MR MITCHELL'S DEFENCE OF MR MACKAY.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2985, 9 September 1878, Page 2

MR MITCHELL'S DEFENCE OF MR MACKAY.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.) . Sib,—l have seen m the columns of your contemporary, the Thames Advertiser, that Mackay's man Friday has taken up the club of his fallen chief, and through ambiguous and abusive language endeavours to demolish me. < He com* menres by saying, as might have,been anticipated I have refused to respond to the challenge issued by James l&ackay to meet them md discuss their public acts before a Thames audience. . T&fl\je»son X have not done so is that I knew that such a meeting could not alter facts, nor could , it have given greater publicity to them than the colamrs of the journal in which I write. Besides, I thought that my letter bad served the' purpose for which it was intended. In reply, to Mr Mitchell's assertion that I pm a Bombastes Farioso as to courage, I have Lad at least the moral courage to attack great abuses, whose baneful influence has been so often felt. Mr Mitchell goes on to say that he is now assisting Mr Mackay to acquire large i blocks'of land, but not for himself, but for the Qaeen. How noble and disinterested a man he would have people believe him to be ! He says that the land wlr.ch be has acquired from tke natives he resided on before James Mackay became land purchase agent, and that he has beneficially occupied them ever since. I do not doubt that, and I will point out how. He kept what is termed a Baihana store, where he supplied to the natives goods in laige quantities on the orders of the lend purchase agent (tnese" orders were made a first charge against the lands of the natives for which the lands purchase agent was negotiating). It will show how easily the Grovezrimeat and the natives could be defrauded. Mr Mitchell asserts that I ran away from the Upper Countiy, leaving behind me a soiled : Crimean shirt and a pair of old boots. I need hot point how irrelevant this is to t!"> subject I wrote about, but, like otb'.e st. dements made by Mr Mitchell, it is utterly untrue. I never was necessitated to run aw»y from any place at any time, and could have spared Mr Mitchell a grrment at times when he needed them much; but even if I was necessitated to leave or to wear a soiled garment, it would be far more preferable than carrying about a load, the nature of which must bear heavily on Mr Mitchell's conscience. Mr Mitchell says I abound in patriotism, and if necessary would leave my country for my country's good. .Let me tell him that I never left a place yet that I could* not. return to it without fear of being driven,; out again by those " Grace of Gods" he' has written so feolingly about at timei. lt If Friday again lakes up his master's club — sophistry . and abuse—l would advise him to go into better .braining, and examine well fie. inward man to see if there are any. sorer, spots than those upon which I have already touched.—l am, &c, -„ Pbo Bono Publico.