PUMPING ON RIOTERS.
[TD Tax Zenon or rEr .1314,CT,T0101 SIR,—Nothing can be more conclusive than your exposure of Sir George Trevelyan's distortion of facts in consequence of his blinding himself against truth, from party motives. But I am afraid that disputants in general are, like him, rather apt to look at whatever facts they undertake to discuss through coloured spectacles of their own. You yourself, for instance, in referring to the letter of an " educated critic" (meaning, I presume, your humble servant), lead your readers to suppose that I have deprecated, as an over-harsh measure, the use of fire-engines to disperse a mob. Now, this is not what I meant, which may not concern you ; but neither is it what I said, which does. On the contrary, I readily accepted the proposal, and accept it still, on the supposition that it is well fitted for its pur- pose. What I objected to was that well-to-do persona—"fellows with two gowns, and everything handsome about them "— should treat it, not as a serious operation, which I hold it to be, but as a good joke. Let all journalists, English as well as American, take a hand at the fire-engines in turn if they like. Pump away on the mob, but do not accompany the pumping with a guffaw. That does not suit my notions of good manners or good feeling.—I am, Sir, &c., FRANCIS HASTINGS DOYLE.
46 Davies Street, Berkeley Square, W., November 27th.
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