The Washington herald., 1906-12-16

air, il is well worth while TO briefly re-
view the lessons taught by the two hun
dred years of union between England and
Scotland.
OF course. the first step toward the al
lance between the Thistle and the Rose
was when James VI of Scotland succeed
ed to the crown OF England as James l.
a succession brought about by the sa-
gacity and preseience OF Henry VII. who
when nearly one hundred years previously
he gave his daughter Margaret to James
" in marriage. fOresaW the eventual
union of the crowns, and predicted that
il would prove an acquisition Of strength
10 England For the next one hundred
years after the accession Of James / to
the throne of England, Scotland retained
her own parliament and though owing
allegiance TO the same king. was de-
priyed Of the privilege Of commercial
equality, being treated by England in
all matters relating 10 trade and in
dustry as a foreign country, the attempt
Of the king to govern Scotland from Lon
don through a Scottish parliament natur-
ally furnishing abundant opportunities OF
unfair interference on the part Of OH
cious English ministers in Scottish al
fairs Finally the situation became so
intolcrabIe that the two kim rons were
rapidly drifting back 10 the bitter eamity
which had prevailed prior TO the union
Of the crowns; and at the beginning or
the eighteenth century we find English
merchant ships being seized in the Forth
by the Scottish government In retaliation
for the seizure Of Scottish shipping in
the Thames.
ShreWd and patriotic statesmen on both
sides of the Tweed became alive to the
danger agd convinced Of the necessity of
a closer union between the two kingdoms
and King William III in particular de-
voted all The closing years Of his life to
accomplishing this end, opposed in the
matter at every step by France, which
knew, by her experience Of the past, that
with Scotland as an enemy, threatening
the northern frontier of England. much
of the latter's Importance as foe would
vanish. Nor did France constitute the
only obstacle to the union. English man
ufactuTeTs and merchants were intensely
jealous Of their Scottish rivals. and Bit
terly opposed 10 the removal of the re-
stricticns placed upon them. The idea Of
granting their Scotch competitors the
same advantages which they themselves
enjoyed was abhOrTent TO them, and all
their influence was employed 20 avert
anything of the kind taking place. The
scotch on the other hand. did not relish
the idea Of the loss of their national in
diFiduality by merging their history in
M Al no 0rrfF
involve the increase of taxation and a
share in the responsibility OF England's
national debt. Scotland feared for the
existence OF neT national church, and Of
her tlme-hOnoTed Institutions; and then,
too, there was TO the north of the Tweed
a very widespread feeling of loyalty TO
the exiled Stuart princes. who, aware
that the true source Of their strength lay
in Scotland, quite naturally disaPproved
anything tnat could tend TO amalgamate
the latter with England.
Il was good Queen Anne who finally
brought about the union of Scotland and
England, which was only rendered pas
sible by sacrifices and forbearance on
both sides, the agreement, while accom-
panied by many regrets and reservations.
heing nevertheless regarded as on the
whole, both in Edinburgh and IN London.
as fair to one side as to the other. The
commissioners appointed 10 elaborate the
act OF union began by eliminating two
rocks upon which previous attempts Of
the same kind had been wrecked, namely,
by agreeing To leave to each country its
own church and its own code of laws.
These two sources of difficulty being re-
moved, the remainder Of the agreement
narrowed down TO four main points,
namely, the succession TO the crown,
trade. taxation. and the composition Of
the future parliament. The Scotch COM
missioners agreed to the demands Of the
English, that the latter's act Of success
sion, settling the crown upon the descend
ants Of Queen Anne, and failing them,
upon the Protestant house of Hanover,
should be extended TO Scotland. The
Scotch House OF Parliament and the
Scotch privy council were abolished, and
Scotland received forty-five seats in the
English House OF Commons and sixteen