Correspondence.

Te Aroha News, Volume XVI, Issue 222053, 20 February 1900, Page 2

Correspondence.

We do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions expressed by our correspondents.

TO THE EDITOR,. Sir, —On resuming my communications of the 17th inst., it may be as well to sa}' at the oub-et that I am not a Boer, mr have I ever been in the land of the Boers. Bun in a Bri’ish colony I went with my parents when quite young to reside in Denmark; whe-e I spent 20 years of my life, and all my early associations and recollections being of that c mntry, I usually claim Denmark as my native land. And, let me say here, no Britisher cun be mere proud of Ids individuality than I am of mine. During the earlier half of the last 40 years I roamed about in many parts' of the world— Australia, New Z- aland, Canada, California, and other s'ates of the American Union, between the Pacific and the Atlant’c, were in turn my home for a time ; then, after a tour 'hrougb England, France, Germany, and Denmark, I returned to New Zealand. I 1 ave wandered in manv lands, and claim to be a rosmopolition, a citizen of the world, looking upon all m°n. of all nations, as my kin, but nowhere have I seen such unwarrantable attempts made to endeavour o 'hrott'e speech, or the free utterances of one’s thoughts, as have been made by your two c rrespondeuts, “A True Britisher,” and his confrere “Lyddite.” I was in Denmark at the time of the Crime n war, also during the DanishGerman war, and a score or more of Britishers were residents of the same town in which I lived. They, with residents of other foreign nationalities, enjoyed and exercised in common with the citizens of the country, the recognised rights to hold and express their own views on the war or any other matter, and no one attempted to jump down their throats because they did so—thus harmony and good fe- ling prevailed, with loss to no one, but i stead a gain to the community at Drop in brmder views and ideas This same ri_rht I lay c aim to* I insist upon, T demand for my-elf and for every other citizen, maint fining that the man who accepts and fn'fils the duties and responsibilities of a good citizen, has, on the o*her hand, the indispu'able right to claim the benefits, righ's, and privileges such citizenshin confers, on l of ■> hioh is the free and untrammoled expressions of his views and ideas; consistent always, of' cours”, with and suhjoet t > th - * necessary and universally recognised safeguards. such as avoidance of the use of offensive ->nd r su'ting terms; and that no man with any decency and seff-re-pect. would he guilty of the use of such, goes withou* saying. Thuis understo <d and c needed in all we'l-governed countries, and were it not so con< ■d< d in New Zealand—were “ A True Britisher ” and his twin brother “ Lyddi'e ” the true exponents of social and political l'be ty, the true types of ci'izens of this coun'ry—l, f rone w uld shake the dust of New'Zeal nd from off my feet, and shu • the coun'rv as 1 would shun the pestilence. Happily the true and roil f ypes of New Zealanders are of n very different stamp, ready to do unto ■ the- s as they would be dot e by. ‘ Lyd lit" ” charges mo with subscribing to (he fund for sick and wounded Boers—"hat a terrible indictment. I would ask : Is subscribing fur a charitable object n crime? What right has any man >o presume to dictate to another, in what manner be is to dispose of his gifts of charity ? What arr gant and impertinent insolence. Bel 'ting to the appeal for subscriptions in aid of sink and wounded* Bo '•rs, it struck me that in all proha bi ,: ty but comparatively few would be found to subscribe to it. I resolved f o hove the privilege of bring one of the few, and sent a subscription of 10s. In conclusion I wi«hto thank “E.M.” and “ Quiz ” on behalf of the “ Boer ” for their timely supply of maxims, also those who by their hearty hand-shake and spontaneous words of approval, have signified their appreciation of my endeavour to uphold free-speeeh. This ends the correspondence, at least, on my part. Let us hope the war, the cause of this controversy, may soon come to an end ; and thanking von Mr Editor, for your liberality in allowing me 'his rather excessive snaco in your columns.—l am, etc., 0. Brunn.