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Westport Times, Volume VI, Issue 984, 2 July 1872, Page 2

Eugene Joseph O'Conor, M.P.C., M.H.R., and " gentleman," as he chooses to call himself, has, in his characteristic manner, after reviling men and measures to the utter weariness of his hearers, now poured out the vials of his wrath upon the Local Press. Poor, persecuted, immaculate, Eugene Joseph. According to his own showing, his case is most pitiable. Conspired against in the Council Chamber, the victim of fraud, of false lying reports, of perjured slanders, maligned by his enemies, shunned by his friends, doubted by his once warmest supporters, the last drop has been added to his cup of bitterness by a corrupt,' a " bigotted," Press. His actions misrepresented, the outpouring of his fervent eloquence unrecorded, his character wronged and villified, reports garbled, twisted, and contorted into every conceivable form of misstatement against him, the devoted martyr to his country's cause. The champion who " alone and uuaided, armed with the one little weapon, truth," has dared to defy, and in defying dared to win a victory over the multitude of his oppressors. It is not enough that the hireling journals of Nelson City, the "noxious things" he scarcely dares to touch, have traduced his fair fame, stained his spotless purity, but, oh perdition! in his own stronghold, among those whose interests are as dear to his heart as his very life, he has been stabbed, vilely stabbed, by the very weapon he once .so deftly wielded. Pity him in his agony, lovers of justice, of truth, defenders of injured innocence, pity and protect him, for he is sore afflicted. Dropping mild sarcasm and dealing with a disagreeable subject briefly, as it deserves, we do not intend to enter into argument with Mr O'Conor. He is welcome to abuse or find fault with the Press to his heart's content. It is to us a matter of perfect indifference His enmity may be a fearful thing to contemplate, but we shall make a struggle to survive the infliction ; his friendship we do not affect. But in justice to ourselves, we assert, without fear of contradiction, except by Mr O'Conor, that from the very initial point of this disagreeable affair, the " Westport Land Purchase Enquiry " our policy has been to "nothing extenuate, nor aught set down in malice." We have sought, diligently sought, for facts and incidents in the history of the case, that would tell, if ever so little, in Mr O'Conor's favor. The search has been fruitless, but, nevertheless, we should even now be only too glad to publish the slightest plea in extenuation of his conduct. Not out of respect for the man, for individually we know him—well ; but to his position as a member for the Buller District. The disgrace at present attached to his . name is reflected on his constituents, and will be, unless he frees himself therefrom, as long as he is permitted to be their representative. For this reason alone, Mr O'Conor's common sense should tell him that it is to the interest of the local press to give wide publicity to every point in his favor.