FAMOUS SCOTSMEN.

Evening Star, Issue 11893, 22 May 1903, Page 1

FAMOUS SCOTSMEN.

At the invitation of the Sydney. Bums Club Mr *P" £:^ ld ' M " P -> delivered an address on the 15th msfc. on ' Lessons From the History of Scotsmen.'

Mr Reid said that he hoped he. would not speak in his remarks as if there were no great people m the world besides the Scotch. There were other races in the world just as patriotic, just as intelligent, and just as desirable as themselves. They must remember that in spite of the many evidences to the contrary tho world was not entirely made for the Scottish race. Perhaps if he, had given a little more thought to the title of his address before be had mentioned to the secretary what subject he had chosen he would have remembered that the glory of Scotland was in a large denm.e due to its women. The men of Scotland were more the product of their mothers' teaching than was generally admitted. One of the advantages of conferring the franchise upon the women was that politicians were seeing a great deal more in them than they had done before. Referring to the inspiring examples that Scotland could point to, he instanced Sir William Wallaco and Bruce. It was true that Bruce fought for himself and his crown, but Wallace was a plain Scottish gentleman, who passed through many hardships in the endeavor to free his native land. Another side to the Scottish character was shown in the names contributed to the glories of martyrdom. Patrick Hamilton had set up a sacred fire of testimony that had ennobled the Scottish character. Then there was John Knox. At a later period inspiration of a different kind came from the poetry of Robert Bums. He helped to rescue the Scottish character from falling into a canting vein. Dr Thomas Chalmers was one of the grandest men the world had ever seen. He inspired Scotland not only with a spirit of religion but of humanity and independence. They had in Lord Brougham a Scotchman who became the marvel of the world for his attainments. There was a noble list of Scotchmen who endunpd hardships in order to educate themselves to the full extent of their attainments. It was no uncommon thing 100 years ago for three or four young men to live together in an attic on oatmeal three times a day and seven days a week in order that they might be able to attend the university. How would young Australia like that? Out of this spirit of self-denial came some of the grandest men the world had ever seen. Perhaps he might attribute some of tho little success he had met with in life to the fact that ho was not allowed to dodge oatmeal. There were many eminent Scotchmen who had educated themselves amid louely surroundings. The speaker instanced the venerable divine, John Brown, of Haddington, William and Robert Chambers, Hugh Miller, Thomas Dick, Watt, ■nd John Hunter. Then there was the Scotchman abroad to be considered. Scotland was too small for the vigor and enterprise of the race. Only the world was large enough.— (Applause.) When the Scotch settled in another land they always did their duty by the land of their adoption. As evidence that he himself possessed some Scotch grit, he might say that he had emigrated at the age of two menths. It was not because he.did not love his country. He had found it a land flowing with milk and honey—but he thought it was his duty to make room for others. The speaker referred to many military heroes of Scotch birth. Speaking of the late Sir Hector Macdenald, he said that distinguished soldier was a man of whom they were all proud.—(Loud applause.) His career was one of the grandest in the army. He rose from the ranks, and no one knew what a soldier who rose from the ranks to take a position among the great military officers of England had to go through. He was a man who had earned distinction as a general and as a fighting soldier. There was no one who had earned more of the confidence of bis men. It would need more than vague insinuations and slanders to tarnish the heroic record of such a soldier. Mr Reid concluded his addres3 by an appeal to parents not to judge their children by their records at school if they were of an unfavorable kind. He quoted a long list of eminent men whose school records had been the reverse of bright. The education which really tested a man's mental range was not what he learned at school, bur the education of the world. The wisest of all ambitions was that which sought to develop the intellectual faculties and in developing them helped the advancement of the country.