, 1868-03-03
Your obdt. Servt.
A NATIVE,

N MA L.
CONTINUED from No. la.
Mr.. krause next makes a very startling OBJ
Servation, that "some time ago while, Mr.. Hans
Hatchett was the Editor, the Avis observed
rigid silence on all matters of a local nature
IT by "Some time ago" Mr.. Krause means the
few months of sickness under which Mr.. Hans
Hatchett laboured before he resigned the Editor
ship and left the island, | can grant that much
to Mr.. krause if his cause gains thereby but
as Mr.. Hans Hatchett edited the Paper for
nearly ten years and had had during that time
two actions against him for treating on local
matters, besides treating on others not action
able, think Mr.. Krause pays him a compli-
ment from his (Mr. Krause'sj point of view
which, | am sure, does not meet the thanks of
Mr.. Hatchett.
But putting aside this question of a personal
nature, | would ask, where did Mr.. Krause learn
that the interest of a local paper is best con
Sldered by maintaining a silence on local mat
tiers Is it because the avis" is considered a
privileged paper =! And is it that as such he
thinks it ought to ignore local matters On these
questions hangs the issue, | would almost saw,
between him and me. A privileged PAPER, i. e.
a paper in which all legal and governmental
notices must be published, existing in a place
where other papers exist, may be supposed to
give up us independence Oh tl0ugDG Tor the
miserable mess of pottage" which that in st.
Croix, so miserable a "birth-right' might entitle
its publisher to. But the case takes another
aspect, when it is considered, that it is lucky for
the law and Governments, when a man can be
found to publish a paper in st. Croix with so
much trouble and so little interest to himself,
and yet with SO much advantage to the Courts
and Government. This seems to make the
privilege" rest On the wrong side and hence
| find another case where Copenhagen, or even
European rules find no application in a small
West-lndian Community.
Mr.. Krause's remarks on the "insulting ten
dency of the Press" and on 'high treason are
only paraphrases on Mr.. Heilbuth's very bonn
bastic plea and, I suppose, will be properly
answered by the lawyer for the defendant.
When he however speaks of a transgression of
the Press Law being committed by you, and
then in the style of a little baby who has Just
got a wink from Papa, that 'the liberty of the
Press consists expressly therein that persons
have freedom to publish any and all thoughts,
but-Nota~ Bene-subiect in all cases to respon-
sibility before the Courts of Justice" he shows
that although he cannot advance ignorance of
the culpablllty OF his article, having for a length
OF time been filling the post of amanuensis to
the greatest Lawyer in the West Indies, he has
still written an article Involving a transgression
of the Press Law in so far as he incurs the
responsibility of a transgression of S. 9 & 10 of
that law when he, in his article, uncalled for,
relates to matters of a personal nature as re-
CARDS yourself.
What then has Mr.. Krause obtained by this
Don Quixotic exploit of his ? AS best but the
Wanton exchange of his birth-right las a n~ative)
for the miserable mess of pottage which he fancies
he obtains by his pusilanimity
The very absurd and illogical remarks which
he makes of the scientific nature of LAWYER He'll
buth's pamphlet are quite enough to create a