Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1864.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume III, Issue 160, 5 February 1864, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Times. NAPIER, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1864.

Before the invention of the art of printing, men’s ideas were communicated each to the other by the simple process of speaking, or, upon special and most remarkable occasions, by writing. To those ancient men to whom the “ daily paper” or the “ weekly news” was a bidden mystery, an abstract idea, not easily compassed by ordinary minds, such a specimen of that which was in store for their more enlightened descendants in the shape of an issue of the Hawke’s Bay Herald could never have come within the most imaginative conception of our darkened forefathers. Even to us, who have been long partakers of the weekly doses of mercenary twaddle administered by our fortunate contemporary, the effervescence of last Saturday is one of the most extraordinary—one of the most reraakable—instances of the proceedings of a libertine and licentious press which it is possible to conceive.

Not content with finding fault with the doings of fdat Government which has been its main stay —its great source of profit, our contemporary now finding that that Government is rapidly falling into a minority, turns round and repudiates being its special organ. Whatever the faults of Mr. McLean may he, it will be difficult to find amongst them anything approaching to inconsistency or to a want of generosity. We are, therefore, greatly grieved to see "that that paper which hanled him as the saviour of the Province, — which then repudiated the idea of drawing comparisons between the past, the present, and the future of Mr. McLean’s public career, should now, in the day of that gentleman’s tribulation—in the hour when he most needs support, turn round, and tacitly admit that it is ready to sell that gentleman and all his interests to the highest bidder. Well may philosophers and moralists—well may men given to ponder upon the great power of the press and its abuses—express their horror at that libertine disregard of truth—that total want of fixed principles —which renders it doubtful whether that institution is a great curse or a great blessing. Commend us to that journal which, disregarding the vile and sordid love of filthy lucre, looks to and writes in support of some great and grand principle, rather than to make itself the engine of mere profits. What ■can the people expect, if that great artery of the expression of the opinions and ideas becomes corrupt and foul, but the entire upsetting of all their hoped for and preconceived notions of the freedom and the stupendous powers of the press.

We have long foreseen the great change coming over the spirit of the Herald’s dream. It is not in the nature of things that a paper founded upon corruption, living upon corruption, and flourishing upon corruption, can be anything but heartlessly and hopelessly corrupt.

It has been our lot to point out upon more than one occasion that sooner or later Mr. McLean’s Government would be found wanting. Of this we felt prophetically certain, and we also felt sure that nothing would he more certain than that the Herald would be the first rat to leave the sinking ship.