The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-02-09 00:00:00

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We are reluctantly compelled to take some notice of • certain
print, styled the Southern Time., which in published In this
town on Saturday, and la made up of the stale and ex-
handed matter of the Dorset Chronicle which regularly
passes through the preen on the Wednesday prwiously.
We, therefore, in any remarke we may be unfortunately
called upon to make respecting thin wretched production,
etyle it the Saturday's Re-print of the Dorset Chronicle, and
cannot for • moment treat It an a distinct and independent
paper, having the dignity of standing upon its own bottom—
with its own staff of printers, reporters, and editor.. The
tricky delusion purporting to be a Newspaper would not
live a day if it were dependent upon the ordinary and honest
resources of journalism. It le mighty line, then, to hear an
unbluehing pretender to the honours of the press—an abject
abortion like thin—talking of • well-established and reput-
able journal, supported alone by its merits, as an " obscure
paper," " • small incompetent apology for journalism,"
with the spirit of "flunkey-ism," and the like. But, under
favour of the renowned editors of the Chronicle, and the
rest, we will 'a round unvarnished tale deliver" of the true
character and deserts of this imposing Re-print. In the
midst of a mass of the usual balderdash which le intended to
pans for a leading article, is introduced a erucceasion of four
or five sentences of the most disgraceful ribaldry that ever
polluted an Editor's pen. We find them to apply to us from
the allusion made to Lord Shaftesbury's Wimbonte Speech
and to the only faithful and authoritative report that has been
published of that famous oration. We cannot think of
quoting all thole passages here : if the eye of any solitary
reader should by chance rest upon them, he will find our
brief commentary fully borne out. This Re-print of the
Chronicle purporta to give the subetance of • letter of Lord
Shaftesbury's, which appeared in the Times last week, and in
which his Lordship correct.; certain statements (as Will be
clearly seen elsewhere) which Inc himself made at the Olm-
borne meeting. With a singular mixture of maliciousper
and obfuscation, the writer of this precious effusion trete
forth, that "Lord Shaftesbury nye he was mine-
"ported by an obscure paper," and goes on to my
that "thin will be a beacon to Lord Shaftesbury, surely, to
"have fewer dealings" with the paper alluded to (meaning
the Dorset County Express). Now, what will be thought of
the character of the Dorset Chronicle when we tell the public
that this is a pure invention of the enemy ; that Lord Shaftes-
bury never Mated directly or indirectly any such thing;
that his Lordship makes not the remotest allusion to the re-
port from which it is posaible to draw the slightest inference
of any such charge. We are, therefore, gratuitously and
shamefully libelled by this pragmatical scribbler, whoever he
may be. Ile has committed himself to a wilful and deliberate
falsehood, the most unprincipled and audacious that ever
disgraced • public journal. As to the facts narrated in Lord
Shaftesbury's letter, of which he attempts to give the sub-
stance, they are so completely distorted and misunderstood
an to display a poverty of intellect as absolute and inveterate
an the article in question in profligate and mean. We are
almost aahamed of having occupied even this brief space upon
so much unmitigated end apparent worthlessness. But,
since the censors of the Chronicle have thought proper to give
Lord Shaftesbury " • lemon," we will presume to offer the
Chronicle one. Let them by all means have more respect in
future for honesty and truth ; let them cultivate their un-
derstandings and improve their hearts; let them examine
well their own fitness for their office before they undertake
to pronounce upon the "Incompetency" of others; and, if
they will suffer themselves to be advised, they will acquire
some degree of modesty and discretion, and probably lay lay
the pen until they have, at least, made themselves better acquainted with the rules of English Grammar and Composi-
tion, which, in the county-town of Dorchester, in these days of
progressive education, are regularly twice a week shamefulky '
outraged. Wewill only add, if certain of the gentlemen we al-
ludo to would not follow in the wake of • very notable charac-
ter who VIM not long ago driven from the town in diagram,
they may think it well, upon consideration, to act upon some
of the friendly hints herein conveyed; at all events, they may
be well augured that they will better consult their Owls atm
and reputation, if not their future prospects in this new field
of their enterprising labours, by abstaining for the future
from malignant indulgence In lying insolence almost unpa.
ralieled—whose authors deserve to be outlawed by the Press,
and scouted by every honest man in the fraternity.

All communications in relation to whatever de-
partment of the Paper are to be addressed to
Mr. FREDERICK MaLbrrr, Editor of the Dorset
County Express and Agricultural Gazette, at the
Office. Church Street, Dorchester.