, 1868-02-14
Sumttnnitatints.
TO the Editor of the "'St. Croix Avis"

AS all cases can be viewed from two sides,
no impartial judgement can be passed without
due consideration of both. Regarding the Gov
ernment's proceedings against you on account
Of certain editorials in the st. Croix Avis, you
have, Mr.. Editor, furnished your readers with a
view of the one side of the matter; allow me
through your most valuable paper in the follow
ing lines to present them with a view of the
other.
The old adage says Ills human to err, but
only an ass defends his %follies". This be of course
said sans comparison; yet / do not tkink that the
case is bettered much by arguing as excuse or
defence, that Others have committed as great
follies before without having been made respon-
Sible.
Some time ago, while Mr.. Hans Hatchett was
the Editor, the "Avis' observed rigid silence on
all matters of. a local nature. But no sooner
had the present Editor assumed his post, than
the paper commenced to furnish the public here
with elaborate articles on all local affairs. On
all matters his pen was equally productive; but
never more vehement and warm than when
commenting on any act or deed of the Govern
ment or of the Governmental Authorities.
Since the arrival here of the news regarding the
cession of the Islands of ST. Thomas and ST.
Johns to the United States, the Editor has
thrown his whole force and energy on the task
of proving or showing the necessity of st. CrOiX
following the two sister-islands, and every num-
Der of the Avis furnishes its readers with artic-
les on that subject. No. 3 and A contain two
such, which the Government considered action
able, and accordingly brought an action against
him. The insulting tendency of the Press has
in these articles reached a point exceeding every
thing previously known the article in No. 3
involves a transgression of the Press Law, be-
cause ii is therein asserted that a portion of His
Majesty'S subjects here are treated like clogs,
and further on it inStigateS the community to
commit an act bordering on high treason, viz
that of potitioning n foreign power to take steps
for bringing the Island under its supremacy
in No. 4 the Editors call to that effect is still
more urgent and impressive. Under such cir
cumstances it was, in my humble opinion, i'm
possible for the Government to do otherwise
than to institute an action, according to the
Law, against the Editor; and therefore | think
the Governments action was not only perfectly
we'll advised, but unavoidable. The Editor can
certainly not advance ignorance of the culpa-
bility of the articles he has for a length of
time been filling a post in one of the Courts
here, and thus he has had ample opportunity of
learning the dictates Of the Law on that head.
But now, after committing one folly, he plunges
himself into a still greater, by arguing that there
was no reason to prosecute him, since no prose-
cution had been brought against Lawyer He'll
buth in 1915 when he published his pamphlet;
in which arguement Mr.. A and Zone of the
Liberalists' (see No. s. coincide with him,
Omitting all other considerations, it can never
be sound reasoning that because the Govern
ment at the head of affairs in 1915 did not then
find it necessary to bring an action against Mr..
Heilbuth for the contents of the pamphlet said
to be his production, so now the present Gov
eminent should just as little have brought an
action against the Editor for his Newspaper
Articles. Those worthy craters Of the volcanic
affections of certain strata of this community
close their eyes to this fact that the Editors
articles are widely different in their avowed in
tent and in their contents, from that of the pam
phlet alluded to. The Editor in his Editorials
throws an ignominious shadow or reproach on
His Majesty and on His Majesty's Government
for having treated subjects here 'like dogs,
and he instigates the people here to nothing less
than to revolt; to testify to all the world that
the Danish rule here is d etestable; to call in a
foreign Government to relieve the people of
their intolerable burden. What more could any