The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-02-02
SCOTLAND AND
 TRIAL OF SELF
 DETERMINATION
(By JOSEPH DUNN, Ph. D.) Professor of Celtic, Catholic Univer- sity of America. Author of '"The GlorieS of Ireland"

The population of Scotland is made up of Pictish, Irish, British, Saxon. Danish, and Norman elements; the first three Celtic, the last three Ger manic peoples. The Picts contributed d the bulk of the population, but they were overcome by the Scotti. It is these Scotti, as the Irish were then called, who have given their name to Scotland, and who carried their settle ments and speech among the Picts, who were more or less closely related to them and who were absorbed by the Irish because Irish civilization was superior to that which obtained among the Picts. The result of those emigrations is that most of the people of Scotland are of the flesh and blood of the Gaels of Ireland.
 In the fourth century, about St Patrick's time, Irish colonists from Dal Riada Gin North Antrim), of which Belfast might be regarded as the central point, passed over to the neighboring shores of Scotland and. in the course of the next two or three centuries, established, in what is now a part of the present county of Argy- le, the Scottish kingdom to which they gave the name of their native district, Dal Riada- In like manner, the English settlers in a part of North America called their colony New England, and in other respects also the two cases were parallel The relations between the two countries were close, and the colony was con- stantly being reinforced by their countrymen from Ireland. For about 175 years the colonists were under the rule of the Irish monarch. But the men of Alba (Scotland) main tained that their settlements belonged to them, while the men of Fire Gre land) claimed that the colonists were subject to the mother-country ana must bear the same burdens.
 In the year 575 Adam was solemn lv inaugurated king of Dalriada and at once set himself to the task of making his kingdom Independent IT, that endeavor he was ably second- cd bv the Irish Saint Columba, who was born in Donegal and who spread the Christian faith in North Britain thereby becoming the apostle or Scotland.
 But the two countries did not go to war over the issue. Instead, con vention was called together to Aedh, son of Ainmire, King or 1relano which met at Druimceat, near Derry,
 
 of the relations which should sups1sr oatween the two countries. Columpa o1eaded the cause of the colon1st:s He pointed out that it was frlendsh1p and affection and love which shouI1 continue between the Gaels or scot land inc Gaels of Ireland and nor hatred or war. With the approval or the convention, the matter was lei' to the arbitration of Columba, who raferred it to his pupil Colman, son of CongelIan, who had made a par ticular study of the question.
 The result was the famous treaty of Druimceat, by which Ireland granted recognition and independence to her colony, as the only posslple oe- ciston in conformity with the Gaelic system of government, which was the very antithesis of feudalism and m perialisnl. It was a treaty or peace and brotherhood, and it remained ,.. fierce for hundreds of years after wards, and in conseqeunece of it on more than one occasion the Scots of Alba came to the aid of their countrymen in Ireland as, for ex- ample, in 1914, when they sent 2 strong force to assist Brian Boru contending against the Danes at Clon tarf, and when. on the other hand. the Irish gave aid to King Robert the Bruce, at Bannockburn.
 This bond of union would still be in effect were it not for the Saxons, who, in accordance with their prin- ciple of Divide tVfmpera, came be- tween the two branches of the Gael to the inexpressible harm of both of them.
 Tn Heal a C01ncrIl