OUR GAELIC POPULATION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 3684, 25 November 1873, Page 3

OUR GAELIC POPULATION.

TO THE BDITOB. SIR—I have been in the habit of reading with great interest the correspondence which has occasionally appeared in -your columns in regard to matters affecting the Highlanders in this Province, and I have always entertained a hope that something might be suggested therein which would lead te the establishment of a Gaelic mis-sion;--Atlasfc my hope is realised. Mr Grant, in his letter in your issue of the 15th inst.,-has, with shrewdness and promptitude, called the attention of Highlanders to a sure way of getting their want of Gaelic-spealring missionaries supplied. If the deputation of Highlanders proposed by Mr Grant only make it known to Dr JBegg that there are Highlanders in Otago who for the last fifteen years have not heard more than one or two sermons they could understand,

I think that -will be enough to cause him to use * his great influence in the .North to prevent our ■z: future immigrants from that quarter from earning pastorless to!Otago, and thereby.perpetuating. *tul extending the present evil. 'Sbgreat is the influence of Dr Begg amongst "the .peasantry of the counties immediately north of the Forth, that whatever he may say about Otago as a field for emigration, will be at once a matter of belief with them. They have been too, "much benefited by his crusade against the" " bothy system," not to feel that his great desire "is.to promote their welfare—material as well as Our success in securing immigrantsfrom that district will depend to a great degree. "Upon the representations of Dr Begg, and in this -case these representations must be favourable; "but when he goes farther north, amongst the purely'Celtic'pppulation, can he advise theni to -emigrate to a land where Gaelic spoken from a pulpit is almost unknown ? He cannot. But ho -«an; remove the objection by making kuown to the clergy andlaity of the Highlands the duty which they owe to tlieir fellow-countrymen cmi- . grating—the duty of seeing that they are provided with missionaries in the "laud of their -adoption. This duty will no doubt be cheer--fully undertaken. .'.■■ Dr- Kennedy and many others- would delight iv. furthering, the good ■ -work,' ' ' " ','•r," "'"■'." '■'.'■.'". ■" - - If the Highlanders adopt Mr Grant's suggestion, and send a deputation to Dr Begg—they : may have done so already—the results will be xdore than the most sanguine could have dreamt •«f before Dr Begg*s advent.—l am, j&c, -: Kenneth Cameron. . Shag Valley, November 21st.