he disapproves of hia speeches,! .or-;] ash his: wife's last work if ;he thinks.it'rubbish."] ;=.;-;,.;., j ;■!-