Address by John D Macgilvary

“ To the Scottish and the American people and, it seems in the light of subsequent events, to the world generally, the year 1759 was one that be forever remembered for the birth of the poet, teacher and philosopher, Robert Burns.

That year was to be one of great achievements: Bowcawen and his fellow admirals were sweeping France from the ocean; in America Washington had planted the British flag on the field of Braddock’s defeat; Hargreaves and Arkwright had almost completed the spinning jenny; Hume had published his third and fourth volumes of his ‘History of England’; Oliver Goldsmith – un-friended and solitary – was toiling in his garret over Fleet Ditch.  But among all of these things none is more memorable than the birth of the peasant poet Robert Burns.

His natural environment was of the kindlier character.   Born in one of the beautiful spots of Scotland near the River Doon, he grew to the age puberty.   In stormiest periods, in his fiercest discussion it was the same grand passion that impelled him to his highest efforts.   The love of fair play, of righting the wrongs of the weak against the strong, his love of straightforwardness and hatred of cant and hypocrisy were the impelling motives of his most trenchant lines, and much that may have procured for him severe and often unfair criticism was caused by his adherence to the principles of that which was manly and noble.    Time, environment and circumstances often became the unjust judge and most fierce assailant of the purest motives.

Burns lived at a time when much that was baneful was not only tolerated, but practiced in the church of his fathers.   A truly religious man himself in the best acceptance of the term, he was a communicant of the most democratic church in a world, temporarily astray with dogmatism.   A dogmatic upon one of his friends by over-zealous clerics together with the sharp rebuke of himself from the same source did not tend to conciliate him to the conditions then existing in the church against which his masterly satire was directed, to his own present damage but the great good of the institution.  Endowed with a keen broad perspective and a generous disposition he was forever rushing to the defence of those he considered injured.   He took the side of the French revolutionists and wrote panegyrises upon the Stuarts, kings of his imagination rather than that he wished them a reality.   These and other democratic traits prevented his preferment and were a standing assurance of his poverty.   To sing of the equality of Man in those days was surely a crime in some quarters and most condign and unmerited punishment was the lot of Burns for his temerity.

Who shall say what effect his temporary treatment by the Scottish aristocracy had upon his future?   Received by them at first as a prodigy, he met the wit and beauty  of the Scottish nobility on their own ground, and had they an abiding faith in truth and principle, he would have been treated more as he deserved than to have been exhibited in the drawing rooms of the rich only to pass his nights in the garret of an old friend.   Having said so much of the life of the poet, let us now look at his works: Next to the subject of love his greatest achievement was that of patriotism. The noblest hymn in the songs of nations today is the grand address of Bruce on the field of Bannockburn:

Scots, wha hae wi’ Wallace bled,

Scots wham Bruce has often led,

Welcome to your glory bed,

Or to victory.

Now’s the day and now’s the hour;

See the front o’ battle lour!

See approach proud Edward’s power -

Chains and slavery

Wha for Scotland’s king and law

Freedom’s sword will strongly draw,

Freemen stand or freemen fa’?

Let him follow me

By oppressions woes and pains!

By your sons in servile chains!

We will drain our dearest veins,

But they shall be free!

Lay the proud usurpers low!

Tyrants fall in every foe!

Liberty’s in every blow!

Let us do or die!

His love of freedom and the assertion of the equality of Man before the law was ever a favourite and well-handled theme, and none of his works that live today yield a greater harvest to humanity than this one trait.  Ever ready to denounce despotism and overbearing, he was equally ready to condemn anarchy and lawlessness.  The inalienable right to peaceable occupations and the enjoyment of quiet, kindly and remunerative existence was ever demanded by him as the right of every born mortal.  

The bald assertion that we must ever be considered the foremost champions of freedom

and equality can be but poorly  understood till it is seen that the weight of his influence is felt because of the ever beautiful images through which it is conveyed.   It is as if one had drunk in all the philosophy of the sages through the music of a Mavis.  Let us therefore on the birthday of our great republic, sanctified by the blood of the fathers to human freedom unveil this tribute to the sweetest voice that ever sang its charm: let us dedicate it to a grateful posterity who will look upon its face for inspiration in the preservation of the name “Burns”  and the following lines to the poet by Isa Craig Knox:

A poet peasant born

Who more of Fame’s immortal dower

Unto his country brings

Than all her kings