The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-07-02
SCOTTISH CHARACTER.
Humor Is It's Principal Trait, Says
EIan Maclaren."
The Scotch Are Noted Also for Thea
CauSioa and Enterprise-Their
Devotion to the House
of Stuart.

recently delivered q lecture In EdIn-
burgh en- Certain Traits IN Scottish
Character"
Mr.. Watson said the first trait in the
Scottish character was the sense of hui
NOR. A Scotsman, he said, would have
touched the very highest reaches of
charity when he was able finally and
without grudge to forgive that Eng
fish humorist who said that surgical
operation was necessary to get humor
into the head of Scotsman. And il is
y curious thing how a single phrase
should continue from generation to
generation and be perpetually flung In
their faces. 1t was mentioned as if it
were new. which was intolerable; but
what was far more intolerable, it was
regularly mentioned as if it were true.
They must not judge of the sense Of hui
NOR in a people by their manner. Ii
there was people who took their hu-
NOR quietly, slowly-perhaps he ought
10 add sadly-such, it appeared to him,
were the Scottish people. When jest
was presented to a man of Scottish
nature, he was not going Immediately
70 accept it, and pass it on as jest by
laughter. With the analytic character
of his nature, begotten by long study
of political and religious questions, he
proceeded to examine it. 1t might be
next day before he was entirely salts
fed, and then if he was satisfied he
paid it honor. A more important thing
to remember was that hunor in differ
ent countries was different, and that if
1t were the case that their religion and
their social ideas were very largely in
fuenced by climate, so surely would it
be with their humor. American humor
depended very largely upon the great
ness of the country. Jests in America
were SO large. In the strict sense of
wit, he imagined they would agree that
the French had the most delicate flrish
and flavor for their humcr in Europe.
again, the Scots had no claim n that
brilliant sword-play of repartee which
was SO characteristic, not of the High.
land Celt, but of the Irish Celt Ills
impression was that though English
wit had not either the subtlety or the
brilliancy of French and Celtic humor;
it had al element which was most adj
mirable-the element of down right
fun. II they in Scotland had had in
the past more of that simple element
that they call fun, his impression was
that they had been q sweeter and hap
pier people.
Perhaps the next characteristic OF
the Scots was what in their enfeebled
English language might be called eau
ton, but which, in the admirable dia-
lect of Scotland, was called "canni-
ness" The Scots were not an impul-
siVe nation. They were not a nation
carried away by emotion, nor enthusias-
tic until once aroused; and after that
the Scottish nation burned Ike an an
thracite coal furnace. The canniness
of the nation came out in the afluence
of their vocabulary in expressing them
selves. In the Scotsman s reserve, born
of the hardness of the soil, there lay
e. great strength, for it was not the
strong but the weak people that carried
their heart upon their sleeve, and
opened all their affairs for eyerybody's
consideration. The undoubted note of
susterity in the Scottish character was
an exploration of many peculiarities in
Scottish history. They could never
drive a Scotsman, and if people tried &c
drive them in political and religious
affairs, his reading of history was that !
it Always ended in catastrophe for the
peope who tried to drive, and not for |
the Scotsman. On the other hand, they |
coud take a Scotsman On the right side, |
and then he was perhaps too weak.
Another wonderful characteristic Of |
the Scottish people was their enterprise |
which, he supposed, was more char
acteristic of the nation than of any |
other nation of the size on the face OF |
the earth. 1t was in climate like |
that Of Scotland that men were made; |
and then it followed that, being made, |
the very climate which was their most |
faithful and hardy mother sent them |
out 70 get their living. They had an |
enormous advantage in their habits of
hardihood, though he was not quite |
sure whether this advantage was going /
TO continue long.
In conclusion, the lecturer noted, as
a characteristic of the Scottish nation /
which was sometimes denied, the senti- |
ment of the Scottish folk. Was there |
ever more romantic episode in history |
than the devotion of the Scottish pee-
pie to the house of Stuart? Let them
look also at the ballads of the Scot
fish people TO meet the sentiment OF
which be was speaking. If. however
they wished TO know that sentiment at
its fullest, they must see the Scot when
he was away from home.-DetToit Free /
Press.