Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1896-10-16
EDTrlsII CHARACTER.
sztanor Is 1ts Principal Trait, Says
Ian Naclarenl'
tho Scotch Arc Noted Also for Thefr'
Caution and Entcrprise--Their
4 Devotion to- tho House
of Stuart.

Ecv. John Wutson ("Ian MacIarcn"J
recently delivered lecture in Ed.n.
burgh en- Certain Traits in Scottish
Che.
Mr.. Watson said the first trait in the
Scottish character &cs thu sense Of hu-
fsor. 4 Scotsman. he said, would have
touched the very highest reaches OF
CHARITY when he WINS able finally and
without grudge to forgive that Eng-
tsh humor.st who said that surgical
operation was necessary tn get humor
INTO the head of IL Scotsman. And it is
a curious thing how single phrase
should continue from generation 70
{ reration and lie pcrpetlially flung mi
1-;eir faces. 1t was mentioned as if i.
were new. which was intolcrablc; but
what ~as far more intolcrublr, il was
regularly mentioned as if il were triic,
They hsust rot judge of the sense CT hui
r'or in people by their manner. II
there WIS people who took their hu-
nor Quctlyc slowly-pcrhaps he ought
10 add sadIy-such, it appeared 10 him,
%erc TIE Scottish people. When Jest
Was presented IL MIN Of Scottish
nature, he WAS not going Immediately
to accept it, and pass it OIL an Jest by
laughter. With the analytic character
OF his nature, Ecgotten by long study
Of Political and religious questions. he
proceeded to examine it. II might be
rcSt day before he WAS entirely satis-
fed. ard then if he wns satisfied he
paid 1t honor. more important thing
20 remember was that humor in differ
eHt countries was different, and that if
il were the case that their religion and
heir social ideas were very largely in.
huenccd by climate, SO surely would il
be with their humor. American humor
depended very largely UPON tie great
ness of the country. Jests in America
were SO large. In the strict sense of
wit. he imagined they would agree that
the Fr"Hch had the most delicate firislt
and flavor for their humor in EuroDc.
Agnin, the Scots had no claim tn that
briiiiant sword-play of repnrtce which
was SO Characteristic, not of the High
iand Celt, but of the Irish Cclt. Ills
Impression was that though English
wit had not either the subtlety or the
brilliancy of French and Celtic humor;
II had an element which was most nd
Fun. Ii they in Scotland had had i'm
the past more OF that simple element
mat they cali fun, his impression vas
tnat they had been a sweeter and y lap,
pier people,
Perhaps the next characteristic of
the Scots was what in their enfceblcd
Engish language might he called eau
tion,' but which, in the admirable din
hct OF Scotland, was called "canpi-
hess" The Scots were not mn impu,-
sive nation. They were not n milton
carried away by emotion, nor enthusins-
TIC until once aroused; and after TINT
the Scottish nation burned like an nm
rhracite' coal furnace. The cannness
Of the ration came out in the nfflucnce'
of their vocabulary in expressing them
selves. In the Scotsmnns reserve. born.
nt the hardness of the soil, there law
greut strength. for it WIS not the
strong but the weak people that carried
'heir heart upon their sleeve, nnf
opened all their affairs for everybody's
consideration. The undoubted note Of
nusterity In the Scottish character was
an explanation Of many peculiarities in
Scottish history. They could never
drive Scotsman, and If people tried to
slrive' them in political and religious
Affairs has reading of history was that
1t Always ended in catastrophe for the
pcope Who tried to drive, and not for
She Scotsman. On the other hand, they
coud take Scotsman on the right side,
and then he was perhaps toe weak.
Another wonderful characteristic of
the Scottisb 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 IL followed that, being made,
the very climate which was their most
faithful and hardy mother sent them
out to get their living. They had TN
enormous advantage in their habits of
hardihood. though he was not quite
sure whether this advantage was going
10 continue long.
In conclusion, the lecturer noted. as
characteristic of the Scottish nation
which was sometimes denied, the senti-
1nent OF the Scottish folk Was there
ever more romantic episode in history
Than the devotion Of the Scottish peo-
pie TO the house of Stuart? Let them
Took also at the ballads of the Scot
fish people to meet the sentiment of
which he was speaking. If, however,
they wished to Know that sentiment at
its fullest, they must sec the Scot when
he was away from hofne.--Detroit Free
Press.
Selecting q Jury.