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Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 147, 14 March 1874, Page 2

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —I am extremely sorry that I cannot, conscientiously, beg your correspondents pardon for statements made in “ Uawas ” letter. In the first place, I imagine, the the whole indignation expressed is by himself only ; where the cap fits tightest there let it remain. If my statements were false, as he says, why does he take the mean, cowardly contemptible way of refuting them as he does, by writing privately to the editor of a paper ? Why give a statement in the dark instead of openly and publicially expressing his opinion and at once proving their fallacy. No, he has not the courage to do that; when he wrote, he evidently hoped that none other but yourself should know it. It speaks very little for the mans veracity when he has to get the editor of a journal to contradict that which he himself dare not. However, let me pass such meanness for the present, and to the point. In your being at “my mercy ” I have taken no “ undue advantage,” and shrink not from the truth, but, have ever done so from falsehood, which is more than your correspondent can say. My statements contained in the letter spoken of I am prepared to vouch for, aye even on oath if necessary. But this let me say, if there are any other europeans, (with the exception of those immediately concerned) who feel at all aggrieved, then I’m sorry ; my sole aim and object in writing at all was with the endeavor, morally and publically considered, to put down a nuisance, and that it was furthest from my intention to give offence to pakehas in general, of course, to one or two in particular I knew I could not help it. It would be well for your correspondent if he was as sensitive in other respects as in this. If a man can so far forget himself as to behave in the manner described in my letter then I say there must be some means by which to stop it, and I think, thanks to the liberality of the Press, in this instance I have succeeded. Shepherds are not, as a rule, looked up to as a criterion of what passes during the day in the town or settlement. How can it be possible when they are away from morn till night among hills, scotch thistles, and scrub. Is such a person qualified to give an opinion and say such is false and such correct? Imphatically no, and I am only sorry that your correspondent should attempt, even by the means that he has, to refute that which he can possibly know nothing about, and let him take a friends advice and leave well enough alone. In conclusion, Sir, I beg to assure you, notwithstanding your correspondents indignation, that every statement contained in my letter is perfectly correct, and am only sorry that your respectable journal should be brought into such a controversy, and am after this done with it.—l am, &c., Uawa.