New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-07

for Hector" Eight Of the leading chieftains among
the MacLeans with many Of their men, persisted
thus guard the life Of the representative OF their
chiefshp. and there not around his
body who was wounded at the close Of the con
t1ict.
1t is not surprising that the position rank
which gained such hereditary love should have
been much coveted and priced from the earliest
times 1t was all essential for the head Of such
a community to recall the fact that he King
dc ilre" In ancient days when reading and writing
were accomplishments known only to clerlcs
it was treby important that men should never
forget to whom they owed their allegiance and why
it was that they owed it.
There could in Celtic eyes be no allegiance to
anyone but one born 70 it Therefore he who pos
sessed the dignity By birth was bound on all occa-
sions to prove his case and to make his people
Young and old alike, remember on what descent
his right reposed 1t was this that made It necessary
and therefore customary at all great public
sions for the seannace herald to record BY proc
larnation the descent Of the chief The long line
Of mythical descent for which there IS no warrant
is a frequent expression OF disbelief IN modern
writings But the constant oral repetition Of
ancestral claim was really Of the highest historic
value because it was alone this record being alth
fully Kept by oral repetition that the position was
maintained. If could repeat the descent
the legal title was lost This IS how such descents
are fully as valid as those afterWard written on
81 such geneaogv. 30 blood no crown, might
have been the motto taken The Chief right was IN
the mouths OF his people There could be none
among them who did not know 1t. There We're
none who could escape remembrance OF It.
That the proclamation can have been no Joke
or no sinecure for the herald YOU may Judge from
the names OF the descent OF the MacLeans to take
another instance from this West Highland clan
An American woman seated at a London banquet
at which a piper began playing turned to her
reigfIor and SAID when she the piper advancing
round the long dining-table: " hat You don't
mean to say that one man making all that nolses
She thought a whole orchestra advancing upon
her. And 50 when the seannachie began at the
ancient banquet to recite pedigree some awe
stricken stranger may have exclaimed IN amaze
1nent: What, YOU don't mean to say that
All those names must be shouted tor one
mani
And this is the sound that sonorously rolled over
the ancient gathering: ,Aonghus, Iurn learn
breach Dillon Erin Ferghis-Firghie Man-M or
Earngheal Roihtren-Trewn, Shion, Didhe, Olllal
Fri Eoghui1l -Izddior Secvil,' and 50 on and 50
on with ali 90 or a Mic TO signify son OF.
for another score of names only that the patience
of the Old audience Was greater than that q any
modern for the list given begins at the beginning
whereas the old scannach1eS reclted from the
present day backward, to be certain that the
hearers should get well mixed II the shadows OF the
renotest past.
The cohesion that was obtained by patrarchal
rule Was most remarkable. traitor t. hls clan
zyas y most uncommon production. Even as late
a. the middle Of the last century there was not
! Campbell Is be found among the Jacobltes al