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TO THE EDITOR
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THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
congratulation to the rest of the nation that some Scotch characteristics are strictly preserved north of the Tweed-may they always stop there! A "susceptible nation" should have a thonght for the susceptibilities of others and not for ever try to ram down other people's throats the self-evident absurd.ty that the “Land o' Cakes" is the Hub of the Universe. -Yours, elc.,
PAX VOBISCUM.
OF THE DAILY PRESS."
Hongkong, 23rd June, SIB,-Your correspondeat Englishman misses the point altogether. No referenes was made in the letter of An Unspeakable Scot," so far as I read it to the absorption or other wice of Scotland into the 'British realms." Scot's " argument was that Scotland has never been conquered by England, and that con en- tion no one who knows history will dispute- Englishman" talks patronisingly of Scot land's " good fortune in being absorbed into TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.' the afore mentioned British realms," but
Hongkong, 24th June. surely he does not mean to imply that SIE-Scotchmen are notoriously lacking in the union of the two Crowns was Lot just sense of humour and judging from the corr s- as desirable for Euglard? To return, how-pondence which you have allowed to ap ear in ever, do "Englishmans letter: Scotland your paper, it would also seem that they fail to has not been " absorbed When he married realise when they are making themselves not his daughter to a Scottish prince, King only ridiculons but a nuisance.-Yours, etc., Henry VII. declared that the greater power won d absorb the lesser, meaning, presumably, that England would absorb Scotland; but with all respect to His Majesty and to his latter-day champion "Englishman that absorption, so far as Scotland is concerned, has not taken place, and never will.! Scotland is just as much a distinct nation to day as she was when Robert the Bruce wore Ler crown, and the national characteristics of the Scottish people are every whit as pronounced; a journey through this Highlands of Scotland is sufficient to carry that conviction. There wasno necessity for "English man's" egregion letter: Au Unspeakable Scot" simply pointed out an error that required immediate correction, and for his prompt uphold. ing of the traditions of the land o the heath and the heather he has the thinks of - Yours, etc.,
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ANOTHER UNSPEAKABLE SCOT.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.
Hongkong, 24th June. SIR,-Those two Scots are becoming a little wearisome in their childishness. Really now, who but they would have noticed anything to raise such a polher about? However, seeing that the writer of the letter isn't here to defeud bimself from the terrible charges of his accusers I would like to call attention to a point that everybody appears to have overlooked. The Mail's correspondent says that England has never sought to crush out of a conquered or annexed country," etc. And the Unspeakable one asks: "When was Scotlard conquered and annexed ?" He hasn't even taken the trouble to make sure of his thesis. And does he deny that Scotland is the junior partner to England? Would he pervert history as well as the Mail's paragraph? Again he says: And so we owe it to the English that they have not crashed out of us," etc. A man who argues on misrepresenta- tions of this kind is hardly worth the answering, As a matter of fact I am not quite sure that the Mail's correspondent is correct in saying that "England has never sought." etc. She has, once or twice, but found that it didn't pay. Have the Highlanders forgotten Glencoe, for instance? And again what caused the seces, sion of the United States?
LetUnspeakable Scots" hang their hats upon this peg, if they will; they have some thing tangible at any rate: but spare us from those who cry out before they are hurt. Even supposing that the Mail's correspondent had written as these Unspeakables represented, would John Bull in a similar case have risen in his wrath to pulverise his thoughtless opponent with undignified invective? The smaller the nation, physically and mentally, as with the man, the mere mouse he has to make to assert himself. I do not think that Scotland would have fallen in the world's estimation had thess unspeakable champions never arisen.—Yours, ⚫la.,
ANOTHER ENGLISHMAN,
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G. W. P.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS." Hongkong, 25th June.
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[June 29, 1903,
Assertions like that, "G W. P.," are ridicu lons and irrelevant, but, pair callant. ye maybe ken nae better! The fact remains, ye English, that Scotland is an unconquered country, and as one of her sons I am able to subsoribe myself
-Yours, etc.,
AN UNCONQUERED SCOT.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS.
Hongkong, 25th June. SI-I am sorry to trouble yon again with a continuance of this correspondence. But the persons who have written under this head, signing themselves by ra ious noms de plumes deserve to be shown up. To start with the last first, "G.W.P." by the reversal of his initials shows the perversion of his view. If he descend to personal abuse let him under- stand that others beside him cau sling mud, but gentlemanly they refrain And assertion is not argument. 'Par Vobiscum" wonders why I did not take up another line of invective. As a matter of fact-O beloved Mesopotamia of his— I might as well have attacked the Mail writer on his ignorance of syntax. His grammar was villainous as Pas Vobiscum's" ergument was weak. As for Robert the Bruce and his Norman descent I wonder if "Englishmau ever heard of William the Conqueror. I think he was not only of Norman descent but a Norman of the Normans. Another Englishmau 'is not worth considering. Probably his middle nam sta. ts with Mac and at any rate he writes like a renegade Yours, etc,
UNSPEAKABLE SCOT.
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SIB, I was very much surprised and amusi to find that "An Unspeakablo Scot" has the hardihood to claim Ulster as an evidence of Scotch ability and industry. The only bright | spot in Ireland is claimed as a product of the loins" of Scotsmen. As an Ulsterman I take leave to protest against such a statemout as a gross libel upon an innocent and inoffensive population. Heaven save us from any such paternity as that. Unspeakable Scot" in the days of h's youth when the "baw bees W re scarcer than they are now, probably took an excursion trip from Glasgow to Belfast, re- turning the same night, and probably came to TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS. the conclusion that Belfast was nothing more
Hongkong, 26 h Jane. than a suburb of Glasgow, Now we Ulstermen SIR,For blatant self-sufficiency commend have to confess that the coast counties of me to "An Unconquered Scot" and his "brither Antrim, Down and part of Derry, are 03-
Scots"! Your correspondent asks " Why the cupied by people of Scotch ancestry, and also whole English camp is in arms"? Surely the that Belfast, being in the former county, has reason must be apparent to all but the "dourest" a considerable (but by no means predominant) Scot. The original question as to whether Scotch element. If how rer time and cir Scotland was ever conquered is too childishly cumances had permitted "Unspeakable Scot" uninteresting to excite sufficient inter st to call to end his pilgrimage a little further inland forth the indignation of "the other side." No, he w uld require a magnifying glass to have nothing but the irritating, swollen-headed bump- discovered the presence of the Scotch (beg tiousness of the "Unajakables" could have pardon, Scots) microbe. The inland counties provoked such righteous condemnation-not of of Ulster (ie. Armagh, Cavau, Fermanagh, Ecotland and well-informed, intelligent Scots, Monaghan, and Tyrone) are almost entirely set but of that class who in the arrogance of their tled by people of English descent, except in ignorance (Don Quixote-like) tilt at the wind- such places as are found remnants of the original mill of Hard Facts" mounted on that ill-condi- "Irishry." They have nearly all English | tioned, broken-wiuded, weak-kneed jade "Ele- names and are members of the Anglican Commentary Education!" I agree on one point with munion. Besides, "Unspeakable Scot" is a little Unspeakable Scot"-William 1st certainly wrong in his history. The idea of the "planta was a Norman, but what of that? Who held tion or colonisation of Ulster did not origi- | him up as an English hero? Yours, etc.. nate with that numskull, "James VI of Scotland," of whom he is so proud. It origi. nated in the fertile brains of the statesmen who surrounded the English Queen, Elizabeth, and the first plautation took place in her reign, and consisted of English settlers exclusively. I know Scotsmen are famous for keeping the Sabbath day holy (and anything else they can conveni- ently lay hands ou), but to lay hold of the fact of the prosperity and intelligence of Ulster and proclaim it as an evidence of what the "loins of Scotland can do, is an unspeakable wrong which I trust you, Mr. Editor, will help me to right. It is a base calumny. Why, sir, Scotland was only Scotia Minor, when Uls er was Scotia Major. Let Unspeakable Scot put that in his pipe and smoke it, and ever hereafter hold his peace.—Yours, etc.,
ULSTERMAN.
TO TE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRE88.
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Hongkong, 25th June.
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SIR, What a storm in a teacup, truly ! misrepresentation of historical fact, a letter to correct it by a justly indignant Scot, and-the whole English camp is up in arms! TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS." What for? Do they deny that " Unspeak- Hongkong, 24th June. able Scot" is right? Do they as ert that SIR,-"Englishman" and the" Unspeakable" Scotland, "the junior partner," "the smaller onee should Leave little dogs to bark and nation, physically and mentally," was conquered. bite," etc., as we were taught in our youth. Havers! In a hopeless attempt to explain The British Nation consists of as many English- away the inaccuracy of the statement that first men as Scots, and surely it is unnecessary to gave rise to the present discussion, "Another try to prove that one (or both) bas swallowed the Englishman" places an entirely original con- other like the Kilkenny cats! I wonder if struction on the grammatical significance of the "Unspeakables" can inform me of what the offending paragraph, and "G.W.P." for stock Robert Bruce came? I have just want of originality, but thirsting to do battle on
suspeccion" that he was of Norman descent. Can this be true? I think it is a subject for
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behalf of the Sassenachs, falls back on the old saw that Scotchmen lack the sense of humour.
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PAX VOBISCUM.
C.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY FRESS.
Hongkong, 25th June. SIB, In the interests of suffering humanity plase insist that future correspondence from Scots, 'unconquered" or otherwise, must be correctly spelt. We can stand bad granjinar and bad temper, but save us from bad spelling. Here is a sample from "An Unconquered Scot's letter dated 25th June:-
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but, puir callant, ye maybe ken rae better." Some Scottie or other will be telling us this is Scotch, and not badly spelt English. By the way, how many swelled- headed Scots in Hongkong or elsewhere can speak or write a single sentence in pukka Scotch, not the pidgin broken-English sampled above, but the genuine article? "Not one, my child, not one! Can any of your readers favour with the complete poem entitled "Scotia ?" The last two lines are as follows:-
"Land of chiels so fond of country That they leave it fast by scores."
Yours, etc.,
A LOVER OF “SCOTCH."
TO THE Editor of the "DAILY PRESS." Hongkong, 26th June. SIR,-I have read with much amusement your Ecotch correspondence during the past few days. I talked the matter over with several
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Speakable Scotchmen," who are all agreed that "Unspeakablo Scot's" first letter was quite unnecessary, and a slur on his broader- minded countrymen. Most Ecotobmen are prond of being members of the most glorious British Empire, from which "Unspeakable Scot prefers to alienate bimself. I notice that your
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