The real romance of the ‘45 was not the charm of the
Prince but the morality of a people who were not tempted by the £30,000
which any of them could have claimed for betraying him. The statue at
Glenfinnan is not to honour Prince Charlie - but the men who fought and
died for him - how glad I was to discover that fact!
"Mild measures will not do. All the good we have
done is a little bloodletting, the madness, but not at all cured it, and I
tremble to fear that this vile spot may still be the ruin of this islands
and our family." Such was the opinion of the Duke of Cumberland (the
Butcher) in a letter to the Duke of Newcastle (July 1746). Fort Augustus
is called after him.
Will we ever see a "Hitler Square" in Tel
Aviv?
Major (later General) Wolfe is remembered as the humane
Englishman who refused to pistol a wounded Highlander. He is the man who
wrote to his friend, Captain Rickson: "I should think that two or
three independent Highland Companies might be of use; they are hardy,
intrepid, accustomed to rough country, and no great mischief if they fall.
How can you better employ a secret enemy than by making his end conducive
to the common good?"
After the ‘45 anyone wearing the kilt was sentenced
to six mouths in prison and for a second offence to seven years’ hard
labour on a slave plantation. The English did not inflict on the kilt the
worst injury; they did not wear it themselves.
The possession of a bagpipe was punishable by death.
All that of course is long past. Why bother to remind
ourselves of it? Because people with the same mentality still rule us.
Sir Christopher Hinton, managing director of the
Industry Group of the UK Atomic Energy Authority stated * (Bulletin
5/1/55) "Only the fact it was considered there was a remote risk had
influenced the Authority to choose a remote site like Dounreay."
That is why the Holy Loch and the Gareloch were chosen as centres for
atomic weapons. "No great mischief if they fall." In this case
only the direction is reversed.
*(This is probably The Bulletin formerly published
by the Outram Group in Glasgow.)