THE THAMES ADVERTISER AND MR CARPENTER.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2006, 9 June 1875, Page 2

THE THAMES ADVERTISER AND MR CARPENTER.

(To the Editor of tho Evening Star.) Sib,—lt is Jtlio usual resortHof __ illregulatcd mind* when worsted in argument, or convicted of mis-statements, to level! abuse ;at their antagonists':or lose their temper. This, to say the least, is very foolish, as it not only creates a feeling of pity approaching even to contempt fop flie^r weakness, but insensibly induces an aversioni -such $,§ one experiences when brought in contact iieith hideous physical deformity. Ju the latter case repugnance may be overcome or greatly modified when such personal or outward defects are recompensed by the possession of a mind pf unusual power and * brilliancy, and an eleyatiQn c,f goal which diverts;; the attention from mere e^ternali; jbut in those .cases where the mind, so capable of cultivation and generous restraint, is wilfully allowed to run riot; and to sink %' ; }ngh. attributes beneath a miry, turgid slough of rancour and mcanneis—of selfishness and mehdaciousness, no outward seeming will/serve to cover : the- monstrous abortion, Or secure the possessor from' the merf^d contempt of even ordinary intelligences. '"'Tt nj^lnaosp nee&ess' therefore to say,'that.'pe'ople'wiio'se'eK U form t^.e opinions of others, or desire to assert for themselves a position above' the ordinary level of their kind should at leasf cultivate a superior understanding, display magnanimity in their 4e,4iugs, andbe obseryanifi of" the amtenitibs 'tielon^ing t^J honorable conduct—for'by '.su'cLr means' .only can they hope to secure for'tlidir opinion's a general acceptance in the minds of '{hose wno 'depend less upon individual thought 'th'aa oft supposed authoritative

teachings. The mere assertion of superiority without these auxiliaries simply proclaims the effrontery of the assutnp-. tion.

Your -morning contemporary assumes' the position of .a leader of public opinion, but surely no one with a grain of sense wilt imagine that its dictum in the^unmeaning ami foolish article of yssterday is a reflex.of anything but a diseased or distorted mind, such as has been above referred to. Every sentence, every expression, every inference it contains points to this conclusion. There is nothing but rank and offensive partisanship proclaimed in every line. Consistency-is-^to^ be admired, and were it net that in this case the form it assumes is repulsive to every well-toned mind, one could regard with satisfaction this evidence of its existence; but, however much it may be desirable 'to this quality there ia a point at which we must stop, . a place where the line must be drawn. It may be very consistent with some people to slander, to lie, to be guilty of every meanness belonging to the worst side of human nature, but no one could admire them for it; and thus, while acknowledging that your contemporary gives evidence of the possession of what under certain condition! might be deemed a virtue, you are compelled to admit that "in the form displayed it assumes quite an opposite characteristic.

'Now,' Sir, I am not prepared to say that everything. Mr Carpenter did in the matter of the Pumping Association'<was the best that could be done. Wo must be udg^d by results;: we have this knowledge that the Province through theCouncil accepted the liability for the £50,000, not only with reference to future but of past advances to the Association as recommended by the reporb of the! Committee; and this should be taken as presumptive evidence that the coursepursued ..was -.• a .correct one. It certainly seems- a assertion tomake that "neither lie nor the Council kiiew anything" about- thel cause of the stoppage of 4he payments in the; old way." .This f conclusion is verdantlyi refreshing, but nW:the: Advertiser; arrives at it I am at a..loss, to discover.: The evidence is all the'other way, and Ij regard the'fact of his askings for a pom-.j mittee as conclusive on this, point. But! who can tell what; jff Carpenter's com-; mittee did, and how does the Advertiser i know: they did not find;out'the' ''hitch." :I r read the ' report of the Committee,, and ■ if I possess any knowledge of languageand; understand the meaning jfif; words,; there was in it the strongest evidence that; they did discern the "hitch," and. moreover that they knew all it was desirable to know, and this is' shown in the resolution . being moved and carried ' that the "minutes of the evidence be sent w'th the report" to the Super-, intendent. Perhaps it" was as well"1 they were not ordered to be .printed. The reference to the people of Auckland in the latter part of the article is so. 1 supremely childish and'absurd, and displays such utter ignorance that it is , unworthy of notice; while the comments upon Mr Carpenter's strong strictures on the General Assembly are certainly more deserving the appellation of " foulmouthed " than were his remarks. There was reason to apprehend that under certain contingencies the Council would not have voted the money, but I must characterise as a gross absurdity the assertion that anything Sir George Grey, Mr Carpenter, or any one else has said can divert from its destination a sum appropriated by Act of Parliament. But to return to the opinion, expressed in commencing this letter. The Advertiser finda itself literally driven upon its knees by Mr Carpenter's explanation of Saturday evening, but, instead of admitting it wan in error, attempts by perversion of facts and abuse to cover a disgraceful retreat. lam sorry for this, having hoped for better things, and, while mourning its • perverse consistency, trust it will pornrit a larger amount of' charity to be infused into its , articles in future, and, sinking personal animosities, at least'attempt to earn the merit of being considered just.— , Yours, etc. " -,->,. EIECTOE.