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of　their　own　importance。

Their　pride　has　been　crushed　by　the　heavy　hand　of　a　vindictive
conqueror；　whose　seventies　have　been　followed　by　laws；　which；
though　they　cannot　be　called　cruel；　have　produced　much　discontent；
because　they　operate　upon　the　surface　of　life；　and　make　every　eye
bear　witness　to　subjection。　　To　be　compelled　to　a　new　dress　has
always　been　found　painful。

Their　Chiefs　being　now　deprived　of　their　jurisdiction；　have　already
lost　much　of　their　influence；　and　as　they　gradually　degenerate　from
patriarchal　rulers　to　rapacious　landlords；　they　will　divest
themselves　of　the　little　that　remains。

That　dignity　which　they　derived　from　an　opinion　of　their　military
importance；　the　law；　which　disarmed　them；　has　abated。　　An　old
gentleman；　delighting　himself　with　the　recollection　of　better　days；
related；　that　forty　years　ago；　a　Chieftain　walked　out　attended　by
ten　or　twelve　followers；　with　their　arms　rattling。　　That　animating
rabble　has　now　ceased。　　The　Chief　has　lost　his　formidable　retinue；
and　the　Highlander　walks　his　heath　unarmed　and　defenceless；　with
the　peaceable　submission　of　a　French　peasant　or　English　cottager。

Their　ignorance　grows　every　day　less；　but　their　knowledge　is　yet　of
little　other　use　than　to　shew　them　their　wants。　　They　are　now　in
the　period　of　education；　and　feel　the　uneasiness　of　discipline；
without　yet　perceiving　the　benefit　of　instruction。

The　last　law；　by　which　the　Highlanders　are　deprived　of　their　arms；
has　operated　with　efficacy　beyond　expectation。　　Of　former　statutes
made　with　the　same　design；　the　execution　had　been　feeble；　and　the
effect　inconsiderable。　　Concealment　was　undoubtedly　practised；　and
perhaps　often　with　connivance。　　There　was　tenderness；　or
partiality；　on　one　side；　and　obstinacy　on　the　other。　　But　the　law；
which　followed　the　victory　of　Culloden；　found　the　whole　nation
dejected　and　intimidated；　informations　were　given　without　danger；
and　without　fear；　and　the　arms　were　collected　with　such　rigour；
that　every　house　was　despoiled　of　its　defence。

To　disarm　part　of　the　Highlands；　could　give　no　reasonable　occasion
of　complaint。　　Every　government　must　be　allowed　the　power　of　taking
away　the　weapon　that　is　lifted　against　it。　　But　the　loyal　clans
murmured；　with　some　appearance　of　justice；　that　after　having
defended　the　King；　they　were　forbidden　for　the　future　to　defend
themselves；　and　that　the　sword　should　be　forfeited；　which　had　been
legally　employed。　　Their　case　is　undoubtedly　hard；　but　in　political
regulations；　good　cannot　be　complete；　it　can　only　be　predominant。

Whether　by　disarming　a　people　thus　broken　into　several　tribes；　and
thus　remote　from　the　seat　of　power；　more　good　than　evil　has　been
produced；　may　deserve　inquiry。　　The　supreme　power　in　every
community　has　the　right　of　debarring　every　individual；　and　every
subordinate　society　from　self…defence；　only　because　the　supreme
power　is　able　to　defend　them；　and　therefore　where　the　governor
cannot　act；　he　must　trust　the　subject　to　act　for　himself。　　These
Islands　might　be　wasted　with　fire　and　sword　before　their　sovereign
would　know　their　distress。　　A　gang　of　robbers；　such　as　has　been
lately　found　confederating　themselves　in　the　Highlands；　might　lay　a
wide　region　under　contribution。　　The　crew　of　a　petty　privateer
might　land　on　the　largest　and　most　wealthy　of　the　Islands；　and　riot
without　control　in　cruelty　and　waste。　　It　was　observed　by　one　of
the　Chiefs　of　Sky；　that　fifty　armed　men　might；　without　resistance
ravage　the　country。　　Laws　that　place　the　subjects　in　such　a　state；
contravene　the　first　principles　of　the　compact　of　authority：　　they
exact　obedience；　and　yield　no　protection。

It　affords　a　generous　and　manly　pleasure　to　conceive　a　little
nation　gathering　its　fruits　and　tending　its　herds　with　fearless
confidence；　though　it　lies　open　on　every　side　to　invasion；　where；
in　contempt　of　walls　and　trenches；　every　man　sleeps　securely　with
his　sword　beside　him；　where　all　on　the　first　approach　of　hostility
came　together　at　the　call　to　battle；　as　at　a　summons　to　a　festal
show；　and　committing　their　cattle　to　the　care　of　those　whom　age　or
nature　has　disabled；　engage　the　enemy　with　that　competition　for
hazard　and　for　glory；　which　operate　in　men　that　fight　under　the　eye
of　those；　whose　dislike　or　kindness　they　have　always　considered　as
the　greatest　evil　or　the　greatest　good。

This　was；　in　the　beginning　of　the　present　century；　the　state　of　the
Highlands。　　Every　man　was　a　soldier；　who　partook　of　national
confidence；　and　interested　himself　in　national　honour。　　To　lose
this　spirit；　is　to　lose　what　no　small　advantage　will　compensate。

It　may　likewise　deserve　to　be　inquired；　whether　a　great　nation
ought　to　be　totally　commercial？　whether　amidst　the　uncertainty　of
human　affairs；　too　much　attention　to　one　mode　of　happiness　may　not
endanger　others？　whether　the　pride　of　riches　must　not　sometimes
have　recourse　to　the　protection　of　courage？　and　whether；　if　it　be
necessary　to　preserve　in　some　part　of　the　empire　the　military
spirit；　it　can　subsist　more　commodiously　in　any　place；　than　in
remote　and　unprofitable　provinces；　where　it　can　commonly　do　little
harm；　and　whence　it　may　be　called　forth　at　any　sudden　exigence？

It　must　however　be　confessed；　that　a　man；　who　places　honour　only　in
successful　violence；　is　a　very　troublesome　and　pernicious　animal　in
time　of　peace；　and　that　the　martial　character　cannot　prevail　in　a
whole　people；　but　by　the　diminution　of　all　other　virtues。　　He　that
is　accustomed　to　resolve　all　right　into　conquest；　will　have　very
little　tenderness　or　equity。　　All　the　friendship　in　such　a　life　can
be　only　a　confederacy　of　invasion；　or　alliance　of　defence。　　The
strong　must　flourish　by　force；　and　the　weak　subsist　by　stratagem。

Till　the　Highlanders　lost　their　ferocity；　with　their　arms；　they
suffered　from　each　other　all　that　malignity　could　dictate；　or
precipitance　could　act。　　Every　provocation　was　revenged　with　blood；
and　no　man　that　ventured　into　a　numerous　company；　by　whatever
occasion　brought　together；　was　sure　of　returning　without　a　wound。
If　they　are　now　exposed　to　foreign　hostilities；　they　may　talk　of
the　danger；　but　can　seldom　feel　it。　　If　they　are　no　longer　martial；
they　are　no　longer　quarrelsome。　　Misery　is　caused　for　the　most
part；　not　by　a　heavy　crush　of　disaster；　but　by　the　corrosion　of
less　visible　evils；　which　canker　enjoyment；　and　undermine　security。
The　visit　of　an　invader　is　necessarily　rare；　but　domestick
animosities　allow　no　cessation。

The　abolition　of　the　local　jurisdictions；　which　had　for　so　many
ages　been　exercised　by　the　chiefs；　has　likewise　its　evil　and　its
good。　　The　feudal　constitution　naturally　diffused　itself　into　long
ramifications　of　subordinate　authority。　　To　this　general　temper　of
the　government　was　added　the　peculiar　form　of　the　country；　broken
by　mountains　into　many　subdivisions　scarcely　accessible　but　to　the
natives；　and　guarded　by　passes；　or　perplexed　with　intricacies；
through　which　national　justice　could　not　find　its　way。

The　power　of　deciding　controversies；　and　of　punishing　offences；　as
some　such　power　there　must　always　be；　was　intrusted　to　the　Lairds
of　the　country；　to　those　whom　the　people　considered　as　their
natural　judges。　　It　cannot　be　supposed　that　a　rugged　proprietor　of
the　rocks；　unprincipled　and　unenlightened；　was　a　nice　resolver　of
entangled　claims；　or　very　exact　in　proportioning　punishment　to
offences。　　But　the　more　he　indulged　his　own　will；　the　more　he　held
his　vassals　in　dependence。　　Prudence　and　innocence；　without　the
favour　of　the　Chief；　conferred　no　security；　and　crimes　involved　no
danger；　when　the　judge　was　resolute　to　acquit。

When　the　chiefs　were　men　of　knowledge　and　virtue；　the　convenience
of　a　domestick　judicature　was　great。　　No　long　journies　were
necessary；　nor　artificial　delays　could　be　practised；　the　character；
the　alliances；　and　interests　of　the　litigants　were　known　to　the
court；　and　all　false　pretences　were　easily　detected。　　The　sentence；
when　it　was　past；　could　not　be　evaded；　the　power　of　the　Laird
superseded　formalities；　and　justice　could　not　be　defeated　by
interest　or　stratagem。

I　doubt　not　but　that　since　the　regular　judges　have　made　their
circuits　through　the　whole　country；　right　has　been　every　where　more
wisely；　and　more　equally　distributed；　the　complaint　is；　that
litigation　is　grown　troublesome；　and　that　the　magistrates　are　too
few；　and　therefore　often　too　remote　for　general　convenience。

Many　of　the　smaller　Islands　have　no　legal　officer　within　them。　　I
once　asked；　If　a　crime　should　be　committed；　by　what　authority　the
offender　could　be　seized？　and　was　told；　that　the　Laird　would　exert
his　right；　a　right　which　he　must　now　usurp；　but　which　surely
necessity　must　vindicate；　and　which　is　therefore　yet　exercised　in
lower　degrees；　by　some　of　the　proprietors；　when　legal　processes
cannot　be　obtained。

In　all　greater　questions；　however；　there　is　now　happily　an　end　to
all　fear　or　hope　from　malice　or　from　favour。　　The　roads　are　secure
in　those　places　through　which；　forty　years　ago；　no　traveller　could
pass　without　a　convoy。　　All　trials　of　right　by　the　sword　are
forgotten；　and　the　mean　are　in　as　little　danger　from　the　powerful
as　in　other　places。　　No　s