Thursday, November 20, 2014

"The plain people … were earnest in their devotion to the cause of liberty"

"The plain people … were earnest in their devotion to the cause of liberty, and so also were their friends and relatives among the Ulster farmers. The classes of Queen's College had many members from among these enterprising, industrious, serious people, and Professor McCosh became deeply interested in them "
- The Life of James McCosh (1896) - link here

McCosh was of Ayrshire Covenanter descent, was a young minister at the 'Disruption' which founded the Free Church of Scotland, came to Belfast in 1850 to take a position at the new Queen's College and then went to America where he became President of Princeton College in 1868.

The expression "the cause of liberty" has many interpretations today, but for 2014, the growing authoritarianism of the state is an echo of former times. Here's how Spiked views modern authoritarianism in Scotland.

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