The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1885-05-09
n.s..oRles OF SCOTLAND.

.he Wars of Olj-The Work of Scott and
Burns.
st. Andrews day"brings no unpleas-
ant memories. The Scotchmen may,
talk loudly in Parliament of not receiv-
ing their far share of time or of taxes;
but these walls are intended strictly for
external application. At home they
are far too prosperous to complain, and
it would i'll become a race which is
gradually effecting peaceful subju-
CATION of the English to complain of
their un on with kingdom which for a
long time past they have virtually gov
erned. North of the Tweed there are
few feuds. The rebellions of 1715 and
1845 were mere local risings, and no
more deserve to be classed as Scot
tish'' revolts than the uprisings of the
Bechuanas or the Beers are worthy of
being described as revolutions in the
Cape colony. Even now, they are all
but forgotten, except for the wealth of
song and story which they have be-
queathed to our common tongue, and
to the halo of romance which they have
thrown over a country which, however
beautiful in itself, was at the time of
the union connected with few incidents
of much interest to the outside world.
Indeed, when we regard the Scotland
of Queen Anne, it is hard for the aver
age Englishman to associate it with
any history, except the exploits of
Bruce and Wallace, who were Norman
lr,1 ,n.lNE ,l,,,
forays and northern ra1ages, and the
heroic sutferings of the Covenanters in
protest against the pertidy of the Stu
arts, to whom, despite their heartless-
ness, section of the nation chung so
tenaciously. But we regretfully con-
clude that even yet Englishmen take
little interest in Bannockburn or
Falkirk, and, were it not for "Mar-
mion," might feel as cold over the name
of Flodden as they do when Cressy or
Lutzen meets their eye on the pages of
history. To Scott and Burns are in
reality due the romance that surrounds
modern Scotland and the Scotch. The
one epveloped their wars and their mis-
fortunes with halo of glory; and the
other, by the deathless songs with
the race, has insured for their country
place in the hearts of the lettered
world which it can never lose. Even
that rebellion, which, happily for the
Celts and their handful of southern
sympathizers, was crushed once and for
all, has left behind it nothing more IT.
ritating than the noblest garland Of
ballads possessed by any nation on
earth. And the happiest feature in such
gatherings as that of tonight is that
the most loyal of Britons-even Hel
Majesty's Ministers-may chorus a la
ment for Bonnie Prince Charlie" OF
wish that ''the King may have his own
again. knowing that neither aspira-
ton can be interpreted enormously,
since Scotland is the most loyal of the
from its sentimental attachment to the
Stuarts long even before the last of the
pretenders left for "the land of the
leal.
Yet a Scotchman-even a Lowland,
English-speaking, Saxon Scot-still
feels as he crosses the border that he is
entering country the manners, the
ideas, and the traditions of which are
strange to him. In many respects, in.
deed, the CALIFORNIAN, when he first
comes to London, or even more so tC
any English PROVING al town, is less al
home than he is in France, Scandinavia
or Germany, and possibly finds it moi
much easier to understand the rude
dialect of Somerset or Yorkshire thar
he would the language of Brabant o.
the Platt-Deutsch of Friesland. Nor
Judging from the efforts of the current
caricaturists, or the array of the con
ventional stage Scotchman, is Nortl
Britain less of foreign land to many
who are familiar enough with half tn,
continent. A Scot without a kilt, {
snuff null and a bonnet would be NJ
more recognized by the play-goer al
properly clad than would an Irishmar
without knee-breeches, shillalah anC
dudeen. Even the promoters of tn,
Ca edonian dinners have gradually go
indoctrinated with the same idea, since
they request their guests to zap
pear in Highland DRESS though
not century ago the great-grand
sires of most of these gentlemen
regarded it as the costume of thief
and to this day kilt on the streets o
Edinburgh or Glasgow is considered
certain sign that the tourist season ha
set in, or that Englishmen sportsmel
are on their way to the North. Ii
truth, to ask the Lowland Scot, or tn
Scandinavian of the east coast and tn
northern isles, to appear in kilt ant
"skenedhu," is about as absurd as t,
request the guests at Fourth of Jul.
dinner to masquerade in wampum ant
vermlion paint. Nor is it less in keep
ing with truth to reiterate that Joke
of Sydney Smith about the incapacit
of Scotehman to understand a jest
when half of the amusing tales in til
English tongue are fathered by tn
Scotchmen, and no race, with the eX
ception of the American so dearly low
pleasant tale. Another legendar
characteristic of the North Britons
their Circumstances. When Sir Davi
Wilkie ruled the Hanging Committed
the best room in the Royal Academ
was known by the unkindly name {
Scotland Yard" So pronounced wa
their capacity for sticking to eac
other, and finding places for the
fortieth cousins, that one Scot on til
! Directorate of the bank was enough