OPEN COLUMN.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume II, Issue 60, 22 February 1868, Page 3

OPEN COLUMN.

X.Y.B. AND THE 11 INDEPENDENT." (To the Editor of the Wairarapa Mercury.) Wairarapa, February 17, ISGB.

Sib, —Is it not astonishing that Feniaui.s'm should exert such an influence on fast, fierv, and unthinking men ns to produce such a reply as appeared in the “Independent” in my last letter to you. The object that I had in view in writing to you a fortnight ago was in the first place to show that instead of there being four millions of negroes in the United States of America armed with the vote, that there was not one million, and in the next place that the alarming picture drawn by the “Independent” as about civilisation being about to retrograde in America in consequence of the privilege of voting having been granted to the emancipated negroes was much exaggerated. I asserted that as the negroes were not stroii" 1 enough to form a party to govern the country that they would support one of the great American parties as the Irish have do/ie for many years and the Fenian faction since they came into existence as an organised body. The Feniah citizens of America have a policy which they persistently follow, and that policy is to use every means in their power to force their adopted country into ajjtsanguinarv war with the land of their birth and the home of their kindred, in opposition to the teachings of their clergy, who have withinfluencc. patriotic zeal and with much success offered their most uncoraprising resistance to the Fenian monster since his first appearance on Irish soil. Well Sir, the Fenian faction in America have supported the democratic party with their votes at the late election, and the emancipated negroes supported the radical party, therefore the negro votes neutralised the Fenian votes. Facts and figures are stubborn things that wili influence men of common sense more than such wild ravings as appeared in the corresponneede column of the “ Independent ” in my last letter. Your’s &c., X.Y.B.

THE COMING MAN. (To the Editor of the Wairarapa Mercukv.) Wairarapa, February 18, 18G8. Sir, —As Mr Fox is generally looked upon as the coining man that will lead the House of Representatives in the next session, his utterances are of far more importance and significance than they would otherwise be. Therefore I beg to call your attention to what he says in his speech in Wanganui about Provincial Institutions with a view of considerin'’' how his opinions will affect the Wairarapa next session, when it will seek local self-go-vernment from the General Assembly. Mr Fox is reported to have said, “ that however much he may be devoted to Provincialism —however much he may seek to restore federation—attached as he is to the Constitution—there may be means required to supplement these institutions, but not to seek refuge from difficulties in sweeping them away, “ but rather to improve them." That utterance of Mr Fox is so distinct that there can be no mistaking the position that he will take up whenever he will be elected to a seat in the House of Representatives. He will join the party that are doing their utmost to oppose local self-government, because if granted it would somewhat diminish the power and patronage now enjoyed by the Provincial Governments,

Mr Fox is also reported to hare said, “ that he took the Constitution Act, whether it was read backward or forward, ‘ lie would support it as a democratic constitution with the abolition of monarchial institutions’ when manhood suffrage would be in force in the colony, and when they would be following in the sske of the great democracy of America.”

These words uttered by Mr Fox should not be overlooked or forgotten, because it would be well if those who "follow in the wake of Mr Fox will remember that they may be led by him to follow in the wake of thegreat de* mocracy of America,” instead of making steady progress a-breast of the great monarchcial institutions of England. It may be inferred from Mr Fox’s speech that whenever he will be returned to power again that he will do his best to turn his back on the teachings and political experience of England and her colonies, whenever that experience does not direct him to follow in the wake of the great democracy of America. Your’s &c. A LOYAL MONARCHIST.