Random article in the Scotsman

Avatar · Random article in the Scotsman

"'Our liberty, that dear Scottish liberty... must perish in an instant'
PAUL RIDDELL

BY THE beginning of November, parliament was finally in a position to begin debating the Treaty of Union, leading to some of the most famous speeches in Scottish history, particularly that of Lord Belhaven which will be the subject tomorrow.

In his History of the Union, Sir John Clerk of Penicuik, who was there, gives us a flavour of the arguments made in the opposition speeches:

For many ages past, our estates have met and debated with the single goal of leaving Scotland in a better state than they found it. Why then is our single aim now to surrender disgracefully everything cherished by our ancestors and all free men, spurning and ignoring the wishes of those who put the kingdom in our care? Union is a great and hazardous matter; it is equally a great and unprecedented crime to broach fundamental change in our constitution without consulting the people. We have no jurisdiction or authority to do so. Our authorisation is to promote Scotland, not to destroy it; to defend and augment our liberties, not throw them away ... We are now voluntarily to accept the yoke that England has threatened us with for centuries. Our liberty, that dear Scottish liberty born in blood and sweat, gloriously maintained by our fathers for our benefit, must perish in an instant. Our church, dignified and made famous by the blood of martyrs, must be utterly destroyed, shipwrecked in an ocean of Anglican ritual on the rocks of priesthood and vanity. Our towns and cities must be left defenceless and betrayed to our English rivals, their ruins an example to posterity of a nation shamefully betrayed and despoiled of its honour and dignity. We have nothing to look forward to but utter devastation, famine and poverty, and, worst of all, perpetual servitude to cruel overlords. Remember your ancestors... for who, at the mention of their veritable names, would not take heart to be worthy of them? Call to mind the brave deeds of the Bruces, the Douglases, and such, and you will burn with the same patriotic flame and not be idle spectators of calamities to come. But they say the English offer us trading opportunities, privileges, wealth. As for trade, the whole world is open to our merchants as to other brave men, and prosperity comes through enterprise and daring. What are those English privileges we want so badly? And if their wealth is the attraction, let us not earn it as the reward of this wicked betrayal. Our country commends to us the lives of its citizens, the dignity of its parliament, the majesty of its throne, the sanctity of its church, and the care of its rights and privileges and commerce, for today's decision affects the fate of this assembly, our sovereignty and freedom, all that is dearest to us, the welfare of our people and their children."

http://news.scotsman.com/scotland.cfm?id=1614792006

I dont actually understand what this article is about - its just a random quote - I dont get the motivation behind it

IF Convenor

They have been running a series on the lead-up to the Union. Every day they report what was happening 300 years ago on that day.

And it all shows just how unpopular the Union was then.

Avatar

Ah right - it makes sense now. I'll go have a look at the previous article.