An gaidheal - National Library of Scotland

'——''January, 1874.THE GAEL. 849(President of the Skye Society), D. Macclonald,behind them if they were only broughtA. \Y. Macleod, D. C. Maccrim-out, or allowed to bring themselves out.nion, M. Macaskill, A. Mackillop, Alex. It was verj^ easy for Glasgow and EdinburghTorrie, F. Macdonald, J. Whyte, K.orators, who did not know theMacaskill, and M. Macdonald.difficulties of the people, to theorise andA blessing having been asked by the talk about improving their condition;Rev. Mr. Mackinnon, tea was partaken but where was the use of poor Highlandof, after which the Chairman delivered cottars expending their savings in buildiugan interesting address, in which heline houses and steadings when theyreferred to the literary and historical knew that in all probability the groundassociations of Skye, and to the capacityfor position and progress taken by Highlandersgenerally in all parts of the world.officer would demand a higher rent, and,failing payment, throw them out pennilesson the worid, and that in consequence ofAt this latter point he said :'That Highlanders were neither dullof comprehension, nor slothful in theirdisposition, was evinced by their successboth at home and abroad, where theirtalents found full scope, and where theywere found working for themselves.They had only to look at the Parliamentarylists of Australia, New Zealand, andthe Dominion of Canada, to find that,considering their disadvantages, theCeltic race occupied a position far a-headof others. The Government of KewZealand had to call in the aid of a gentlemanof extraordinary tact and ability,Mr. Donald Maclean, a true Highlander,to quiet the savage Maories ; and in theDominion of Canada, where the Highlandpopulation was but small in proportion toother nationalities, the Highland influenceand representation in Parliament werevery large and powerful. There wasscarcely a single Highland clan that wasnot represented, while some of themcould count their representatives liy thedozen. One of the most distinguishedmen in the Senate, corresponding to ourHouse of Lords, was the Hon. W. J.Macdonald, a native of Skye, while thePremiership of the other House was, tillvery recently, held by the Eight Hon.Sir John A. Macdonald, a native ofSutherlandshire, and a gentleman of verygreat ability and influence. Not only so,but even when Sir John Macdonaldresigned office, the Governor - Ti eneralcalled another distinguished Highlander,the Hon. Alexander Mackenzie, a nativeof Duukeld, to form another Ministry andbecome Prime Minister of the Dominion— a position of which many of yourLords might be proud, but few couldobtain, as it required extraordinarythese very improvements. This was astern fact. Again, it was easy to talk ofthe decline of the martial spirit, and nodoubt it was true where there were nopeople to do the fighting'Far nach bi na mic uchd,Cha bhi na fir-fheachd.Or in English, ' ' Where there are no sonsat the breast, there will be no men forthe ranks." Did they mean to say thatSkye, which had furnished 10,000 soldiers,600 commissioned officers under the rankof colonel, 48 lieutenant-colonels, and 21lieutenant-generals, about the end of lastcentury, could not now, with a largerpopulation, furnish many more? Themartial spirit had not declined, but theinducements to fight were gone. Letthem give the people chiefs whom theycould respect and follow, and homesworth fighting for, and they would notbe one whit behind their renownedancestors. But how could their poorcrofters' lads enlist when they knew thatso sure as they did so their parents mightbe driven out of house and hold beforethey (their sons) had reached their regiments,and all this because the youngmen had enlisted, and the chamberlainhad no longer any further guarantee thathis rents would be paid. Lentil thosematters were remedied, recruiting partiesmight remain at home. Let their traducerssay what they might of the Highlandpeople and Highland character,'Fhad 's a bhios grian anns na speuranNo gealach ag eirigh 's an oidhche,No gaoth a' seideadh 's na h-ardaibhBidh cliu nan Gaidheal air chuimhn.The Chairman's speech, which elicitedfrequent applause, was concluded amidtalents which few of them possessed, andentailed an amount of hard work whichtremendous cheering and waving of hatsand handkerchiefs."fewer still could endure. (Hear and The Eev. D. M'Kinnon, shortly addressedapplause.) These M'ere some of theirthe meeting in Gaelic, taking ascourageous and enterprising Highlanders, his subject the motto which headed theand they left many equally competent programme, ' Lean gu dluth ri cliu do