New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-02-04
THE FIERY CROSS"
Scotiand'S Premier Earl Issues an
appeal to His Countrgmen.

Lord Mar Premier Ea,l Of Scotland and senior
representative peer OF tie northern kingdom, has
sent out FROM tie hraes Of Mar a Fiery Cross >.
addressed 70 his fellow countrymen
Tc~ those who have forgotten tbat- U-svsrio,
novels and tile writings q Sir Walter Scott 81 NAV
De mentioned that the fiery cross las been ,,sod
since time inmemorial in Scotland as a summons
% fight for some particular cause or object -
consists OF cross Of light wood. the extremities
- which have been set on fire and then extip-
gIlshtd IN the blood ~ freshly slain goat and
ire cross - carried from one chief 10 another
each LAIRD seul.rg GA his most trusted clansman
q rev i;h 20 his nearost neighEor. The fiery cross
pIaVed great role IN Inc Jacobite rebeIlious
against the ROYAL house Of Hanover which nov
occupies tho throne 81 the United Kingdom and
was frequently employed 70 call to arms the High
P-otcrders.
iH moro modern times II has Only been employed
o.r" Gre this within living memory. namely when
The War Department foolishy proposed to abolish
The kills. and tartans % the various Scottish regi-
mems OF the regular army. OF the militia and O
f'o Eoiu1teers ON that occasion LORD Archibald
campbell The banker brother of the Duke OF
Argyll and the most intensely patriotic of Scots
sent out fiery cross. calling upon all of the great
houses Of Scotland and the most influential clans
~ he north TO rise IN protest against this reform:
sud 50 successful was the movement that the GOV
eminent Of the day abandoned the plan and cor
serte6 10 leave tie indignant Scots without
rraeches
samptIary difficulty, nut by determination - de-
mand the same amount ~ home rule fer Scotland
thar the present administration is apparently pre-
pared 10 accord TO Ireland In his manifesto &C
com9snying the fiery cross he demands the forrna-
ton OF distinct Scottish party also an autono-
nous govement for Scotland. and the adminlstra-
ton Of that country, not according the methods
~ the English, but according TO the ways and
wishes OF the people Of Scotland. He demands the
revival Of the Gaelic language and its obligatory
instruction in every school every parish
throughout the Highlands. And. more than this.
that no person shal! be permitted to hold public
office either government. county mum 1ipai. in
Scotland, who does not have a knowledge Of
Gaelic. In fact Lord Mar appeals TO that patriotic
sense Of nationalisra which is nowhere stronge.
IN tie British empire than north of the Tweed, and
he calls upon the clans to stand shoulder TO
shoulder in their fight for their righrs.
Lord Mars ancestors have been earls of Mar
3nitic-that is say. since tbs very dawn of
Scottish histoTy-and the intinlatloa in the Peer
age that he is the thirty-thrd earl of his line
only family conveys the idea Of the antiquity Of
his house. which Is probably the oldest among the
titled families Of Europe. One Of his ancestors,
Gratney Earl OF Mar, married Lady Christian
Bruce, sister Of King Robert Bruce. and the
ty-second Earl of Mar Regent of Scotland for
several years until his death in 1872 In fact, the
names of the lords of Mar figure almost every
page Of the annals of Scotland