THE OTAKI VAGR ANCY CASES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 9, 1 October 1880, Page 2

THE OTAKI VAGR ANCY CASES.

TO THE EDITOB OF THE JtYNAWATC HERALD. Sir,— '-Give us justice," are the first words of "H. H. M'Donald's" letter, in which he defends the " two young men of rather high connection wjth money in pocket " for taking posae3Bion of my cottage and stealing my hard-earned food — and tliea he proceeds to be moat unjust, and says hard things of me which are not true, and insults me aud my people — calls me a " nigger," and " a mortal whose fellows are till this dale cut down with cutlasses in their own country, aud reckoned as wild beastn." Sir, lam a colored man, a native of Santo Antonio —a Portuguese, and if I have blood in my veins from a downtrodden race, it makes me feel kindly towards them, and rejoice that their cry of "Give us justice" has been heard by the great nations, and slavery has been put outside the law of man; and if any people are cut down aud treated as wild beasts, the shame rests on the oppressors, not the oppressed. 1 hough I am an ignorant man, my sense of right and wrong is keen ; and these are my words written for me in answer to "H. H. M'Donald," who I could meet— man to man — and amongst his own people, bring him to confusion and shame over his own words ; but he has lived, like his sheep, always on the same run, and knows as iittlo of the real world, over which I have travelled by laud and water, and become acquainted with nearly every couutry, and seen^ many strange customs; and let ma tell him that every people look upon certain acts as bad — and to take possession of a man's house and steal his property may not be considered bad at Horowhenun, but it is by honest man all the world over, and where there is no law, such offences lead to the shedding of blood. Why discuss the quality of my cottage, or of tho food stolen? Does it affect the question ? In case it does, let the truth be known — the cottage is not an "uncivilised hut," but built of weatherboards and shingled : and here I may raentiou that I saw the men unfasten the door, open it, and enter the cottage: the food stolen was not " cold spuds,*' and (> a slice of dirty damper," but' potatoes and meat whioh were cooking on my fire, and bread, which I bought at the baker's at Otaki, was taken from my cupboard, besides condiments — sugar, &c. I never have flour or damper, I buy bread and biscuits at the Gtaki stores, — and my bills will show that I speak the truth, so the " cold spuds" and " slice of dirty damper" must have been stolen from an *' uncivilised hut " elsewhere, and probably formed the dinner for these '' two young men of rather high connection with money in pocket," who, when they saw that I had a bad suspicion of them, should have shown their high breeding and satisfied me that I was wrong, instead of confirming my suspicions aud taking advantage of my position. It is right as " 11. H. M'Donald " says, " to clothe the naked and to feed the hungry," but his " firstolaas characters" were warmly clad and within an hour'a walk of Waikanae or Otaki ferry hotel, and having " money in pocket " could have negotiated successfully at either place for a good square meal. I know the " naked and hungry " when I see them — and, I help them. No more bosh of that kind, «• Mr H. H. MD." Don't misapply soripture. There are " the naked and huugry " to be found, and there are men (F) well clothed aud " with money in pocket " travelling on the oheap ! That the men travelled " about between 30 or 40 miles " on the diy they brought trouble on me I very much doubt— even if they came from "H.,,H. M'Monald's" raupau whare, at Horowhenua, to my weatherboard cottage near Mr Hadueld's house, the distance is but twenty miles, but I hear they only walked from Otaki that day. Never mind the distance — let it be a hundred miles ! Who dares to defend the outrage that was committed on me ? my lawful holding was taken possession of — I was turned out into the rain, obliged to walk seven miles, most of the distance in the darknesi, and to ford breasthigh a dangerous river ; add to this food which my hard-earned money had bought was stolen. And what am I told by "H. H. M'Donald " of the parties who committed this wrong P That they were "two young men of rather high connection with money in pocket" and "characters first class." Sir, I have done. I look to you for redress — in your newspaper appeared the cruel attack en me — in it, fefcmy defence be published, do that the public may judge between " H. H. M'Donald " and— your obedient servant, Mahcbi Lbuia. Waikanae, Sept, 27th.