The Clan Fraser in Canada Part 2

2. The Chief.

"Tostamaid ar ceann a cinnidh; Mac-Shimi mor na Morfhaich."

"Master, go on, and I will follow thee To the last gasp, with truth and loyalty."

Bagpipe Music--"Morar Sim."

3. The Clan.

"I tell you a thing sickerly, That yon men will win or die; For doubt of deid they sall not flee."

"'N uair 'thig an cinneadh Frisealach, Tha fios gur daoine borb iad."

Bagpipe Music--"Caisteal Dunaidh."

4. Our Guests.

"Sir, you are very welcome to our house."

Bagpipe Music--"Aird Mhic-Shimi."

"Highland Fling," by Master Norman Fraser.

5. The Clan in Canada.

"Kindred alike, where'er our skies may shine, Where'er our sight first drank the vital morn."

Bagpipe Music--"Fhuair Mac-Shimi air ais an Oighearachd."

6. Distinguished Clansmen.

"Of singular integrity and learning, Yea, the elect o' the land."

(_a_) In Art; (_b_) in Science; (_c_) in Literature; (_d_) in Theology; (_e_) in War; (_f_) in Political Life.

7. The Ladies.

"Disguise our bondage as we will, 'Tis woman, woman, rules us still."

"And when a lady's in the case, You know, all other things give place."

8. Deoch an Doruis.

_Air (fonn) "Clementine."_

Deoch an doruis, deoch an doruis, Deoch an doruis, 's i tha ann; Deoch an doruis, sguab as i, Cha'n eil Mac-na-Bracha gann.

Auld Lang Syne. G.o.d Save the Queen.

The bagpipe music will be furnished by Mr. Robert Ireland, Pipe Major of the 48th Highlanders, Toronto.

[Ill.u.s.tration of Clan device of targe and crossed swords]

THE CLAN DINNER.

Although the number that sat around the festive board was much smaller than had been expected, the elements requisite for a successful gathering were strongly in evidence, and, as a matter of fact, the inaugural dinner of the Clan turned out to be a most satisfactory event.

Many of the absentees had conveyed good reasons for their absence, and hearty greetings to the a.s.sembled company. From a large number of letters it would be difficult to make a selection for the reader and the demands of s.p.a.ce would prevent it, although some of them are really worth reproducing. Of special interest were the letters from Messrs. O.

K. Fraser, Brockville; John Fraser, Wm. Lewis Fraser and Thomas Fraser, New York; P. M. Fraser, St. Thomas; Donald Fraser, Windsor; R. J.

Fraser, Barrie; R. M. Fraser, G.o.derich; Rev. R. D. Fraser, Bowmanville; Rev. J. B. Fraser, M.D., Annan; John Fraser, Montreal; W. G. Fraser, Buffalo; Hon. Christopher Finlay Fraser, and B. Homer Dixon, K.N.L., Toronto; the last named a Fraser on the maternal side and a gentleman deeply versed in the history of the Clan.

The dining hall presented a very attractive appearance. The table was made beautiful with a tastefully arranged and selected display of flowers and plants, and appropriate to the occasion there were stags'

heads on the walls, and the Fraser Clan tartan draped the pillars, doorway and windows. There were a number of articles of interest sent by friends, such as finely executed mezzo-tint pictures of Simon Lord Lovat, beheaded in 1747, and of Brigadier Simon Fraser, the hero of Saratoga; and a water-color of the Clan arms, from Mr. B. Homer Dixon; a map of Inverness-shire, showing the Clan possessions at various stages of its history, with the lands in the hands of cadets of the Clan, a life-size copy of Hogarth's picture of Simon Lord Lovat, the "last of the martyrs," a life-size copy of an engraving of Sir Alexander Fraser of Phillorth, founder of the University of Fraserburgh, sent by the Chairman.

The menu card, a copy of which has been reproduced for this volume, will be found to have been a clever effort of the artist, Mr. W. A. Fraser, Secretary of Committee. A representation of the Falls of Foyers is given on the cover, and on the last page a celtic armorial device surrounded by the names of a number of old Fraser estates.

The Chairman was Mr. Alexander Fraser (MacFhionnlaidh); and the vice-chairs were occupied by Mr. Robert Lovat Fraser, Barrister, Toronto, and ex-Mayor Fraser of Petrolea. A picture of the company is given on another page, which will form an interesting reminiscence of the happy gathering. From the picture, the face of one who was present at the dinner is unfortunately absent, that of Mr. Henry Sandham Fraser, and that of Mr. Wm. Fraser, of whom a brief notice is given on another page, appears, although he was not present, as he would have been were it not that he was just then stricken down with illness, to which, not long afterwards, he succ.u.mbed. The dinner was excellently served, and then came the toast list with the speeches. The first toast was that of:

"THE QUEEN."

The Chairman in proposing the health of the Queen said:--Our Clan has invariably been a loyal one, even in the rising which terminated so fatally on the battlefield of Culloden, the Clan Fraser took part, believing that they were striking a blow for the rightful king. I am sure we all agree that no sovereign has ever held sway over the British Empire who is more worthy of the regard of men of Highland blood than Her Majesty Queen Victoria. She who has given so many proofs of regard for the Highland people is beloved by them in return. Her volumes of her life in the Highlands, one of which has been well translated into Gaelic and the other indifferently so, bear testimony to the deep interest with which she regards that portion of her ancient kingdom of Scotland, to which we lay claim as our native land. She has gone in and out among the peasantry and gentry with perfect confidence in their loyalty and in their attachment to her person. She surrounded herself by faithful Highlanders, and their services to her, whether in the household or in positions of public preferment, have been uniformly of a high character and invariable success. That she may long live and rule in the hearts of her people, no body of men can wish more strongly than this company that has given to her name its just place of honor at the head of the toast list.

The toast was cordially honored.

"THE CHIEF."

The Chairman next proposed the toast of the Chief. He said: It is stated that a man of the name of Cameron, who had fought at the Battle of Falkirk with the Royal Army, his clan being on the side of the Prince, joined his kinsmen after the battle, but still wore the Royal uniform in the bonnet of which there was a c.o.c.kade. Lord Kilmarnock, coming up and seeing an armed Royalist, as he thought, suspected danger to the Prince, and in an altercation he s.n.a.t.c.hed the c.o.c.kade from the soldier's hat and trampled upon it. This aroused the ire of the Camerons who saw their comrade maltreated, and they resented Kilmarnock's interference, saying, "No Colonel nor General in the Prince's army can take that c.o.c.kade out of the hat of a Cameron except Lochiel himself." I mention this incident as affording a good example of the bond of fealty by which the clansman was held to his chief. To him the chief was supreme in all things. He was not only the head of his family, but the provider and protector of the clan. His authority he derived from his position, his position he secured, sometimes by the good-will of the clan, but generally on account of birth. The clansmen considered themselves as the children of the chief, and the system demanded that they subordinate themselves to his rule. Without a chief or his subst.i.tute there could be no organized clan, and it is rightly understood how important was his position under the clan system. Chiefs of our Clan proved themselves to be worthy of the position, as a rule, and Simon Joseph, Lord Lovat, the young n.o.bleman who now holds the chiefship, already gives promise of faithfully following in the footsteps of his forefathers. At the celebration of his majority, not long ago, there was a considerable gathering of clansmen and others to do him honor, and the manner in which he performed his part as host on that occasion is an augury of a distinguished future. It is said that he shows a deep interest in the welfare of his people, that he is a young man of highly patriotic feelings, and, as his sphere of usefulness is a wide one, he, no doubt, will have ample opportunity of filling the highest expectations of the Clan. Following the traditions of his house he has entered the army, and, should he decide to follow arms as a profession, no doubt the military genius of his race, bequeathed to him through a long line of ancestors, will win for him honorable distinction as a soldier. I now ask you to charge your gla.s.ses and to drink to the health of our young chief with Highland honors.

The toast was drunk with Highland honors; the company singing "He's a Jolly Good Fellow," after which the piper played the Clan welcome, "Morar Sim."

Mrs. Charles Gordon Fraser was at this stage introduced, and her little boy, Master Norman Fraser, attired in Highland costume, gave a spirited and clever execution of the Highland fling, for which he was enthusiastically cheered.

"THE CLAN."

The Chairman proposed the next toast, that of the Clan. He said:--In rising to propose the toast of the evening, my first duty, it seems to me, is to express my sense of the great honor done me by my clansmen in asking me to preside over the first family dinner of the Clan in this Province. Many there be with us, who, from age and distinction and fitness in every respect, ought to have come before me, and who would have done greater honor to the position on such an occasion as this, than I can hope to do, even with your kind indulgence. The rather active part it has been my privilege to take in bringing about this happy gathering may have suggested your choice, and should I be right in this conjecture, that fact but deepens the feeling with which I regard the honor. But a still more arduous duty laid upon me was to give the toast of the evening, that of "The Clan." I can a.s.sure you it required all the courage I could muster to undertake the task. The motto of the Clan was held up to me, but I did not forget that _Je suis prest_ ought to be the corollary of _Paratus sum_, and I fear that but few could step into the breach and do full justice to the great Clan Fraser. In a.s.signing the toast, moreover, the request was made that I should give as much information regarding the Clan, as could well be packed into a speech, even if the limit of time should have to be extended over that which is usually allowable for an after dinner effort; but, as I understand the information is intended for a wider circle of clansmen than is here, I feel a.s.sured of your patience and forbearance while I struggle through a narrative, the length of which under other circ.u.mstances would have been an unpardonable breach of good taste.

The clan system holds an intermediate position between the patriarchal and feudal systems. It is sometimes confused with the former, more rarely with the latter. The feudal lordship, in its genius and scope of operation, was diametrically opposed to the salient characteristics of the clan system. The distinctions need not be enlarged upon here, let it suffice to draw attention to the fact that clanship was a distinct form of government, under well recognized and applied principles. In modern literature we find the characteristic most emphasized to be the loyalty with which the clansman followed and served his chief, as in the words of the quotation on our toast list, "Master, go on and I will follow thee, to the last gasp, with truth and loyalty." That truth and loyalty, however, was not born of a servile, but of a highly patriotic feeling, for the bond which united chief and clansman was that of kindred and common interest, and not of hire and servitude. This explains why a people so highly sensitive, fiery and impetuous as the Celts, gave such loyal and perfect allegiance to the chief of the clan.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ALEXANDER FRASER (_Mac-Fhionnlaidh_) CHAIRMAN.]