BURNS ANNIVERSARY

Otago Witness, Issue 3333, 30 January 1918, Page 52

BURNS ANNIVERSARY

SCOTLAND'S DEBT TO " RANTIN' ROVIN». ROBIN." Wherever Scotsmen are to found, that is to say' in every comer of the earth, tho memory of their ploughman poet, Robert Burns, will to-day be loyally celebrated and honoured with , the devotion tinged with reverence that Burns has ever aroused in the hearts of his countrymen. For it was on January 25, a hundred and fifty-nine years ago, was born the lad who was to become one of the chief glories and boasts of his nation. In such a Scottish community as this the celebrations of the event could not fail to be whole-hearted and enthusiastic. Naturally arrangements were in the hands of the Burns Club, and for local reasons the gathering this year took place a day before the duo date. The celebrations took the form of an exceedingly successful concert, held in tho King's Theatre on the 24th. The club had commanded the services ot a number of the most gifted and popular performers in the community, and they freely availed themselves of the opportunities to be found in the splendid poetry and musio associated with the name of Burns.

I • The President of the Club (Mr W. B. i M'Ewan) presided, and offered a welcome : to all present who were not members of the club. He read a telegram from the Timaru Scottish Society wishing them a most successful gathering. He wondered if Scotsmen themselves realised what their great patriots like Burns and Walter Scott and James Hogg had done for their nation and for the whole world. The greatest debt of all was due to Burns, whose war songs had nurtured the national spirit of the people. Mr M'Ewan showed to the audience a silver ring from the bagpipes presented J to the first Expeditionary Force by the > Scottish societies of Dunedin. A Canadian. I had found those pipes smashed and bloodI stained lying 'on the shores of Gallipoli, and took the band as a- memento. It came to Dunedin through Mr R. 13. Bannerman, who had received it from the finder in England, and sent it on here. The speaker of the evening- was the Rev. A. W. Kinmont, who took as his subject "Burns as a Patriot." It was a strange thing, he said, that away in the furthest corner of the world, at a distance of 159 years, the birthday of " Rantin* rovin' Robin" should be celebrated at such a great gathering. How came it about? It was not because of Burns' greatness, or of his goodness, or even of his poetry that he was so remembered. It was because in some subtle way Burns had come to be the representative Scotsman, and when they thought of him they thought of the old grey land so dear to them from which they came. Go where they would it was a good thing to be a Scotsman. —(Applause.) Let them think of what Scotland was and what she had done. Her sons had carried the flag in every corner of the world, always in the forefront, rarely defeated. But let them think of what iScotiand had done in peaceful matters, in medicine, art, science, mechanical things. How had it come about that Scotsmen were everywhere, and everywhere proud of their race? He believed that Burns had had a great deal to do with it. Scotland's danger had always been England, and it was a hard, bitter fight of centuries against the overwhelming weight of tho South. He briefly reviewed the great dramatio events in the ago long struggle. They would hardly credit it, but in the days of Burns Scotsmen were ashamed of their nationality and did their best to hide it.. Then came Burns —a Scotsman in every fibre of his being. And he fought with the stern climate, with hard poverty, with the poor soil. He fought for his education, he fought with the Church and with the Government, and most of all he fought with himself. And at last he became a man of much knowledge, of groat experience, power of expression and a mind that could hold its own with any mind in the land. Truly, ho was a mystery, and no one had ever solved the riddle of his character. Ho was the great genius of his age, and loft the deepest mark that anyone ever left on Scotland. He saved the Scottish language, . and showed Scotsmen and the world the beauty of it. He put pride of race into his fellow-countrymen, and prepared the way for something better. Now had set in the conquest of England by Scotland. The speaker referred to the leading position held in tho Church of England, the Cabinet, the War Council, tho army, and the navy, by Scotsmen. He spoke lastly of the world-wide spirit of brotherhood given expression to so powerfully by Burns, and to the unique place in the national life held by Burns's wonderful song, "Auld Lang Syne." Tho Mayor, Mr J. J. Clark, occupied a seat on the platform, and at the close of the programme spoke of the splendid spirit of patriotism to their native land that had inspired the founders of the Otago settlement. Ho returned thanks to tho Burns Club, the Rev. A. W. Kinmont, the performer's, and the chairman, for their part in the proceedings. The concert programme which followed was greatly appreciated.