|
IT is difficult to estimate
how many Scottish societies of one name or another there are in the
United States and Canada. They far exceed, considering the relative
population, those of Ireland or England, and there is hardly a place on
the continent where there are half a Hundred Scots settled where they
have not organized a society—sometimes two. Possibly the reason for this
is a desire of having an outlet for patriotic sentiment, or a wish to
preserve the memories of auld lang syne, or an impulse to keep "shouther
to shouther" in a strange land, or possibly all three. The underlying
reason, however, it seems to us, is an unconscious survival of the old
spirit of clanship, which causes Highlander and Lowlander, Mearnsman and
Whistler. Gleskie chap and Paisley body to shake hands and fraternize
when they meet under a foreign sky with a degree of friendship and
sentiment which would never evolve from their inner consciousness were
their feet treading their native heath. Then, too, this feeling of
clannishness, this making a real live thing of a latent sentiment,
becomes more intense, more outspoken, more precious, more demonstrative,
the further the Scot is removed from his native soil. On the Pacific
coast the Scottish gatherings are generally the most thoroughgoing
Scotch affairs in the world, and everything must be redolent of the
heather. On the Atlantic seaboard, especially around New York City,
where Scotland is only a question of a week's sail, they are not so
demonstrative, but even there they are more Scotch—more old-fashioned
Scotch—in their gatherings than are the Scots at home. As a rule, more
wearers of the Highland costume used to be seen at the annual games of
the New York Caledonian Club than at most similar gatherings in the Land
o' Cakes, and many a Scot has confessed that he never understood what
the word perfervidum meant when applied to Caledonia until after he had
been a short time in the New World. In Scotland, St. Andrew is accepted
as a figurehead, possessing the same amount of usefulness as the
figurehead on an old ship; but in America he is a very real personage,
and thousands of acts of thoughtful kindness are done year out and year
in under the inspiration of his name.
The Scottish
organizations in America cover almost every field in which the Scot
abroad takes an interest—charity, patriotism, sociability, and mental or
physical improvement. There are the St. Andrew's Societies, Caledonian
organizations—clubs or societies—Order of Scottish Clans, Order of Sons
of Scotland, Burns clubs, curling clubs, and various others. When a Scot
cannot find any of these to his taste, or when he is not numerous enough
to form some one of them, he expends his energy in the kirk—which, after
all, according to the Reformation dictates, ought to be a complete and
perfect club for the requirements of any man. In it the Scot can
dispense charity, and when he pushes ahead the Presbyterian standard his
patriotism is flattered by a knowledge that in his own sphere he is
carrying on the work the foundation of which was laid by John Knox and
Andrew Melville, and which was doubly consecrated by the struggle for
Christ's Crown and Covenant, which has made Scotland one of the world's
landmarks for religious liberty.
The oldest existing
Scottish society in America is the Scots' Charitable of Boston, which
was founded in 1657, and to which reference has already been made in a
previous chapter. It is now virtually a St. Andrew's Society in all but
the name. Doubtless there were Scottish organizations in the Colonies
before it, but, if so, they have passed away and left no sign, and its
precedence in point of age is undisputed.
The St. Andrew's
Societies of Charleston, S. C., Philadelphia, New York, and the North
British Society at Halifax, N. S., are all over a century old. Many
wonder what the early members of these organizations got to orate about
as each anniversary came around. They indulged doubtless largely in such
sentiments as "Charity," "The Leal Heart," and "Patriotism," and they
toasted places, like—"Iona, where Religion and Learning Found Refuge in
the Middle Ages," but they could not drink to the genius of Robert Burns
or glorify Walter Scott. They knew nothing about the steam engine, or
the Free Kirk, or the battle of Waterloo, or Dr. Livingstone, or Adam
Smith, or Mungo Park, or the Cardross case, or Carlyle's ideas of heroes
and hero worship. Of course, they could talk about Bruce and Wallace,
the fight at Largs and the battle at Bannockburn, John Knox and the
Reformation, the Union of the Crowns, and a lot of other things. To us
these seem to be too far back in the mists of history to evoke much wild
enthusiasm, but still the earlier sons of St. Andrew were able to make
the air re-echo with their cheers as loudly as do their descendants at
the present day. The Scot of 1657 and the Scot of the passing day were
alike in one respect—and in so much are they bound together—in pledging
with enthusiasm "The Day an' a' wha honour it." Our ancient as well as
our modern orators on "The Day" claimed that everything on the earth,
above, below, or under the earth which is at all worth thinking about,
looking at, or having, was either made by a Scotsman or that a Scotsman
bossed the job."
The oldest organization
in America bearing the name of St. Andrew is the society at Charleston,
S. C., which was founded in 1729. It seemed to fill a want from the
first, and its membership roll fully represented the Scotch element in
the population. From a historical sketch written by Judge King we quote
the following: "in 1731 they were joined by twenty-eight new members,
among them being his Excellency Robert Johnston, the Royal Governor, and
Robert Wright, Chief Justice of South Carolina. In 1732 they elected
eighteen new members, and among them were James Michie, afterward
Speaker of the House of Representatives, and who died Chief Justice, and
the Rev. Archibald Stobo, who, providentially saved from a fearful
hurricane, was long the pastor of the Congregationalists and
Presbyterians worshipping together in the same building, and was
probably the first who collected the Presbyterians of Charleston into
one church. * * * On the death of Mr. Skene, [first President of the
society and a member of the Legislative Council,] in 1740, the Hon.
James Abercrombie, believed to be of the house of Tulliebody, was
elected President. The Hon. John Cleland, a member of the Legislative
Council, succeeded him, and on his death, in 1760, Dr, John Moultrie of
Culross, one of the original founders of the society, the ancestor of
the Moultries in South Carolina, was elected to the Presidency. On the
death of Dr. Moultrie, in 1771, the Iron. John Stuart, Superintendent of
Indian Affairs, was elected President. He retained the office until the
War of the Revolution interrupted the regular meetings of the society.
He had been an officer in the army and had distinguished himself by his
conduct at Fort Loudon, in the war with the Cherokees, in 1760, * * His
son, Sir John Stuart, a native of Charleston, inherited the talents of
his father, and at the battle of Maida, in 1806, showed what the
inexperienced and raw troops of his father's country can achieve over
veteran soldiers." After the war was over, the society began its active
work again. One of its first enterprises was to establish a public
school, which continued in active operation through its aid until the
State put its educational system in operation in 1811. In that same year
it was resolved to build a St. Andrew's Hall, and in 1815 the edifice
was inaugurated. It proved to be one of the popular gathering places in
the city, and in 1825 it was the headquarters of Lafayette when in
Charleston. Bit by bit the hall was adorned with pictures and engravings
of general interest, besides portraits of prominent members and it had
many treasured articles, such as a snuff mull mounted in silver and
covered with cairngorms; a magnificent ram's head, with generous horns,
and a presiding officer's mallet made out of a bit of Wallace's oak at
Torwood, with a handle from a piece of the cedar that first shaded the
tomb of Washington. Except for the usual work of distributing charity
and the holding of the yearly festivals, the society continued to
flourish without much incident to record until Dec. 11, 1861, when its
hall was totally destroyed by fire. The paintings, ram's head, snuff
mull, mallet, and records were saved. The paintings were afterward sent
in haste, when the civil war broke out, to Columbus, Ga., for safe
keeping, but were lost when Sherman's troops sacked that city in
February, 1865. The other articles, however, were preserved during that
trying time, and are now in the possession of the society.
Some years ago an effort
was made to write the biographies of the most noted of the early members
of this society, but after a while the attempt was abandoned. This is to
be regretted, for such a compilation would give a vast amount of
information about many of the early Scots who held high places in the
service of the Colonies. It would also introduce us to some very curious
characters, a knowledge of whose careers is worth preserving. In the
list of names of those who organized the society we find, for instance,
that of Sir Alexander Cuming, one of the most curiously compounded
mortals who ever lived. He was the head of the fancily of Cuming, or
Comyn, of Culter, and descended from the old Earls of Buchan. He was
born in 1700, at Culter, and studied the legal profession, but for some
reason got a pension of £300 a year from the Government, and gave up all
idea of advancement at the bar, or even of continuing practice. The
pension, however, was withdrawn in 1721. He married an English lady who
was as flighty as himself, and it was in consequence of a dream of hers
that he determined to proceed to America and cultivate the acquaintance
of the Cherokee Indians. He reached Charleston in 1729, the year the
society was formed, and lost no time in making himself known to the
Indians. In the following year he was crowned King and chief ruler of
the Cherokees. Soon after, with six of his tributary chiefs, he sailed
for England, and on June 18, 1730, had an audience with King George II.,
presented his chiefs, and laid his crown at the King's feet, making his
followers also kneel in homage. Sir Alexander, even at the time of his
visit, found considerable dissatisfaction existing in the Colonies
against the mother country, and proposed as a means of securing their
perpetual dependence a series of banks in each of the provinces, these
banks to have a monopoly of business in their respective territory, and
in turn to be entirely dependent upon the British Treasury and
accountable only to the British Parliament. The British Government would
not listen to his scheme, though it must be confessed that there was
some solid sense in it, for, if the entire finances of a country could
be throttled, as he proposed, there would not be much chance for a
successful revolution. But in brooding upon the project Sir Alexander
went over the narrow line which some assert is all that separates genius
or wisdom from madness. He was a zealous student of the Scriptures, and,
in the course of his reading, conceived the notion that he was alluded
to in several passages as the appointed deliverer of the Jews. Then he
opened a subscription with a gift of £500 from himself for the purpose
of starting his scheme of American banks and for settling 300,000 Jewish
families among the Cherokees. Probably he did not bother himself as to
how the Cherokees liked the proposal or whether the Hebrews would care
to fraternize with the Indians, for that was too commonplace a detail
for his thoughts. The subscription failed ignominiously, and in disgust
Sir Alexander turned his thoughts and energy to the study of alchemy.
This frittered away what was left of his means, and he not only became
deeply involved in debt, but for some time had to subsist on the charity
of his friends. Finally he was admitted a pensioner in the Charterhouse,
London, where he died in 1775.
The St. Andrew's Society
of Philadelphia was organized in December, 1749, by twenty-five Scottish
residents of the "Quaker City." For some reason or another, these
patriotic and kindly men were afraid lest the purposes of their
association would be misunderstood by their fellow-citizens, and to
guard against this they issued a long "advertisement" setting forth the
objects their society had in view. It read, in part, as follows: "The
peculiar benevolence of mind which shews itself by charitable actions in
giving relief to the poor and distressed has always been justly esteemed
one of the first-rate moral virtues. Any persons, then, who form
themselves into a society with this intention must certainly meet with
the approbation of every candid and generous mind, and we hope that it
will plainly appear by the rules which are to follow that the St.
Andrew's Society of Philadelphia was solely instituted with that view."
Having thus defined their
position, these philosophic Scots compiled their by-laws and commenced
their work. The first application for relief came from an unfortunate
countryman named Alexander Ross. According to his story, he was a native
of Galloway and a surgeon by profession. He had been captured by the
French and Spaniards five or six times, and escaped to America from some
Spanish prison. His American reception was not the most hospitable, as
it seems, when he made application for relief, he was confined as a
debtor in the Philadelphia prison. His prayer was attended to, and 40s.
were awarded him. In 1750 the society paid £5 9s. for a "strong box" to
hold books, money, and other possessions. The box is still in existence,
and is a good, substantial, serviceable article. It is deposited in the
Fidelity Trust Company's vaults with the old records of the society. In
the same year a curious case came up for consideration which may be
related here, as it illustrates the glorious uncertainty of the law
which prevailed in those good old times just as much as it does in the
present day.
In 1732 Janet Cleland was
induced to leave Scotland and take up her residence with her uncle, John
Gibbs of Maryland. That individual had pressed her to cross the
Atlantic, and promised to make her his heiress, besides agreeing to
support her in good style during his lifetime. Relying on these
promises, Janet, before she left, like a good, kind-hearted girl, made
over to another uncle, a brother of the one in Maryland, a small
patrimony which she had in her native land. After her arrival here Janet
continued to reside with her uncle, and acted as his housekeeper until
he died. The old gentleman appears to have been a peculiar sort of
character, one of those personages who, for want of a more fitting name,
would nowadays be styled a "crank." He had a terrible temper, and
sometimes it so far overcame him that his niece had to leave his house
for a few days until its violence subsided. Then, when it had cooled
off, she used to return, to his great delight, for he invariably
expressed his regret at the cruel treatment and harsh words which had
compelled her to seek refuge away from his home. To most of his friends
and close acquaintances he often acknowledged his intention of leaving
Janet all his possessions, and at one time, in presence of his attending
physician, he made a formal will in which he bequeathed everything to
her. Finally, in 1747, he died of an ulcer in his head, which, according
to the testimony of the medical man who attended him, deprived him of
his reason for quite a while before the end. While in this condition the
negro slaves, in the absence of the doctor and nurse, used to give him
large quantities of rum. By some means or other they prevailed upon him
to sign another will. In it he cut Janet and all his relatives off
without a cent, made his negroes free, and divided his property among
them, with the exception of his plate, which went to comparative
strangers, along with a few other legacies. Thus Janet was left
penniless, and applied at length to the society for assistance. The
last-made will appears to have been offered for probate, and she began a
lawsuit to have it set aside. The society, considering her sad case,
gave her a donation of £7, and recommended the members to give her all
the assistance they could. It appears, however, that Janet lost her
suit, and the last will made by her uncle was allowed to stand.
During the Revolutionary
period the society probably did little more than maintain its existence,
owing, as was reported on one occasion, to "a number of members being
out of town, or more particularly on account of the convulsed and
unsettled state of the tines." The minute book covering the interesting
period between 1776 and 1786 has been lost, if it ever was in existence,
which may be regarded as doubtful. The subsequent history of the society
is a prosperous one, and may be summarized in the old words "daein' guid
an' gatherin' gear." On its long roll of members we find the names of
two of the signers of the Declaration of Independence—James Wilson and
Dr. John Witherspoon, President of Princeton College. The members took
an active part in the erection of the monument to this great clerical
statesman which now graces Fairmount Park. The roll also contains the
names of two Governors of the State—Hon. James Hamilton (President of
the society for several terms) and Hon. Thomas McKean—and three Mayors
of the city, Peter McCall, Morton McMichael, and William B. Smith. The
roll is also graced with the names of several of the Revolutionary
heroes, chief of which is that of Gen. Hugh Mercer, referred to in a
previous chapter. The remains of this brave soldier were interred in
Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, and there a fine monument has since
been erected to his memory. The society took the most active part in
carrying on the movement for this memorial, and when it was dedicated it
occupied a place of honor during the ceremonies.
The St. Andrew's Society
of the State of New York was founded in 1756. The intention of the
promoters was simply to form a charitable organization, and that feature
has really continued to be the prevailing one ever since. These kindly
Scots, however, did not forget that under St. Andrew's banner
patriotism, as well as charity, could work together, and their
constitution provided that a dinner should take place on the 30th of
November in each year. Since then these meetings have been held
regularly, except during the War of the Revolution.
Among the members
enrolled in 1757 we find the name of Col. Simon Fraser, eldest son of
Lord Lovat, who was beheaded on Tower Hill, London, in 1747. When the
Rebellion of 1745 broke out he was a student at the University of St.
Andrews, but was withdrawn by his cunning old father to be placed at the
head of the clan. He surrendered himself to the Government in 1746; but,
as he had never shown any sympathy for the cause of the Stuarts, and was
known to have been influenced solely by affection for his father, he was
released in the course of the following year. Refusing military rank in
the French service, he raised, in 1757, two battalions of 1,800 men, in
command of which he proceeded to New York, and on his arrival he joined
the St. Andrew's Society. He served with great distinction at Louisburg
and Quebec, and afterward in the War of the Revolution. In 1774 the
family estates were restored to him, but the attainder was not removed
until 1854, when the old title of Lord Lovat was again placed on the
roll of the Scottish peerage.
The titular Earl of
Stirling, one of the Revolutionary heroes, filled the office of
President from 1761 till 1763. John, fourth Earl of Dunmore, Governor of
New York in 1769, was elected President in 1770. His term of office was,
however, very short, for in the same year he proceeded to assume the
government of Virginia. In 1773 he was succeeded by Lord Drummond, son
of the claimant to the attainted earldom of Perth, who came to this
country as an officer in the army. A few years later he was taken
prisoner by the Americans, but was released by Washington, and permitted
to return to New York. His failing health obliged him to proceed to
Bermuda, where he died, unmarried, in 1781.
Besides these titled
personages, the society has had many members to whom it can point with
pride. Some of them, such as the Coldens, Hamiltons, and Livingston,
have left their mark upon the early history of the country, and in the
long roll of membership may be found the names of the most prominent
Scottish merchants and professional men who have resided in this city
from the inception of the society until the present time.
Whatever funds the
society had prior to the Revolutionary War were dissipated by it. With
the return of peace, however, it again exerted itself, and renewed its
career of usefulness. Between the years 1787 and 1791 it had bank stocks
worth $4,000, which were sold in the last-named year. A site was then
purchased where 10 and 12 Broad Street and 8 and 10 New Street now
stand, for the erection of a St. Andrew's hall. The price paid for the
ground was $4,600. But the building scheme was dropped for some reason
or other, and the property was sold in 1794 for $6,750. In 1803 the
funds of the Dumfries and Galloway Society, then being wound up,
amounting to about $2,300, were transferred to it. The financial
standing of the society has since continued steadily to advance, and at
the present time its permanent fund amounts to about $80,000. Besides,
it owns three beds in hospitals and a plot in Cypress Hills Cemetery.
Very few persons, even
after perusing the numerous details furnished in the reports of the
society's operations issued every year, can form anything like a just
appreciation of the nature, extent, and importance of the charitable
work performed by the officers. The number of persons who have fallen
into destitute circumstances, through no fault of their own, in a large
city like New York, must necessarily be always very great. They include
the aged, the blind, the sick, the widow, and the orphan. So numerous,
indeed, are such cases that even with the resources at their command the
officers are unable to be as generous as they would wish. Still, the aid
they give is always timely and welcome, and helps wonderfully in
throwing a gleans of kindly light upon darkened lives. By means of the
beds at their disposal in the Presbyterian and St. Luke's Hospitals the
officers are able to secure proper treatment and the best of medical
attendance for many of the sick. The burial plot belonging to the
society in Cypress Hills Cemetery, with its exceedingly beautiful and
substantial shaft, the gift of Mr. John S. Kennedy, one of the
ex-Presidents of the society, tells its own sad story, and shows how the
thoughtful kindness of the society, besides ministering to the wants of
destitute Scots in life, tries to gratify the last wish of every one by
giving his remains a respectable interment.
There is another class to
whom the assistance of the society is rendered, and whose cases are
often pitiable. This is the immigrants, or transients, as they may more
properly be called. The old story is well known of people crossing the
Atlantic in search of work, finding none, and landing penniless in the
streets. The cases are also common of people who leave places in the
interior and conic to New York with the idea that employment can be had
here for the asking; and there are hundreds of other causes which
somehow end in making able-bodied men become idle wanderers in the great
city. A moment's reflection will tell us what this means—it is poverty,
hunger, despair, and degradation. The society tries to hell) these cases
by providing temporary shelter, by furnishing the means for cleanliness,
and in many other ways.
Like the societies at
Boston and Philadelphia, the North British Society of Halifax, N. S.,
started, in 1768, with a strong box, and determined to fill the box with
money as soon as possible and keep it filled, so that it might help
along those among them who fell into poverty or who arrived in their
midst in a state that needed a little assistance. The members also
resolved to celebrate St. Andrew's Day, and the quarterly meetings were
St. Andrew's festivals in miniature, for they appear to have at them
mingled pleasure, charity, and patriotism in a marked degree. The
society also had another purpose—that of seeing to it that each member
should have what the survivors deemed a respectable funeral. For this
purpose, one of the articles in the first constitution reads as follows:
"That in case of the
death of any member, the charge of the coffin, pall, grave, and
attendance shall be taken out of the Box. Six scarves, six hat hands,
six pair of black gloves, and six pair white gloves shall be purchased
out of the Box as soon as circumstances will allow, and likewise as much
as can be afforded to be given to the widow and children of the deceased
member for their assistance, the scarves and gloves to be returned to
the Box." The record of the society since its foundation has been one
continued story of charity, varied by St. Andrew's dinners of all sorts,
from the semi-public festival at "the house of Widow Gillespie" to the
grand occasion when, in 1794, they reveled in splendor because their
principal guest was no less a personage than the Duke of Kent, the
father of Queen Victoria. It has also celebrated the centennials of
Burns and Scott, and came to the front on all occasions when a Scottish
society could exemplify its patriotic and charitable spirit. Its long
roll of officials includes the names of the most noted Scots in Halifax,
and its history all through is one of which not only new Scotia, but
auld Scotia, may justly be proud. Its charity has been liberal, yet
thoughtful. One notable gift deserves to be noticed. In 1868, when
celebrating in grand style its own centenary, it founded a scholarship
in Dalhousie College. The only other instance of a like benefaction on
the part of a Scottish society in America of which we are aware is the
St. Andrew's Scholarship, given by the society of that name at
Fredericton to the University of New Brunswick.
[Note: The Scottish
Studies Foundation of Toronto, Canada, raised $1 million towards
establishing a permanent Chair of Scottish Studies at the University of
Guelph in 2008.]
The St. Andrew's Society
of Montreal was established in 1835. It is one of the most active
societies of its name in Canada, and yearly accomplishes a wonderful
amount of good through its St. Andrew's Home or direct charitable
agencies. In a discourse preached to the members by the Rev. J. Edgar
Hill, on the occasion of the jubilee of the society, the following
reference to the early history of the organization was made: "Previous
to 1835 there had been no organized brotherhood of Scotchmen in the
city, and therefore no systematic care of immigrants from the old land.
From 1835 to 1857 the society had a name, but no place of habitation.
Good work it had done, but it would do better. Accordingly, in the early
days of June, 1857, St. Andrew's home was opened, so that those who had
left a home endeared to them by many tender associations should, in the
new land across the sea, at once find a home provided for them till they
had made a home for themselves. The idea was a brilliant one, and the
time as well as the place was marked by an obvious leading of
Providence. For, while the home was opened on June 11, the most pathetic
appeal that has ever been made to the St. Andrew's Society, and the most
severe test to which her philanthropy has been subjected, was made on
the 27th day of the same month, when the `Montreal' was burned to the
water's edge a few miles below Quebec, on her passage to this city, and
nearly 400 persons either perished in the flames or were drowned in
trying to make their escape. The survivors, of course, lost their all.
Many of them were widows and orphans, and all of them were sorrowful
strangers in a strange land, under circumstances which evoked the
sympathy of every tender heart. Most of these were Scottish imrnigrants,
and at once the St. Andrew's Society undertook most loyally to provide
for every Scot among them. How much money do you want?' was the almost
invariable question the collectors were met with—a splendid example of
the characteristic Scotch way of answering questions by putting another.
Funds flowed in from Scotsmen all over Canada, for Scottish hearts were
bleeding for their suffering brothers and sisters."
St. Andrew's societies
have probably existed from the time that the Scot abroad first began his
travels. In the earlier stages of their history they were merely
temporary organizations for the celebration of the anniversary of the
patron saint. The Scots' Guards in France rejoiced in a better dinner
than usual on the 30th of November, and in our researches into the
history of our countrymen on the European Continent we find many
evidences that St. Andrew's Day was fondly kept in remembrance.
Afterward, when men got settled and Scotch colonies began to arise, the
regular society, as we have it now, was commenced. Originally the
societies were simply patriotic in their aims, but afterward charity was
added, and both of these grand qualities have combined to strengthen the
organizations and make them useful as well as sentimental. In Scotland,
the few St. Andrew's societies there are simply kept alive in the
interests of patriotism and are nearly all modern affairs, with no
history of any great interest to any one outside of their own little
circles.
If a Scotsman wants to
see his patron saint suitably honored he must leave Scotland and sojourn
in America, where undoubtedly the kindly memory of the good old
missionary is cherished with the fires of loyalty and love. If we were
to believe the orators on the closing night of November in each year, in
the United States and Canada, we would regard Andrew as the champion
saint in the calendar, "the king o' a' the core," and Scotland as a land
flowing with milk and honey, whose men are the very cream of humanity,
and whose lassies are genuine queens of Parnassus, who have just come
down to earth for a little change and relaxation. Patriotism runs high
on such nights. Scotland is Scotland and no mistake, and woe be it to
any wight who dares to gainsay it. But such a wight never appears, and
the next day the high-strung patriot becomes a canny Scot once more, and
for the remaining 364 days in the year his patron saint is a quiet, but
none the less generous, distributor of charity. There is no more
generous Scot to be found anywhere than the one who backs up his
nationality with his siller, and while "Relieve the Distressed" is the
accepted motto of the societies, "Patriotism and Parritch" would be more
pertinent and comprehensive.
Clubs or societies
organized under the name Caledonian can be traced back in this country
for about a century. In the early times they were simply social
combinations of Scotsmen who got up some festival, such as a ball,
during the Winter, and for the remainder of the year remained in a
condition of suspended animation, somewhat after the fashion of many of
the Burns clubs at the present day. The oldest existing Caledonian
organization in the Dominion is that of Montreal, while in the United
States that of Boston claims to be the senior in point of age. But
neither of these organizations would have survived for half a decade had
they not been organized on definite plans and for specific purposes, and
had these purposes not met, or anticipated, a public want. All the clubs
or societies which have proved successful have been, to a certain
extent, business enterprises, and just as much as they have been managed
on business principles so much has been their measure of success. In
Scotland the parish or village games have been in vogue from time
immemorial, and have generally been held on, or in connection with, a
local holiday. It was the reproduction, by the originators of these
clubs, of such local holidays with athletic games as a central
attraction that caught the fancy and made them popular among "oor ain
folk." Americans, too, always noted for their admiration for manly
sports, thronged to the gatherings in such numbers that the promoters of
the earlier games were often surprised at the crowds which attended
them, and the substantial amount of the gate receipts.
The main objects of the
Caledonian organizations as at present existing are twofold—first, the
encouragement and practice of Scottish games, and, second, the
encouragement of a taste for Scottish literature, poetry, and song.
These objects are generally stated in their bylaws, not, perhaps, in
these identical words, but in others having the same purport. The rules
of many of the clubs make it imperative that public games should be held
at least once each year, and in the open air.
So far as the first of
these objects—the encouragement and practice of games—is concerned, the
Caledonian societies of this continent must be credited with having
achieved a wonderful amount of success. They have made the old-fashioned
Scottish games not only very popular, but the Scottish rules are really
the basis on which all athletic contests here are conducted. But even
this success has latterly proved so far detrimental to the clubs that
their games are not, from a pecuniary point of view, so remunerative as
they formerly were. All over the country, during the season, games are
held under the auspices of local athletic clubs, and these games are
nearly all very similar to those which might be witnessed at Hawick or
Inverness. Most athletic clubs have weekly meetings, frequent
tournaments with sister clubs, while now and again an amateur "star"
goes on a record-breaking tour among them. The result is that these
local organizations push the Caledonians into the background, and their
frequent meetings seem fully to supply the demand, so far as the public
are concerned. There are many other reasons for this. In the athletic
world a Caledonian record is regarded with suspicion, even if it should
be honored with any regard at all, which is very seldom. The system of
handicapping, too, which is so generally adopted in athletic societies,
has served to bring a succession of bright young men into the arena year
after year, while at Caledonian gatherings it is usual to find the war
horses of ten years ago war horses still. The true theory of Caledonian
athletes originally was to develop the skill; strength, and agility of
their own members, and had this theory been carried out in practice a
more satisfactory condition of things would have existed to-day. But one
club wanted to have its athletic records as good as another. If a hammer
was thrown 90 feet at Yonkers, for instance, the Poughkeepsie folks
wanted it thrown as far, if not further, at their games. And so
commenced the nuisance of traveling professional Caledonian athletes.
These men, of course, were members of sister societies, and from a
sentimental point of view were entitled to equal privileges with the
members of any club they might favor with a visit. This was all very
well for a while, but some of the clubs were not very particular who
they received into membership while the athletic craze was strong. The
result was that the Scotch games were crowded with such Caledonian
athletes as `'Mr. Maloney," "Mr. Euth," "Mr. Sullivan," "Mr. McCarthy,"
and the like. The most advanced club in this connection was that of
Philadelphia, which opened its "Caledonian" games to all comers without
distinction of creed, nationality, or previous condition of servitude.
The result was that those who, in the Quaker City, went to see Scotch
games saw a general scramble for the prizes by negroes, Irishmen, and
Germans, as well as Scots.
All these things combined
to make the Caledonian games wane in popularity, and it is to be feared
that they will never again gain their old measure of success. In fact,
the quality of the games as athletic events has vanished, and, while the
annual field days of the various clubs may be kept up, they will be more
useful for drawing the Scots in their various localities—for making a
Scotch holiday, as it were—than for anything else.
As regards the
encouragement of Scottish literature, poetry, and song, it must be
confessed that the Caledonian clubs have not added much to the national
wealth. In Philadelphia for many years a series of literary meetings has
been held each Winter. These assemblies are well attended, and at them a
Scotch song can always be heard well sung, but the purely literary
element is very meagre. This fact is to be deplored, and even wondered
at, for in a cultured city like Philadelphia it should be an easy matter
to arrange for a short lecture or talk upon some Scottish theme at each
meeting. In Montreal a good series of sociables is given each Winter,
and the Hallowe'en entertainment is generally the best of the kind on
the continent, but such meetings, or the innumerable socials held by
other organizations each Winter do little or nothing for literature. In
New York they have lectures and a very commonplace debating
organization; in Boston such matters seem to be severely passed by
without an effort to produce them. In Chicago the effort has been made,
but without success. The fact is, the literary element in the clubs is
grasped in too half hearted a way to insure success. If the Caledonians
copied the Welsh, and offered prizes for the singing of auld Scotch
songs, or if they offered prizes for essays on distinctively Scottish
subjects, if they organized scholarships in the colleges for the benefit
of students of Scottish birth or descent, if they gave prizes in the
local schools for the study of Scotch history, if they subsidized a
lecturer who could speak on Scottish themes before popular audiences, if
they helped a Scottish poet to place his productions before the American
public, then they might be credited with doing something in furthering
the second of the purposes for which they were primarily established.
The wearing of the
Highland costume at public gatherings has been a feature of all
Caledonian organizations, and by their activity in this matter they have
certainly succeeded in making the "garb of old Gaul" familiar throughout
the Northern and Western States and Canada. By frequently giving prizes
for the best costume, they have inspired a kindly spirit of rivalry,
until at the present time we have on this side of the Atlantic many
costumes as complete and as perfect as any that could be seen in
Scotland. It is singular, however, that while the Highland dress is thus
patronized, the music which is associated with it should be
comparatively neglected. Bagpipe playing is neither fostered or regarded
by the clubs. Of course, they must have pipe playing, but any one who
can "blaw" and use his fingers as though he was manipulating a penny
whistle is deemed good enough for any occasion. Real good playing, such
as is common at the Braemar, Strathallan, or other gatherings in
Scotland, is seldom heard in America, and when heard is not sufficiently
appreciated.
In this country and
Canada, Caledonian clubs and societies have, in spite of their
shortcomings and failures, in the past accomplished much good. They have
made many pleasant Scottish holidays; brought Scotsmen and their
families into closer friendship with each other, and by their kindly
charity and fraternal aid have lightened the load of many a wanderer.
They have made Scottish games become the delight of the youth of
America, and the laws they have established for the guidance of such
sports are generally accepted as the best as well as the most just that
could be framed. Their record, on the whole, has been a creditable one,
and, while we believe that they will require to seek new fields of
operations if they are to maintain their popularity, we believe that in
good time these new fields will be entered upon. If athleticism be
played out, literature is not, and by cultivating that, and dropping all
idea of mere financial success, these Caledonian organizations, clubs,
and societies may yet attain a degree of influence and accomplish an
amount of good which will make the last, even with all its triumphs,
seem trifling in comparison.
While athletics may be
regarded as the basis of Caledonian Clubs, insurance is undoubtedly the
foundation of the Order of Scottish Clans. This order has passed through
the trials of infancy and youth and is now in robust manhood, and claims
and takes it place as one of the most useful of Scottish societies in
America. It was organized in St. Louis in 1878. For some time its
schemes were confined to that city, but after a year or two it was taken
up by a number of Boston Scots, and a "boom" was started on its behalf
which still continues as vigorous as ever. As the advantages offered by
the order became known, clans commenced to spring up all over the
country, until at present there are over 100 of these, and several in
course of formation. Four or five clans are located in Canada, but
across the border the order has not progressed as was at one time
expected.
When the Order of
Scottish Clans was started the idea was to institute a grand federation
of Scotsmen in America, which, by united effort and a display of the
truest fraternal spirit, was to combine sentiment and patriotism with
more practical matters. The members were to unite in insuring their
lives, sick benefits were to be provided, and a helping hand extended to
any overtaken by misfortune. The fraternity was to be a secret one, that
is, it was to meet with closed doors and have signs and passwords after
the fashion of the Odd Fellows. It was to have all the social features
which distinguished the Caledonian societies, and, if need be, it would
give public exhibitions of old Scottish games. It was to be a complete
organization, offering to fill all the requirements of
Scottish-Americans, only that its benefits were to be confined to its
own members, possibly on the theory that all Scotsmen should be on its
rolls.
The original ideas which
guided the organization, while well enough for a local society the
members of which were known to each other, were too crude to be
successfully worked in a large fraternity the members of which were
scattered throughout the country. The insurance scheme, that of each
surviving member paying a dollar on the death of one of their number,
seemed the very essence of simplicity, but experience had demonstrated
in other societies that the plan was not so effective or so equitable as
it appeared on the surface, and after a few years of the existence of
the order doubts on this point began to be entertained by many of its
warmest adherents. This, however, might have been expected. In insurance
matters no society was ever organized at once on a perfect basis.
Experience is the great requirement of them all, and, until that
experience has been gained, mistakes are certain to be made. Such
societies require to be watchful, to put into practice one year what
they learned during the year before, to make changes after consideration
and practice shows the necessity for change, and to be constantly
strengthening the organization at every point, no matter how trivial.
This policy has characterized the leaders and workers of the order
during the past few years. They have proved themselves thoughtful,
progressive, and capable, and the fraternity has advanced in a
surprising manner, as a result of their work. They have had to encounter
opposition, sneering, grumbling, and fault-finding; but they have kept
on doing their patriotic work, until the full assessment is paid to the
relatives of a deceased member. Fault finding does not amount to very
much, but $2,000 is a happy, tangible fact.
The great necessity for
the welfare of all such institutions is the want of Government, or, in
some sections, State supervision. If the law compelled assessment
insurance companies to apply for permission to trade, if their promoters
were made to give bonds to the State for the honorable carrying out of
all their agreements, if the policies were issued with the sanction of
the law advisers of the State, and the business books were liable to be
examined by some competent officer at irregular intervals, we might
regard assessment insurance as being as safe as any other. Fewer
companies would then be organized, but those which fulfilled all the
requirements would possess stability. The management of this order has
been clean. It has paid every debt as it has arisen. Its officers,
except the Secretary, receive no emoluments, and its membership is
selected with care as regards nationality, moral character and physical
health.
The question of grading,
assessments according to age, which was a theme of much discussion among
the brotherhood for several years, has been equitably and amicably
adjusted, and, so far as one can see, there is no obstacle in the way to
prevent the order from steadily increasing until every Scottish .
workman in the country shall be enrolled on its books. In the States it
has practically no opposition to its work, excepting from what is called
the American Order of Scottish Clans. which, however, is not numerically
strong.
The insurance feature of
the order might be that of any society, but in the subordinate clans the
Scotch element comes to the front. The membership is confined to
Scotsmen and their immediate descendants, and the moral character of
each applicant is carefully enquired into. The ritual which is used in
the initiation of candidates is founded on Scottish history, and when
intelligently rendered is both impressive and instructive. The sick
allowance in most of the clans is $5 a week, with free medical
attendance, and these benefits, as well as the working expenses of the
clan, are provided by the monthly dues of the members. Many of the
clans, too, have a funeral benefit of $50, which is paid at once on
intimation of death. The meetings are generally well attended, and are
managed with both order and decorum, two qualities which are not
characteristic of other societies that might be named. Open social
meetings at which the relatives and friends of members are invited are
frequently given, and the public balls, concerts, and anniversary
festivals have generally been successful. Some of the clans have given
games, but this feature, although one of the objects laid down in the
constitution, has not been attended to as it should have been. Each clan
has its regalia, in which its own particular tartan predominates, and
the appearance of the members of the order on public occasions, dressed
in their costume, is one of the most gratifying spectacles which a
Scotsman in America can see.
In many respects the
Order of Sons of Scotland, a Canadian organization, runs in much the
same grooves as the Order of Scottish Clans in the States. It is
economically managed, the meetings of its camps are not only interesting
but thoroughly Patriotic affairs, and its operations are yearly
extending all over the Dominion.
A Burns club or society,
properly speaking, is quite a different .description of organization
from any of which we have already treated. It is organized for but one
purpose—that of Honoring the memory of Scotia's darling poet. It is
eminently a social and literary association, and its entire Horizon is
bounded by that filled by the Ayrshire bard. But that is sufficient to
infuse vitality and enthusiasm into any body of men, particularly if
they are Scots or descendants of Scots.
There is another
difference between the Burns and St. Andrew's and Caledonian societies,
or clans. The latter are all essentially Scottish, and membership in
them is more or less confided to natives, or the immediate descendants
of natives, of Scotland. Inasmuch, however. as the fame of Burns is no
longer simply confined to Scotland but has spread over all the world, so
membership in clubs bearing his name is generally open to all who
reverence his memory or admire his genius. It is felt that if these
clubs are to be gatherings of lovers of the poet, the members should
admit into their circles men of any nationality who recognize the worth
of the "High Priest of Scottish Song." This is as it should be. All who
acknowledge our bard as the poet of humanity, freedom, fraternity, and
love should be welcomed into such clubs, and be received all the more
heartily because they do not belong to our nationality, and have to
contend with difficulties in the study of the poet which do not fall to
our lot.
The great night of the
year for any Burns Club is the 25th of January, and care is generally
taken that it be celebrated in a manner that will really honor the
memory of the poet and reflect credit on his native land and on his
countrymen at home as well as abroad. The most usual form for the
celebration to assume is that of a public dinner. This is often very
pleasant for those who are present, and it brings to the front quite a
crowd of speakers, and eulogies of Burns without number, and often
without common sense or discrimination.
The dues in a Burns Club,
outside of what the annual celebration costs, are trifling. There is,
indeed, no primal necessity for a fund, and what is over at the end of
each year in the Treasurer's hands should be handed to the nearest St.
Andrew's society to be dispensed in charity. This would be fully in
keeping with the teachings of Burns himself and redound to the credit of
the organization. Should the members be willing to assess themselves a
little more than is absolutely necessary there are many ways in which
their money might be invested. They might purchase copies of Burns's
poems and give their as prizes each year in the public schools, or they
could offer a bonus for the best poem on Burns or for the best essay on
his life or genius. These are not extravagant undertakings, and quite
within the reach of almost an' club member, yet we do not know any
better means that could be suggested for making the memory of our bard
even more beloved throughout the American continent than it is at the
present day.
The game of curling has
made rapid strides in this country since its introduction, but though it
he "Scotia's ain Winter game," and though Scotsmen have naturally been
prominent in it, it really sets no national requirement in connection
with its membership, and prefers to win success simply as a game—the
only purely amateur game in existence. Therefore it claims no extended
notice here beyond simply alluding to it as one among the many favors
which Scotland has bestowed on the New World.
So, too, might Scotland's
share in American Free Masonry be dismissed in a few words were it not
for the fact that its history on this side of the Atlantic goes back to
a much earlier period than that of curling, and there are many
historical facts in connection with it which should not be passed over
in a volume of this kind, especially as a claim has been made that the
mysteries of the ancient order were first carried over the sea by
brethren who owed allegiance to the Grand Lodge at old Kilwinning.
So far as can be traced,
Freemasonry in legitimate lodges having their authority from some Grand
Lodge. was first introduced into America by warranted lodges working
under the jurisdiction of one of the Grand Lodges in the United Kingdom.
The records of these Grand Lodges are very defective, especially those
of Ireland, as most of its papers were destroyed by fire. The English
records appear to have been purposely kept in an indifferent manner,
probably from an idea which once prevailed that as little as possible
should be committed to writing; concerning Masonry and its doings—even
the doings of subordinate lodges. To this erroneous notion is due much
of the defective information we have concerning many matters of interest
in the general history of the craft.
Among the early lodges in
this country which held warrants from the Grand Lodge of Scotland were:
The most noted of these
lodges, that of St. Andrew's, Boston, still survives, the wealthiest
Masonic lodge in the United States, if not in the world.
The earliest military
lodge in the records of the Scottish Grand Lodge was granted, according
to Mr. D. Murray Lyon, Grand Secretary, in 1743, by recommendation of
the Earl of Kilmarnock, upon petition of some "Sergeants and sentinels
belonging to Col. Lees' Regiment of Foot." This regiment has been given
the number, Forty-fourth. This regiment was raised in 1741 in England,
and had its first experience in actual warfare in this country in 1758.
It took part in the expeditions against Ticonderoga, Fort Duquesne, and
Fort Niagara, and the engagements of Long island and Brandywine.
What is supposed to have
been the outcome of another regimental lode was that in the
Twenty-second Regiment, which received its warrant from the Grand Lodge
of Scotland in 1767. The regiment was in this city in 1781, and was
known as Moriah Lodge. It was one of the five which formed the New York
Grand Lodge, but outside of that important bit of service it does not
seem to have had much to do with the progress of Masonry in this State.
The regiment soon afterward was ordered away from New York to another
scene of usefulness—or carnage.
The most prominent lodge,
however, which, in 1781, took part in the formation of the New York
Grand Lodge, was that known as "Lodge No. 169 under the warrant of the
Grand Lodge of Scotland, the lodge which afterward adopted the name of
"St. Andrew's Lodge," and continued to be active in New York Masonry
until 1830, when its charter was surrendered.
The origin of this lodge
is not exactly known, but it very likely was in one of the regimental
lodges. It is not known even where it got its original charter, and some
Masonic writers often mix it up with the St. Andrew's Lodge of Boston.
On July 13, 1771, it had obtained a warrant from the Grand Lodge of
England with the title of "Lodge No. 169," and it took the name of
Scotland's Patron saint officially, so far as we know, in 1786. It is
asserted by some writers that the lodge met under its numerical
designation in Boston, but this is doubted, and certainly there is
nothing on record to prove it, and the general consensus of opinion
among Masonic antiquaries is that its first settled home was in
New-York.
On the roll of the Grand
Lodge of Scotland there is record of a lodge—St. John, No. 169—at
Shettleston, near Glasgow, receiving a warrant in 1771. It is a question
whether this had any connection with the Lodge :No. 169 which met in
Boston, and whose warrant was dated the same year. Gould, in his
"History of Freemasonry," says: "No 169 was established in Battery
Marsh, Boston, 1771. This lodge, which is only once named in the records
of the Massachusetts Grand Lodge, accompanied the British Army to New
York on the evacuation of Boston in 1776." Another authority says it is
not improbable that the Scottish warrant granted for Shettleston was
transferred to an army lodge and Lodge St. John became in time St.
Andrew. Another matter which is regarded as very probable is that the
origin of the St. Andrew's Lodge of New York was this same regimental
warrant held in the Forty-second- Regiment, the famous "Black Watch."
The Scottish regiments in
New York from 1770 to the evacuation of the city were the Forty-second,
which came here in 1776 for a short stay, returned in 1780, spent a
Winter here, had their Headquarters most of the time in Albany, and were
in this city some months before the evacuation, Nov. 25, 1783, when they
went to Halifax. The Seventy-first (old) was in this city in 1777 and
then went South. They had a stirring career in the Colonies until they
surrendered with Cornwallis at Yorktown. The present Seventy-first
Regiment was never in this country. The Seventy-fourth (old) was
represented in this city by a grenadier company in 1779, but after a
short stay they were ordered to Charleston, and took part in its siege.
The Seventy-sixth (old), or the Macdonald Highlanders, were stationed
between this city and Staten Island in 1779, and from here left for
Virginia, to surrender in the end with Cornwallis. So far as we have
been able to discover, this completes the list. Doubtless many temporary
commands were sent over to take part in the great struggle, but such
commands would not be likely to apply for or to receive a warrant from
any Grand Lodge.
Whatever the early
history of St. Andrew's Lodge here, it seems to have soon held an
important position in the craft. The first meeting to organize what is
now the Grand Lodge of New York State was held in its meeting-room, and
its paster, the Rev. William `Walter, was the first Grand Master, and
was subsequently re-elected twice, relinquishing it only when duty
called him to another field of labor. "For a time," McClenachan says,
"the history of this lodge seemed to be that of the Grand body, and it
stood pre-eminent under the title of St. Andrew's, No. 3, on and after
June 3, 1789. In time the Grand Lodge became stronger and was enabled to
walk alone; the Grand officers were more widely distributed, and,
although No. 3 continued in its constancy, its excessive influence
waned."
The first lodge in
Maryland of which there is record was organized in 1750, and its first
Master was Dr. Alexander Hamilton, and its first Senior Warden the Rev.
Alexander Malcolm. In the course of his oration at the centennial
meeting of the Grand Lodge of Maryland, Past Grand Master Carter said:
"Tradition says there were other and earlier lodges in Maryland,
including one called St. Andrew's at Georgetown, now in the District of
Columbia, formed by the Scotch settlers some time prior to 1737." One of
the early Grand Masters of that State (the fourth) was David Kerr, who
was born in Scotland on Feb. 5, 1749. He came to this country when in
his twentieth year, just when the Revolutionary movement was beginning
to make headway, and took sides with the Colonists. After independence
had been won he settled at Easton and prospered in business. He died in
1814, leaving a family which upheld the credit of his name throughout
the State.
The Grand Lodge of the
State of New York was organized, as we have seen, in the meeting-room of
St. Andrew's Lodge in 1781. Its charter was signed by the Duke of Atholl,
as being then Grand Master of "the Ancients." This popular Scotch peer
was born June 30, 1755, and succeeded his father as fourth duke in 1774.
He died in 1820. He was a public-spirited nobleman, raised once a
regiment of soldiers—the Atholl Highlanders—for the service of his
sovereign; but, except in Masonry, he sought no public honors.
The warrant or charter
issued in 1781 authorized the Masons in New York to congregate and form
a Provincial Grand Lodge in the City of New York. In 1783 the
independence of the United States was acknowledged, and with that
independence the provincial lodge became a sovereign Grand Lodge. Of the
first Grand Master, Mr. Walter, little is known, save that he was a
chaplain in one of the regiments; that he was Master of St. Andrew's
Lodge at the time of his elevation, and that he resigned his high office
because duty called him to another place. That he was highly respected
is shown by the many offices to which he was elected by his Masonic
brethren, and by the resolutions of regret which expressed their sorrow
at the necessity of parting with him. In this sovereign Grand Lodge
there must have been quite a strong Scotch element, if we may judge by
the names of its officials. James McCuan (McEwan) was Deputy Grand
Master, James Clarke Grand Secretary, Archibald McNeill Grand Steward,
etc. McCuan was succeeded in 1783 by Archibald Cunningham, and in that
year the Grand Treasurer was Samuel Kerr, a representative Scotch
merchant.
Chancellor Livingston was
Grand Master from 1784 till 1800, and most of the members of his family
belonged to the order. Throughout its history Scotsmen have all along
been active in New York's Grand Lodge, and that activity still
continues. Mr. William A. Brodie, a native of Kilbarchan, was Grand
Master in 1884, and that high and honorable office is now held by Mr.
John Stewart—who never fails to boast that he has Scotch blood in his
veins.
With this chapter we
close our study of the Scot in America. The theme has been an
interesting one and has led us into innumerable walks of life, and its
subject-matter might easily have been extended over a series of volumes.
But enough, more than enough, has been adduced to prove that the record
is an honorable one, and that whatever welcome has been given to the
expatriated Scot on landing in America, or whatever honors may have been
heaped upon him, are amply repaid by his devotion to the country by the
care with which he fosters its best interests, and the patriotic efforts
he makes to add to its wealth and to its dignity among the nations. The
Stars and Stripes raise no loftier feelings or inspire more loyalty in
the heart of a descendant of one of the Mayflower party than in the
heart of the wanderer from Scotland who has made his home in the United
States. The flag becomes his flag, the country becomes his country, and
to the defense of the one his blood will be shed if needed, while to
develop the interest and maintain the integrity of the other he will
devote the same enthusiasm and the same common sense that have served
his own country so well. A believer in law, he is ever on the side of
authority; a believer in religion, he is a staunch upholder of public,
and private morals and of honesty in politics; he does not aspire to
political influence, to control a caucus, or lead a district: but he
treasures his ballot as the outcome of his civil liberty, the charter of
his freedom and equality in the Commonwealth. Whatever adds to the
material wealth of the country finds him an effective supporter; in the
cause of education he is ever in the ranks of the foremost workers, and
in charity his liberality and practical interest are everywhere
apparent. Take him all in all, he is a useful citizen, and in that
regard is second to none. His patriotism is not that of the orator who
believed in "the old flag and an appropriation;" but it is true,
reverent, and from the depth of his heart. So, too, in the great
Dominion north of the St. Lawrence, no native has a deeper affection in
his heart of hearts for "This Canada of Ours " than the Scot who has
thrown in his lot in that part of the continent, and he is as proud of
the maple leaf as he is of the thistle.
But, while giving himself
thus up to the land of his adoption, the Scot in America does not forget
the land of his birth. It may be to him but a sentiment, yet the
sentiment burns deeper into his heart as the years roll on. It may be
forever to him a reminiscence, a dream of the past, and the mournful
notes of "Lochaber no more" may sound in his ears as he conjures back to
memory the once-familiar scenes and recalls once weel-kenned faces. But,
as time creeps on its very name becomes sacred, and his highest hopes
are that all that is grand in Scotland, all that has lifted her up among
the nations, that has made her be regarded as an unfaltering champion of
civil and religious liberty, may be transplanted, preserved and
perpetuated in the land which has become his own. He never thinks of
Scotland without a flutter, without a benediction; and he is ever ready
to re-utter in his own words the sentiments of good old Isabella Graham,
when, nearing the end of her earthly pilgrimage, She wrote:
"Dear native land! May
every blessing from above and beneath be thine—serenity of sky,
salubrity of air, fertility of soil; and pure and undefiled religion
inspire thy sons and daughters with grateful hearts to love God and one
another." |
