Napoleon dismissed the English contemptuously as a
"nation of shopkeepers". The Scots are losing or have lost their
shops. They have become a nation of shop-assistants in English
super-markets.
I once almost succeeded in inducing Bearsden to twin
with a French town. My attempt was ridiculous. I should have got it
twinned with a Scottish one.
I do wish the English would not refer to Bobbie Burns.
This is a familiarity I would never think of showing towards their Billie
Shakespeare.
Our Scottish forefathers always assume that political
wisdom lay in the course opposite to that which the English had just
chosen. The events of this century show how wise was such an attitude.
"Certainly in matters of a political nature like
that of the raising of the school—leaving age Scotland cannot he allowed
to differ from England and the determining factors inevitably lie in the
larger country". So writes Dr. T.R. Bone, Principal of Jordanhill
College of Education (Glasgow Herald, 6/8/73) in an article entitled
"Sots Education has distinctions"
This type of mentality which is the prerequisite of
professional success in Scotland. It makes Pierre Laval (shot by the
French) appear like an outstanding French resistance fighter.
Scots education had some distinction when Scots did not
bother what the backward English did in anything.
‘When Queen Elizabeth II of England unveiled Bruce’s
statue at Bannockburn a Frenchman said to me; "I know expect de
Gaulle to unveil a statue of Wellington on the field of Waterloo!"
French realism can be cruel!
"We English and particularly we Scots", wrote
Carlyle, one of the most Scottish of Scots, to Goethe. This was a
particularly Victorian idea. Scottish nationality was assumed to exist as
part of a larger English nationality. The realisation of this fact has
created a conscious nationalism in Scotland which rejects loyalty to a
"Predominant Partner as a menace.
"The Scot is not a sycophant, but, when he becomes
one, he falls to a lower level than other races", said John Buchan.
What a pity he said that with his Oxford accent!
The English may be generous to their defeated enemies
— they may even on occasion he faithful to their allies, but they are
merciless to their satellites.
I have just been reading the speeches made at the
Wallace Tower at Abbey Craig on its completion and feel mentally sick as a
result. According to the speakers the struggle of Wallace and his fellow—patriots
was justified because it prepared the way for the glorious union of 1707
as a result of which Scottish soldiers by their martial heroism were
establishing the greatest empire the world has ever known. Now we know how
stupid, smug and false this sentimentality was.
In Queen Margaret’s Chapel in Edinburgh Castle there
hangs on the wall a document with the words:—
"Margaret’s marriage with the doughty King
Malcolm
marks the dawn of civilisation in Scotland".
The document is adorned with rather poor Celtic
designs. This blasphemous sentence completely wipes out the civilisation
represented by Iona.
The English, of course, are not our enemies. We have to
fight against the North Britons who represent our form of national
degeneracy which is parochialism.
These unfortunate people are the tribute that even
subject race pays to its Herrenvoik.
A naval officer in charge of the selling of flying
equipment at Prestwick told me that he was instructed to keep the sale
quiet in Scotland, but to inform Southern English firms. He was highly
indignant at being forced into a dishonest position. He was an Englishman.
"The English are not invading Scotland. They are
retreating from England. Put that in your column!" So declared a
friend some days ago.
There used to be a story about the Scot who had been to
London and was asked what he thought of the English. He replied, "Oh!
I met only the Heids o’ Departments". Now we can reverse the story.
The English man replies, "I never met the natives, I did not visit
the servants’ quarters".
To he "Irish" is (or was!) to he half witted.
To be "Scotch" is to be mean.
"To Welsh" is to run off with other people’s money.
To be "English" is to be the perfect gentleman!
The English are an admirable people.
They do not take French leave.
They do not need Dutch courage.
And they are so courteous in their relations with foreigners.