The National tribune., 1900-04-05
"BRITAIN" OR "ENGLAND."
Comrade Dougall Writes of the Protest Of
the North American United Caledonian
Assoctation


ceived copy of Historic Homes in Wash
ington, by Mary S. Lockwood, which my
wife and | have been reading, and VIC can
cheerfully recommend it 10 every one, young
or old, male or female. 1t is an incentive
to patriotism. and should be read by all.
But being, as | am, Il Scottish-American,
| have q protest to enter against the Use oi
word which occurs all through the book.
lti the use of the word England speak
ing of one of the leading powers of Europe
when Britain is the proper word 10 use.
especially by those who seek to write ms
tory. To me, n member of the North Amerl-
can United Calcdonian Association, 1t Is
not trivial. for we ColcdonianS have entered
into compact or agreement not 10 permit
such an infringement of our rights, in our
presence, without entering our protest
1t is therefore my duty TO do so now.
1t was an equal partnership which was
formed in 1907, after 100 years OF series
| of attempts by Commissioners duly accred-
tied from both Kingdoms CEngland and
Scotland). The chief stumbling block to
| n perfect union was the cCotiSm of England
in demanding that Scotland should sink
her identity and let all be called England.
But no; Scotland insisted that she would
not give up anything which England was
not willing 10 give up. Finally it was
agreed to drop both names, and the ancient
name of the whole island was adopted as
the name of the new Government, Great
Britain.
1t was King James of Scotland who,
| when he became King also of England.
| first suggested the name Create Brittany,
a suitable name for the United Kingdom:
but while he united the crowns in his own
person, he failed to unite the realms, and
| there was no union.
We learn that the greater part of all the
sessions OF the several Boards of Commls-
toll
this very point of selecting a name for the
new National Government. On April
"a, 1906, the Commissioners finally agreed
to Great Britain as the name.
There were but two contracting parties
TO this union, England and Scotland:
Wales only came i'll under the wing OF
| England, as a subject of hers. On July ,
it was agreed that the great seal should
differ from the other seals. and that the
| flag should be composed of the st. Andrews S
cross OF Scotland and the st. Georges
| cross Of England, so conjoincd as her
majesty, Queen Anne, should direct; and
thus was formed the Union Jack, which has
become SO powerful ON both land and sea.
On July II it was agreed that in all
oathS and af1rmations the terms "the
crown and realm of Great Britain" should
be used So, after a century of effort, The
negotiations ceased, and the union was
consummated which has become so great
|
July %, 1906, 10 take effect May ], 1867.
These articles We're % in number. The
first referred to the flag. The third referred
TO the Parliament of Great Britain. The
fourth gave full freedom and Intercourse
OF trade and navigation, and all other
rights, privileges and advantages which
do or belong to either Kingdom The
22d provided that the oaths to be taken
by officials, members of Parliament etc,
should be the crown and realm of Great
Britain. 2tI
Thereafter the two countries were TO
have bat one name; that was not to be
England or Scotland, but Great Britain.
There was to be no longer a flag of Scotland
or of England, bat one flag, the flag OF the
union, both on land and on sea. In fine.
| there was to be but one flag, one seal, one
crown, and one realm, and that was to be
Great Britain and British.
| The adoption Of Il new name was inevit-
able, after the terrible struggle for freedom
which Scotland Taged for 300 years the
utter sacrifice Of property which laid waste
Cheviot Hills and Teviotdale on her south
ern border, and the terrible loss of life she
| had TO endure for 10 generations: De Poe
says amounting TO 314 battles and costing
the blood of million brave men. Is it
any wonder, then, that the very name of
| England was regarded by Scotland with
| bitter aversion and hatred?
In selecting the Anglicized name Of the
| whole island as designated by the Romans,
| it could not be abhorrcnt 10 either England
or Scotland nor can it be in any way re-
pugnant to Ireland, because Ptolemy called
| islands may well be called the British
Isles" Even the Celts of the highlands of
Scotland and of Wales and Of Ireland and
| Cornwall were all Britons.
| Is it any wonder, then, that | should pro-
test, along with my fellow Caledonians,
against the attempt to impose on the EN-
| pire a name which we solcmnly and dcIih-
now denounce it as a crime against our
national honor and national good faith,
to call that Nation or Empire by the name
of one of the parties to the compact or
agreement, England?
The nomenclature adopted by the terms
of the union was used by the people of both
| Nations for over century, ;tnd British
North America, British Columbia, British
India, British Guiana and the British
Museum attest this the British Channel.
the British Constitution, British trade.
British subjects. and the British crown
were heard at all times, both in and out Of
Parliament, and Britain was raised to a
frst-class power under the British FLAG.
Ireland was one Of the British Isles.
| and the people of Ireland are q part of the
British peoples, but the Irish and Scotch
can in no sense be said to be a portion of the
| English people. There Is 4 Church of
England but there is also Church of
Scotland; but England rs Il separate power
disappeared in 1907, for value received =.
Scotland as u separate power also dis
appeared, and the Kingdom of GreatBritain
was born.
In 1901 Ireland was taken into the union
and the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Ireland was formed. II was Great
Britain which entered into this compact
or agreement. England was not one of Inc
units, nor was Scotland one OF the units
Of the United Kingdom; they had ceased TO
exist as separate powers, and Great Britain
was the party of the first part. A perfect
and thorough union can only be maintain
ed when equal and exact Justice is done Ia
The four nationalitics which compose The
United Kingdom l. e., England and Wales.
Scotland and Ireland. The persistent
manner in which England and the English
ignore the terms of the union will only
lead to its dissolution. England has
dominated over Ireland ever since 1901
and there is no wonder that there is sucR
unrest in the Emerald Isle and among thn
Irish everywhere.
From 1907 England lived I'D TO the
terms of her union with Scotland reason
ably well, until about the middle of the
last century, but having set her heel upon
Ireland with somadeeree of success she has
sought and is now seeking TO do so with
Scotland. The terms of the union We're
so carefully drawn that she has faie1 Ia
aggrandiZe very much 10 herself excepting
lin name. Sometime after the battle of