New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-07
SOME FAMOUS SCOTS.
BURNs-RICHARD CAMERON-THE Ball
tADIsrs-sIR JAMES Y. SIMPSON.

affair Written OF Scotchmen by Scotchmen II ~ y.
necessity genial and responsive Inc 'oy",. -
an Engishman to his traditions OF rre'''"
10 his ideas of an American to his insti'u'ohs "o
not satisfy the Scotchman: he Is loyal 10 nus oco'u
TEMPERAMENT to racial characteristics ana id'osyn
cracics He is not satisfied with virtues IN the "p
s,ract. his pa triotism IL personal. win Eifh "
love the Scotch Is love what Is rac'aI III any
and every Scotcbman. There Is some Uuth wv,
fore-not altogether unflattering-in Dr JOHNSON
gibe. apropos OF one Mallet-that ne was '"e o,,'s
Scot whom Scotchmen did not commend. AS LOT
the Famous Scots Series, II Is almost wholy c'i
mandatory and Is full of amenity 1t Is uomesu
ca ted biography just the thing to be read III '"e
family circle under the evening lamp l..
with their zeal for the glory of Scotland IL
only natural that the editors OF this series sno"
wish 10 include among It's biographies hfe OF
Burns yet to tell the truth. Burns nceos no n,o'
popular biographies The essentials OF MS me
never difficult to eiucdate- were long ago e'uc-
dated. In moral character he was aiways po''
ant Ills standards were neither Detter hor "V''V
than those of the class from which ne sp'ans'
Those standards always lax between the 'eNe'.
would naturally prove but slight chS'Ks W o'e -
Burns's ardent temperament ana pNss'o"S' ~
education his charm OF bearing and his st' Oh
song gave him weapons In love which the Ordinary
peasant did not have and Burns USED 'heIn WIN
q ncasont's impulsiveness and lack OF forethought
All this Professor Blackie, Professor Nichoi anu
70 follow Burns through all the tickle changes Oh
his nassion-would be an exhaustive task, quite
bevond rho scope Of the popular biography, ana
at best would satisfy only an idle CURIOSITY D."
would not make his character any more intricate.
Il would certainly change the Interpretation VI
any line Of his poems. The truth Oh 'he ''ia'e, "
tina, Burns had passion without consistency. ana ID
bis M ssior wrote with fervor. simplicity, dignity
and a wonderful beauty Of ina gination The hgh'
his temperament casts upon his poems II s'',p'e
It needs no extraordinary spcctroscope 10 aha'y%e
IL into Its elements
Mr. Se,oun however. Is bent on further eN-
plantations and an apology. lie brings Burns De-
fore the bnr OF public opinion and there pleads ior
! his character At times he IL willing to judge
Burns In his rights as man; M times no"e'e,'
he Is a little fearful lest moral standards WHICH
arr good enough for the ordinary peasant may MOI
be clasti, on ough for OF as sensitlV" tehpe'
ment as Burns or the contempt which MT se
toun pours down or the hcke DANES and htera,
OF Edinburgh not drop falls on the equally
tickle poet The alterations OF genius. 10 De sure
have long been their own excuse but some'hihs'
perhaps might be said for the alterations OF meo
ocrity Into the effect that temperament mas hao
npon works OF genius. the pubic, OF course mas
.y.rv right to rauirc; but except under necessity
10 attempt to discover the degree OF culpabiity OF
any man. whether OF genius or mediocr''y' see"i'
somcthn Of impertinen"e.
There IL nothing, however. thar can tairly DE
call
his comments he Is frank and outspoken; in his
statements OF fact he II faithful, explicit and for
all popular purposes. adequate In manly FASHION
he declines to I'LL his pages with the petty gossip
and scandal that with sufficient pains, one might
gather about the poets name. but OF the chafHc's
istlc events OF Burnss life he omits nothing essen
tai His book is brief. succpct and readable Any
omen minded boy In his teens would eaten some OF
i,s enthusiasm, For thoae to whom better biog-
raphies are inaccessible II will serve sufiicieh,ly
well as an introduction 10 Burnss poems
II is an Inevitable fault in any biographical series
that tn, editor cannot proportion his space ac-
cordng 10 the worth OF his subjects. Whatever
tho relative importance Of the different men COM
memorated ever book in the series must he prac-
ticaly as large every other book To Civ" uni
form appearance to the set, every valley mus' De
exalted and every mountain and hill must be made
low To raise the subject Of Richard Cameron 10
the level of any biographical series would take
great deal Of filing. He was an irreconcilabe III
the troublou. times when Charles ri tried TO thrust
epscopacy upon the Church, of Scotland. For one
year his fanaticsm gave him pre-eminent place
among the opponents of the King OF the rest OF his
life little is known. He was the eldest son OF
burgess and general merchant of Falkland. prob
ably graduated from ST. Andrews University in
IGs2 became a schoOlmaster and precentor. then
private chaplain. took TO attending Illegal con-
yentcIes lost his place chaplain by refusing to
accompany his employers to church, and i1nally be-
M "A
counted a rebel to the King With rapidly aug
meutng Intolerance he refused fellowship with all
Episcopalians with all Presbyterans who accepted
Episcopal tolerance and finally with all VINO ac-
CO pied the aid OF such Presbyterans AT last, with
nineteen companions as Jealous ana dosmatc as
himself and I'm the belief that his career espe
c,aly graced by the immediate and miraculous
interpositions OF God he took arms against the
King met the Royal troopers in open fight, and
WAS killed and ANONYMOUSLY decapitated One de-
nomination of Presbyterians, against their own
protests are called after his name. Camcronians.
one noted regiment Of Scotch soldiers have of their
own yoiton gained the same title. That he died
for his beliefs proved his sincerity and couras" but
unfortunately could not prove his wisdom or his
charity l. is safe TO say that no Stuart was ever
80 tyrannical Cameron would have been had he
had the mower Insuficlenty educated as he was
Young as he was-for. II his biographer's surmise
regarding the date OF his birth be correct. he died
at tbrty-two-hc never appears to have recognized
rho right OF any one to disagree with him. His fol-
lowers would consider no alliances. The same dis
tortion OF vision which made Wendell Phillips see
I'm Abraham Lincoln 1.-THE slave hound OF ILLINOIS,
made Cameron see I'm every recourse to reasonable
argument and moderate counsels objectionable
apostasy.
John C;eddies "Balladists purports TO be nothing
but n popular essay. Its illustrative quotations
are chosen with judgment It's criticism is appre-
ciat;ye and well balanced: Its method is definite.
and i,s style is and agreeable. II Is eemen'
tary enough for any boy or girl who has "A taste
for good literature All that Mr. Geddie demands
of his readers Is the mere mechanical operation OF
following the printed page. II one does not read
too many Of them such books make excellent read
ing and Mr. Ccddies is one of the best OF its kind
But II Ia In Miss Simpsons biography OF her
father that finds at once the most appropriate
and the most interesting volume that has thus far
been published n this series. II Is charming
picture Of Scotch home life. with the mercuria,
b,shearted little doctor the centre OF the house
hold His professional labors must have been pro-
dirious. his scientific attainments were notable.
He was forever experimenting
When using himself as a subject he was apparently
az rash AS a boy. On occasion when Lord Play
fair put a new and unried anaeshetic drug into his
hand. he wished inhale IL once. II is said Of