Morning journal and courier., 1892-07-29
THE CALIFORNIAN CLUB.

A Short Sketch from Clansman w. G.
McIntosh,s Paper That Was to Have
Been Read Before the Club Last
Evening.
Notwithstanding the severe thunder
storm of last evening about fifty people
gathered at the hall of the New Haven
Caledonian club to hear the highly inter-
esting and instructive paper which WAS to
have been read by Clansman w. G. Mc1n-
tosh, but on account of the fact that sew
everal of the more prominent men were
not able to be present the club voted to
postpone the reading till next meeting
night, Thursday, August II, at same time
and place. Through the courtesy of Mr. Nc
Intosh we are enabled to give a cleaning
from the forepart of the essay, which will
no doubt be interesting to many of our
readers.
OUR LEGACY.
have sat and dreamed many an hour
away thinking of that little country across
the sea from which SO many of you have
come-that rugged land of my forefathers,
with its heather clad hills and fertile dales,
its rocky elevations and mist enveloped
mountain peaks-that land whose history
is replendent with glory and renown. Of
ten have pondered over the fact that this
little country, comprising All area of about
one-half of that of the state of New York,
and with population of little over three
millions, has given to the world an array
of names eminent in science and literature,
and renowned in the annals of war, which
is surpassed by no other nation on the
globe.
Do you ask for its record in sciencea
In answer, allow me to mention such
names as Sir David Brewster Sir Roderick
Murchison, Sir Charles Lyell, John Pringle
Nichol and Hugh Miller. In the field of
literature the names of Thomas Carlyle,
ton Macaulay and Sir Walter Scott are
conspicuous, while in the realm of poetry
Ossisn in the early days, and Allan Ram
say, James Thomson and Robert Burns in
the latter, are acknowledged to be stars of
the highest magnitude. The greatest type
of statesmanship which this century has
seen ia embodied in that "grand old man. "
| the leading British parliamentarian of the
| age, William Ewart Gladstone. These
| names, although only few of the many
| which might be mentioned. will convey
| some idea of the master minds that Scot
land has given to the world, while they re-
veal a wealth of renown such as no other
country can boast of.
| And, at the present time, look where
/ you will, the principal men in Canada and
Australasia, the pioneers of exploration
civilization and trade in India, China and
| the wilds of Africa, the men of solid
thought of astute finance and the fore
most in politics, trade and the professions
in this our own country are largely Scots
men or their descendants. Il Canals
alone, the land of my birth, the only two
men at the head of the government fo
over quarter of century were Scotsme1
both of whom l knew personally-Si
John A. Mcdonald and Hon. Alexande
Mckenzie. But time would fail me +,
epumerate the men of sterling worth il
this country from the men who have fllet
the presidential chair and occupied seats il
the cabinet, and down through the ave
nues of trade, literature and the profes
sions, who are either sons of "Auld Scotia
or boast their descent from old Scottisl
families.
1 have often imagined that the ancien
inhabitants of Scotland must have been
sturdy, independent sort of people, for, a
early as A. D. "a, they refused to submit
to Julius Agricola, although that masterl
Roman general, with his disciplined &C
horts from Rome, defeated them in a fai
and honorable manner. The Roman forces
in honor of their great victory over tn
eavages of the north, spent a night @
feasting and rejoicing; but they had nc
taken into consideration that their foe
believed in the maxim that all was fai
and honorable in war, for these untutore
men of the north came in the dead G
night, when the vigilance of the Roma
guards wac relaxed, and slaughtered man
of their invaders. In utter disgust with
people who would not be subdued by tn
Roman legions, julius Agricola built
chain of forts, behind which he withdre,
his forces, 80 as to protect them from til
incursions of these warlike tribes.
In my study of history years ago I hav
, often wondered what sort of a Christia
!, king Edward of England was, for you a
must remember that considerable porto
of his lifetime was epent with the crusac
ers in Palestine in attempting to wrest th
holy sepulchre from the Saracenic infidell
History records that he was a great wal
rior, and that during his reign he subdue
| Wales, annexed that country to Englan
a and then turned his attention to the mort
with the intention of dealing similarly wit
Scotland. But the Inhabitants of that lit
country, with their old time way of standin
out against subjugation, did not tax
8 kindly to King Edwards project; and a
@ though he had at one time thought tn,
a their spirit of independence was at la
crushed out, yet somehow or other he W,
forced to the conclusion that this was n,
the case, and that he would be compelle
to make fresh effort at subjugation. S
William Wallace's name will always |
honored and revered as the man who ,
:, heroically battled with the English fore,
J, at this time, and SO often gained /
! strategy, victories which it would II,
= have been possible to have gained othe
It wise.
:, But this custom of Scotland's inhabi
;, ants of constantly rising to assert the
q independence when their would be Soutl
t ron conquerors thought they should ha,
i been subservient to English supremacy W,
d enough to nettle the warlike English kim
: and he set about raising an army larg,
g than had previously raised in Englan,
4 with which to invade Scotland and wit
K which he intended to once and forever D,
g to rest the idea that the Scots were ind
|, pendent and prove beyond doubt the don
Il nancy of English power. I sometim,
n have thought that he forgot, although
9 religious as he must have been, that Una
d proposes, but God disposes," for the q
b mighty's mandate "Dust thou art and unit
!, dust shalt thou return" overlook him viii
: on the march to Scotland with his arm,
;, But, as if to question the power of thu
8 mandate and to set himself in array again
b his Creator by daring to suppose that b
}, lifeless clay should have any power, he O.
J. dered that after his demise the flesh shout
o be stripped from off his bones and tns
his skeleton should be carried at the hea
of England's forces to lead them on
-, victory. But the Scottish people were nc
u worrying about skeletons-they were to
, intent on battling for their rights wit
t living, human forces-not inanimate OF
jects-and 80 Robert Bruce, the heir t
the crown, gathering about him his littl
=. band of 'loyal men and true" awaite
t the advance of the English columns o
the field of Bannockburn
q It must have been terrible day whe
: these two armies met-3O, 900 raw and ur
? disciplined Scots, but poorly armed, O
! | one side, and King Edward H., with hi
! fully disciplined and well-armed force c
8 10, 900 men and horse, clothed in all tn
panoply of war, on the other. How ofte
9 have pictured in my imagination tina
, trusty band of Scots as they knelt Will
the good bishop of Dunkeld passed befor
8 the line and commended them to God be
. fore they entered the fray. The haught
: English monarch, however, mistook thi
= movement for submission, and excited
: cried out: .'They kneell They seek fo
Q mercy" But one of his noblemen, VIII
| he &iob r., Lokk ~, l,