Volume 1 - Electric Scotland

cclxxx WILLIAM, FIRST MARQITIS OF ANNAXDALE, 1 072-1721.
coniuiissioiicrs reduce their findings to four guueral heads—the fourth of which,
as it decides where the responsibility for the massacre la)-, is here given :
"Fourthly, that Secretary Stair's letters, especially that of the 11th of
January 1G92, in which he rcjoyces to hear that Glenco had not taken the oath,
and that of the IGth of January of the same date with the king's additional
instructions, and that of the 30th of the same month, were no ways warranted,
but quite exceeded the king's foresaid instructions; since the said letters, without
any insinuation of any method to be taken that might well separate the Glencomen
from the rest, did, in place of prescribing a vindication of publick justice,
order them to be cut off and rooted out in earnest, and to purpose, .and that
suddenly, and secretly, and quietly, and all on a sudden ; which are the express
terms of the said letters; and, comparing them and the other letters with wliat
ensued, appear to have been the only warrant and cause of their slaughter which
in effect, was a barbarous murder, perpetrated by the persons dcpon'd against."^
After transmitting the report to the king, as it had been urgently re-
quired for their information, parliament continued, their inquiries. Ou lOtli
Jul}- 1695 they sent an address to the king. It was signed by the Earl of
Aunandale as president. The address repeated the words of the report by
the commissioners that the killing of the Cilencoe men was as unwarraiitalile
as the manner of doing it was barbarous and inhuman."
The principal persons connected with the slaughter of the Macdoiialds
were ten in number :
—
(1) Sir John Dalrymplc, Jfaster of Stair, joint-secretary of state for Scot-
land, who wrote the instructions by the king. The address to the king
blames the secretary as the chief cause of the slaughter.
(2) Sir Thomas Livingstone, commander-in-chief of the forces in Scotland.
The parliament, iu their address to the king, referred to the instructions
which Secretary Dalrymple transmitted to Sir Thomas. But they do not
blame or justify the commander.
' Papers relaliag to the Iligblands, p. 11.".
- Acts of the Parliaments of ScotlanJ, vol. ix. p. 12-1.
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