The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1867-03-01

Ferguson while in the present century, al
though England has given us Hallam and
Mahon and Froude, Scotland has produced
Tyler, Carlyle, Walter Scott, Alison, Brodie
and may claim the half, at least, of Thomas
Darlington Macauly. 1t is also a remarka-
able fact In the literary annals of Great Brit
ain that more than once, when the
genius of the south had undergone an
eclipse, that of the North has shone with
unwonted splendor. As the renown OF
Chaucer and Cover waned, that OF Barbour
and Blind Harry and James l and henry
son and Dunbar and Gavin Douglas and
Sir David LINDSAY of the Mount, success
lively eliminated and again, when the Eng
lish muse was worthily represented by Cow
per only, our own Immortal Burns rose like
day star upon Caledonia-the greatest
genius that ever changed the peasant pillow
tor the poet lyre-the most truly and pure
~ lyrical bard Of these latter days; and
again, when the rough and racy strength of
Fielding Smolet had faded away into the
sentimentalism of Misses Burney and Port
err, the magic wand Of fiction was seized by
the mighty Wizard Of the North, as indis-
putably the first of novelists as Shakespeare
is the first of dramatists; and yet again,
when the conscience searching appeals OF
Baxter, and the massive demonstration of
Barrow had dwindled, through dreary
period of decay, into the elegant inanity of
Blair, Chalmers of kilmany cast off the
practical infdelity Of the time, actually
drew the merchants of Glasgow at high
noon, on week days, from the making of
money to the hearing, of sermons, and in
augurated that style of pul pit oratory which
in our youth, revived Christian eloquence
as power among the nations; and yet
once again when Spectators and Ram
blcrs" had degeneratcd into ''Loungers"
and Mirrors and Gentlemen S Maya
zines,'' it was small company consisting
mainly of Scotsmen. in the capital of Scot
land, that originated and realized perhaps
the mightiest literary engine which civiIiza-
ton has known-the nineteenth century
Review by the production Of that which
still bears the name of Edinburgh, and
which, after sixty years existence, IS as
vigorous as ever-yea, all the more vlgorc
Gus in that it has given birth to host OF
rivals and fellow laborers, exploring every
field of science and literature and art and
politics, and bearing humanity onward
with fluctuations and relapse it is true, but
still surely and successfully to perfect civil
cation ard liberty and virtue. :.
OF course, during all this time, Scotland
national duty to the world but to enumer-
ate those things in which she only equals
other nations would be to occupy your time
without presenting any peculiar claim on
her part to be remembered by you, except
that you are Scotsmen, and cOmpatrlots OF
Robert Burns. | have been anxious to
justify the toast to which | respond, by adj
verting to that which is original and pecu-
liar in the characteristics Of our native land.
Even with this limitation | might dwell
much longer on her claims. But does any
one accuse us Of inordina.e vanity In thus
presenting the claims Of Scotland to dis
tinction? To such a one | answer that l
have stated nothing save facts, which, did
your time permit, could easily establish
by proofs far more satisfactory than my own
assertion And surely when men of ali ma
tionalitics are not only tolerated but com
mendcd when, in new home, they contln
/ Ge to cherish pride OF country, a company
of Scotsmen may be pardoned Tor listening
to the praises of Scotland with compiacen-
ey. In America we are very q uIet set OF
persons. | should like to know how many
of Us have ever asrired to civic dlgnltles,
OF attempted to thrust our hands into the
public purse. With one remarkable excep-
ton in this city. I have yet to hear Of SIN
gle son Of Scotland who has pushed hun
self forward as political leader, and even
that exceptional gentlemen says so little of
his native country that he may be held as
completely ignoring it. we are perfectly
conteuted with the enjoyment Of our free
dom and the prosecution CT our Industry
and in return for these privileges, we hon
es:ly uphold American institutions, fervent-
ly love American liberty, and stand indlg-
nantly aloof from American demaeogueS.
For this the American people love and hon
or us. The American people admire Scot
| land as heartily as we do. The American
people are as devoted to the illustrious rep
regcntative man of Scotlana-Burns, as If
| Burns himself had not been born on the
banks Of Doom, but on the Potomac And
the American people will be forward to ad-
nit that in responding to the toast OF Scot
| land, have exaggerated neither her phys
| ical attractions, nor her intellectual achiev-
ments, nor her moral worth. | know that
my Scottish birth and Scottish education
have gained NE more friends and more
consideration in this country than hun
dred times my poor abilities and services
could ever have procured for me. Similar
to mine, | am persuaded, must be the ex-
pericncn OF every Scotsmcn who now hears
me; and cold indeed, will our hearts be
'mouldcring,' like Highland Marys in
silent dust when Scotland is no longer
dear to US, and the name Of Scotsman reas-
e5 TO be prouder distinction than any that
wealth, or even celebrity, can bestow.