April 11, 1886

The Rev. Donald McCaig, (1827 to April 11, 1886) was minister of the Muckairn Parish Church [in] Argyleshire.

This Scottish minister fought against the Highland Clearances with all his considerable eloquence, and energy. He was protecting not just his own parishioners.

Examples of his rhetoric are in The Last Enemy and Other Poems (1899.)

And we quote, (and punctuate) from "The Forced Sale:"

'Like a cat sitting at a hole they watch
Some advantage to spy some prize to catch,
With reciprocal nod and cunning wink.
They express and make known all they think
Then forbear with each other to compete,
That the prices down they may keep and beat,
With spoil clutching fingers and greedy eyes,
Patient they wait and watch to seize some prize;
And when, rich with spoil from the sale they go,
And laden with the fruit of loss and woe,
Their hearts with triumph exult and dilate
As they haste home their exploits to relate.
And the victims of their spoil and uproar
Who were thus robbed of their casket and store,
Who under cover of justice and law,
Were left bare without a cow or a straw,
What and how that day did they think and feel;
And to whom did they cry and make appeal.
In the house the widow is on her knees
Supplicating God against the trustees.
All her wants and woes in His ear she pours,
And with strong cries and tears His aid implores
She prays Him to make bare His mighty arm,
And smite her foes and fill them with alarm.
She prays Him to go as He went of old
That His glorious march the world may behold,
The rich and the proud down from their state to pull
And to the humble make them a footstool.
The meek and lowly from the dust to raise
Their hearts fill with joy and their lips with praise
Until with all their wrongs and loss redressed
Like Job their end shall be more and more blest ...'


The cat of course is the Scottish landlord who destroyed the Highland culture and way of life. An historical account is found here.

From the preface to this posthumous volume we read:

'...In these poems there are manifestations of Mr. McCaig's deep and abiding interest in the crofter question and 0f the zeal which inspired him for the welfare of those among whom his lot in life was cast. Passing events which appealed to him strongly aroused his muse ...In his poetic effusions he found at once an intellectual stimulus and recreation....[T]here are evidences on every hand of a loving study and deep appreciation of the master minds of the elder world ... In his mental characteristics ...McCaig... had the prophet's gift of passionate enthusiasm in company with the high ideals of the mystic. To those who knew him best he was a man of large and warmhearted charity and quick sympathies and many a crofter and cotter of Muckairn and Bonaw had cause at his death to mourn his loss as that of a friend and brother.'