CHAPLAINS. 529 



of the clergy, and as all your schemes are undertaken and 

 prosecuted in the fear of God, you will not expect, and you 

 cannot wish me to reply in any sectarian spirit— ^(loud 

 cheers) — or to say aught which may tend to introduce 

 among you the acrimony of religious and political discus- 

 sion, to sow the seeds of dissension and bitterness, or to 

 utter anything to compromise views of religion which may 

 honestly and conscientiously be entertained. (Cheering.) 

 This much, however, I may surely say without giving 

 offence to any, that the clergy of the Scottish Church 

 might point to the people to show the manner in which 

 they had discharged their duty. It would be unbecoming 

 in me to say anything in regard to this ; but we are quite 

 willing that you should be the judges. (Cheers.) The 

 national character of a people is chiefly moulded in the 

 institutions of the country. We present to you, then, the 

 yeomanry and peasantry of Scotland — take them all in all, 

 a more religious, a more upright, a more industrious, a 

 more intelligent, more enterprising, more exemplary in all 

 their relations of social and domestic life — if you will find 

 better men in any other land, then we are content to be 

 regarded as careless and unfaithful shepherds. But to pass 

 over the merits of the Church and the clergy, I beg to 

 assure you that we regard, not with cold approbation, but 

 with sincere respect — with the most lively and stirring 

 interest, the objects and exertions of this high-minded and 

 patriotic institution, which, by steering clear of religious 

 animosity and political rancour, has set itself with per- 

 severing intelligence to draw forth the latent resources of 

 the country, and to stimulate and guide the industry of the 

 hardy tillers of its soil. A great and important question 

 is in the course of being solved by means of the Society, 

 namely. What is the limit to the earth's fertility ? What is 

 the utmost amount of return which a grateful soil will make 

 to an industrious, intelligent, and scientific cultivator ? 

 Last, though not least, it binds the peasant to the peer, 

 and connects in friendly ties men in high with those in low 

 degree. You may think that, bred as I have been in the 

 city, I have no right to talk of such things ; but our daily 



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