The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-03 00:00:00

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[ PRIOL 4D. STAMPED 615-

THE LORD AIWO :ATE ON
NATIONALITY..

On Wednesday night the session of the Falkirk School
of Arts was opened by an address from the Lord Adso-
eate. Wilson's Assembly Rooms, where the lectures
connexion with the School of Arts. are usually deliver
was found much too small for the occasion, so that his
'ordship delivered his address in the Independent chapel.
Upwards of 1,000 persons cveme present.
The ch=air was taken at a quarter-past eight o'clock by
Provost Adam, who introduced the Lord Advocate in
in appropriate speech.
The LORD ADVOCATE came forward amid loud ap-
pla use.. He said :—Ladies and gentlemen .1 have to
thank you very heartily for your kind r-c:ition this
night, as also f, r the vs ry pleasant terms in which my
orthy friend the Provost has been kind enough to in.
troduce me to your notice. I accepted your invitation
with the greatest possible pleasure. I shou'd have felt it
a gratificatiun and an honour to be asked to address a
school of arts in any circumstances ; but looking at
this institution as one cif the very foremost in the
race of knowledge and progress which has been going on
with such speed for the past 20 years, and considering
that it dates as far back as 29 years ago, I assure you it
is with the greatest possible pleasure I have obeyedyour
summons on this occasion. Twenty-nine years ago is a
low:: time. Many things have Leen accomplished since
then ; great progress has been made ; great ends have
been gained; great abuSes have been removed, and the
prospeet.of great advancement has been .opened np, I
believe by no influence more powerful than by such in-
stitutions as the present. Twenty-nine years ago there
wa, no such influence as this existing in the country; 29
years ago people were not agree,' as to whether institu-
tion: of this kind were really useful or unattended with
danger. I tins happy to think that, ;,fter the lapse of 29
yeprs, there exists no doubt at all on such a subject in
any flouter whatever. I know of no influence, indeed,
.which is productive of more beneficial effects. Whatever
furnishes a change from the ordinary routine of daily la-
bour must not only he wholesome, but absolutely neces-
sary, inasmuch as it is the great civiliser and sweetener
of ordinary life. It does not signify much what are the
topics which are treated of, so as they arc useful, or at all
events, harmless. Change of view, or of scene, or of
thought, is the true secret of usefulness in such institu-
tions. That which is work to one may be play to another ;
that which involves labour to one may be pastime to his
neighbour. The philosopher may seek amusement is
poetry, while the poet takes refuge in philsophy. A man
cannot rem-.in long concentrated in one occupation. The
spring of his mind will cease unless it is at times allowed
its natural repose. Accordingly, I have no sympathy
with people who indulge in minute criticism as to what
are the particular subjects which occupy such evenings
as this. It signifies but little to my mind what these sub-
jects, so as they are harmless—

" Many a shaft at random sent
Finds mark the archer never meant."
Many a hint, or suggestion, or train of thought arises in
what is spoken in such meetingsas this, so that they may
not unfrequeutly lead to the greatest possible result-.
If men aro set to think on subjects of moment and worth,
I believe that the seed thus sown often leads to the richest
harvest. I hare made these remarks in introduction
merely to assure you that I am proud to open the 29th
anniversary of the Falkirk School of Arts. I have stayed
three months in the neighbourhoed of Falkirk with very
great pleasure and interest indeed. I know no part of the
country so replete with interesting associations. Almost
every rood of ground in the vicinity brings up some his-
torical recollection, or gives rise to some patriotic though,.
Wherever you look, and whatever period of time in the
history of our country you contemplate, it is impossible
not to be impressed with the interest with which the scene,
all around you are clothed. The wall of Severus—the
wall which the Romans raised as a rampart against the
inhabitants of this country—the wall which was raised as
a mark and limit by which Caledonian valour was to be
held in check, runs within a mile of the place I speak in.
Behind the house in which I live is the height whence the
great Scottish hero surveyed the disastrous issue of the
battle of Falkirk. Stirling, on the west, saw James 111.
go forth to the battle against one of his rebellions sons
from which he was not destined to return ; and 'Linlith-
gow, on the east, saw that rebellious son march forth te
Flodden, leaving his Queen Margaret in that ancient
palace to weep the weary day, but never to see her
Royal husband return from that disastrous field. You
have the magic spell which lies in the name "Bannock-
burn" close at hand. On the Catepsie Hills your fore-
fathers fought for the faith to which they were attached,
and that region is rich in reminiscences of the mos•
interesting pe;kel cf Scottish history. Close by your
door was shed the last gleam of victory which visited
the ill-fated Pretender. These make the ground
classic and historical. lam glad to think that. from
the battle of Falkirk neither you nor your forefathers
have ever heard the clang of civil war. These lanes,
which were then, or not long before, forests and
moraeses, have been transformed, by the industry and
intelligence of your farmers into fertile soil, showing
what man can produce. Close by you have an exten-
sive iron-producing district ; but if tho material is not
altogether forged for peaceful pursuits, the existence of
your extensive ironworks at least bespeaks peace and
prosperity for the country. Such are the changes which
occurred in that period of time ; and, looking around,
and thinking of all these grand and ennobling aesocia
tions which encircle the spot, I naturally fell into a train
of reflection upon the spirit of nationality. Aid upon
that subject I propose to make a few observations.
(Cheers ) The subject which I propose not so much to
illustrate as to keep in view is that spirit by which a
natioe preserves a sense of seif-respect, and is very far
removed train mere provincialism. This is the principle
which I mean to represent in what will be a brief
retrospect of the history of our country. There are
,eion who hold that the spirit of nationality must be
pro,.'incielisni—that it is a foolish and merely romantic
idea I think those who argue so argue very erro-
neously; The truth is that the spirit of nationality,
the spirit of national ardour and honour, the sense
of pride in the past history of a country, felt by
its people, lies at the very root al d foundation of
national greatness. A. conquered country hardly
ever grows great. The conquest of England by the
Normans was not a conquest in the proper sense of the
won', because the native Saxons engrafted upon the in
vaders their own laws, their owl:. language, and their
own constitution.. If we look elsewhere, we see many
illustrations of the fact that a conquered country is not A
country from which great prosperity can be expected. I
do not go back to Greece ; I need not refer to Poland ;
but look to British Ine'ia. Ttsere you have a country—
a country governed no theuht by laws as just as, I be-
can peee,bly be applied to
lieve, in the cireutnetances,
such an empire—of vast exteil't and 168"rue8 ; but,
alas ! we there look in vain for coosthit.,.",. as the true
spring of national vigour. We see eltensive vast
rivers, and densely populated to wns--everythse7g! in
short, whioli should make a prosperous c
hut the spirit of the people has still to be aroused. a
fear, even it we look at our neighbours across the Udall-
net, and ask what it is that has been the bane of that
beautiful and fertile country, Ireland, the reply mutt
be, that there exist there two separate racer, the go•
veining and the governed. It was this that made so
much contention and hcartburning for so many years--
the pr de, on the one hand, of those who thought. them-
selves the dominant party ; and, on the other hand, the
mortified self-pride of those who thought themselves con-
, quered and kept doi.n. I hope a better day is in store
ter Ireland. f believe the prospect of better things is on
the horizon. The ceut.ntione of the two race. 9 have
ceased, aid they are beginning is turn their eyes to beAter
things. 1 make these observations hecanee a friend °I
inius made the remark to-day that it was a pity that. Ed-
ward 1. did not conquer Scotland. lie said that England
was then a more civilised country, and he added that if
we had been conquered we should have received the civi
ation of England at least two centuries before we did so.
I took the liberty of differing entirely from my worthy
friend. I believe nothing has tended more to our prosperity
than the feeling that we ere au unconquered people. We
way be a rugged people, with barren hills, and with little
n that respect to pride oureelves upon ; but we can think
that the foot of the invader, if it could be planted
en our shores, ha never been able to remain there. The
Iceman remains near us show that we have ever been a
Iree peeree who never submitted to a foreign 3 o'ee. I
therefore think that the long straggle which Wallace
arid Bruce waged against English domination is one t
which we ought to look back with the greatest possible
gratitude. If Seetehrnen did not feel that generous
warzen of glow which every Scotsman must feel in con-
. tetnplating the deeds of his forefathers, we should never
Lave been distinguished as the honourable, honest, end
nterrrfeieg, race which we are. There is at present a
proposal to erect a reonusuenl, to the great champion