Minister notes Scots’ Princeton ties

First Minister of Scotland gives talk at university

By: Ross Kenneth Urken
   As a celebration of Tartan Day on April 6, First Minister of Scotland Jack McConnell cited the rich history of his country’s past to discuss the increased modernization and influence of contemporary Scotland.
   To a crowd donning plaid and even some kilts in Princeton University’s McCormick Hall, Mr. McConnell emphasized Scotland’s direct relationship to Princeton through Scottish-born John Witherspoon, who became the sixth president of The College of New Jersey, now Princeton University, in 1768 and a signer of the Declaration of Independence.
   The talk was hosted by the university and the Historical Society of Princeton.
   Princeton "head-hunted" the Rev. Witherspoon from Scotland based on his strong reputation as a scholar and Presbyterian minister, Mr. McConnell said. Following his agreement to head the university, Rev. Witherspoon founded the first "broad arts education" program with his own instruction in morality, French, and rhetoric, he said.
   With future U.S. President James Madison, 21 senators, 39 congressman, and 12 state governors passing through Princeton under the Witherspoon command, Mr. McConnell declared the importance of Scottish influence on the U.S.
   "If it hadn’t been for the Scots, America would have been a poor show," Mr. McConnell said. He seemed to reiterate Woodrow Wilson’s statement that "every line in America’s history is a line colored by Scottish blood."
   Because of the Scottish connection to the U.S., during his brief visit to the U.S. Mr. Connell said he hopes to make Tartan Day "an established feature of the calendar on both sides of the Atlantic … to recognize the strong affinity between the two countries."
   Tartan Day, recognized officially in the U.S. since 1998, commemorates Scottish links in the United States to Scots overseas. In the U.S. alone over 11 million claim Scottish ancestry, and in North America, the holiday takes place on April 6, the anniversary of the creation of the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320.
   Citing the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century inspired by the verses of poet Robert Burns, the prose of Sir Walter Scott, and the economic theories of Adam Smith, Mr. McConnell described a renaissance of Scottish democratic thought that still resonates today.
   He revealed that during a recent trip to the Far East, one of the first topics Chinese diplomats broached was the Scottish heritage of Adam Smith, founder of capitalism. With modern Scottish developments including inventing the MRI scanner and producing the first cloned animal, a sheep named Dolly, Mr. Connell expressed his conviction that Scotland is ready once again to have an impact on the world.
   Yet since Scotland joined with England in 1707, Mr. McConnell has noticed a historical "culture of dependency that took away our entrepreneurial spirit."
   Scots have sought opportunities outside of Scotland for success, Mr. McConnell said. Whereas the U.S. has attracted a sizable workforce to achieve the American dream, he said, "(Scotland) has become an emigrant nation."
   But Scotland has improved its self-reliance, Mr. McConnell insisted, since he took office in 2001.
   The Scotland Act of 1998 allowed for the establishment of a new Scottish Parliament that has the power to pass laws and has limited tax-levying capability. With the Scottish Parliament no longer controlled by the parliament of Great Britain, Mr. McConnell said a new era is imminent in Scotland.
   And with a 2,600 net in-migration this past year and a new modernized parliament building to accompany the reformed parliament itself, Mr. McConnell said that "this is the first time since the Vikings that people have been so attracted to Scotland … even some from England, too."
   He sees a cultural renaissance in modern Scotland exemplified in both the construction of the New National Theater of Scotland and the success of internationally-renowned Scottish rock group Franz Ferdinand.
   In the Scottish youth, Mr. McConnell said he sees the "positive entrepreneurial spirit of America … and glimmers of the young Scots’ reawakening."
   About 50 percent of young Scots are matriculating at universities and Mr. McConnell said with pride that this exceeds the percentage of students in England. He spoke of establishing a university in the "Highlands and islands" of Scotland to allow even more Scots access to education at home.
   Mr. McConnell tied this new surge of strength to Scotland to its international duties and historical tradition — even to Princeton.
   "We will look beyond borders with unity and ambition," Mr. McConnell said. "And I believe this is something of which John Witherspoon would have approved."