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To JOHN MACDONALD, ESQUIRE, PRESIDENT 0F THE HIGHLAND SOCIETY OF
CANADA
When circumstances have forced a people to abandon their native
country, and seek the means of subsistence among foreigners, or in
the Colonies or their own country, they carry with them as a matter
of course, the feelings and the prejudices, alike honorable-which
they had imbibed at home; to perpetuate which in the land of their
adoption, to instil into the minds of their children the same
principles they themselves bad been taught, to teach them to love
above all others- above even that of their own nativity, the country
from which stern necessity alone could have driven their fathers;
and with which all those fathers nearest and dearest associations
are connected, and to rivet the connection between their new country
and their old, among other means Emigrants have invariably adopted
the formation of National Societies. It cannot be otherwise than
that these Societies must answer the end for which they are
instituted, and arguing with the intention of proving it, would be
supererogatory and useless.
With such object in view did tbe Highlanders in London establish the
Highland Society of London, with what great success is well known.
That this venerable and distinguished Institution has mainly
contributed to preserve in its purity, the Highland character, and
has done more to promote the general welfare of the Highlanders,
than any other Association, is a general and well grounded opinion.
While the Highlanders of Canada remember with gratitude, that to the
late lamented Bishop Macdonell, they owe the establishment of a
Branch of that Society among them, they cannot forget that to you
they are indebted for its reorganization after it had ceased
operation for fifteen years. The generous and patriotic motives that
animated you in the work cannot be sufficiently appreciated; hut I
am sure that you feel yourself in some measure recompensed for all
your trouble and anxiety, when you consider how much the Society has
already done to promote the objects for which it was established and
re-organized.
In order that those objects may be more generally and more clearly
known and understood, I have, by permission, compiled an account of
the Society, containing the speech of Mr. Simon MacGillivray to the
gentlemen who took part in its formation, from which more can be
learned of the History and purposes of the Parent Society, than from
any remarks I could make; the Constitution and By-Laws, a list of
the Members, and such other information, the publication of which, I
thought, would in any way tend to serve the Society,
or interest and gratify its Members.
1 do not think it necessary to appeal to the feelings of our
countrymen for a liberal support of the Institution; this has
already been given, and to their credit be it spoken, that from
Quebec to Amherstburg the utmost enthusiasm has been shown in
support of this Society, which I hope and believe will be the
instrument of preserving in Canada the recollection of the Highland
name, and with it the chivalrous and devoted loyalty, and other
noble qualities which made the ancient Highland character the first
in the world.
Should the national character be doomed to give way to the
encroachments of modern innovations, you will have in an eminent
degree, the satisfaction of knowing that you made an eifort to save
it.
As a Member of the Highland Society of Canada, I joined most
heartily in the mark of grateful respect shown by it to the memory
(If its venerated founder: and as such I desire to express my
gratitude to its preserver, while as a private individual, I show my
repsect for the Gentleman, by inscribing this small compilation to
you.
I am, my dear Sir,
Very truly yours,
ARCH. JOHN MACDONELL.
(Younger of Greenfield.)
Greenfield, Glengarry,
22d Jan, 1844
An Account of the Highland Society of
Canada
This was printed in 1844 (pdf) and can be downloaded here |
