PROFESSOR BLACKIE S OPINION. 139 



in this case " ; that is, with those who had broken the law in Glendale ; 

 for he says immediately after, in the same paragraph of which the above 

 quoted sentence forms a part "We know that this Glendale outbreak 

 is a mere symptom of a deeply-rooted social disease for which the land 

 oligarchy and the Land Laws are answerable at the bar of eternal 

 justice." The Scotsman, with characteristic unscrupulousness, when 

 dealing with an opponent, which no other publication in Scotland has 

 yet attained to, twists this plain statement into a charge against Pro- 

 fessor Blackie of sympathising " with law-breakers as such ". 



The Professor further says, and says truly, " that there is no tyranny 

 in Europe nor even in Asiatic Turkey practically more grinding than 

 the tyranny which, under our present Land Laws, the lord of the soil, 

 with his commissioner, factor, and ground-officer, may, in remote dis- 

 tricts, exercise over the Highland crofters ". How does the Scotsman 

 deal with this carefully-qualified statement? "It is to be read," it 

 says, " as stating that this grinding tyranny is practised." It certainly 

 should have been both written and read to that effect as regards the 

 conduct during the present century of many of the class referred to. 

 Professor Blackie, however, does not go that length about any lords of 

 the soil, commissioners, or factors, but the Scotsman magniloquently 

 declares, notwithstanding, that "it is a baseless calumny to say or to 

 hint that landlords and factors are, as a -whole, guilty of tyranny and 

 oppression". [The italics in the foregoing quotations are ours.] 



Who ever said or hinted any such thing as is here placed in Professor 

 Blackie's mouth. Neither in his letter to the Scotsman, nor anywhere 

 else, did he ever say anything of the kind. He has often, in our hear- 

 ing, and to the knowledge of his unfair and unscrupulous accuser, said 

 the very reverse. No .one has written more warmly in favour of good 

 landlords and considerate factors than he has done, and many good 

 specimens of both are, happily, still to be found in the Highlands. 



Enough has been said to show the nature of the attack so violently 

 made upon him, but we may fairly ask what right has the Scotsman to 

 assume to itself the position which it has done on the Highland Crofter 

 Question ? At any rate it is proper in the circumstances that we give a 

 few reasons why it should not be for a moment listened to by any one 

 who has the interest of the native population of the Highlands at 

 heart, for its conductors show singular ignorance of the facts as to the 

 position and interests of the Crofters, and it has never failed to malign 

 and misrepresent them. 



The Scotsman itself, conducted, as it is, under influences foreign to 

 Scotland and Scotchmen, naturally tries to encourage proceedings in the 



