My dear Dean Ramsay--I send you my rather shabby contribution of £10 to the Chalmers' Memorial. I wish it were more, but I am rather specially pressed at this time; and I think I refused Robert Bruce altogether not long ago.
I quite understand the feeling of the Scotch aristocracy, but I should have thought Lothian would be apart from, as well as above it.
But the number of subscriptions is the main thing, and very many they ought to be if Scotland is Scotland still. He was one of Nature's nobles. It is impossible even to dream that a base or unworthy thought ever found harbour for a moment in his mind.
Is it not extraordinary to see this rain of Bishoprics upon my head? Nor (I think) is it over; the next twelvemonth (wherever I may be at the end of it) will, I think, probably produce three more.
Bishop Temple is a fine fellow, and I hope all will now go well. For Manchester (this is secret) I hope to have Mr. Fraser of Clifton--a very notable man, in the first rank of knowledge and experience on the question of education. Many pressed him for Salisbury.
I can truly say that every Bishop who has been appointed has been chosen simply as the best man to be had.
Ah! when will you spend that month here, which I shall never cease to long for?--Ever affectionately yours,
W.E. GLADSTONE.
Rev. Dr. CANDLISH to DEAN RAMSAY.
52 Melville Street, 7th Dec. 1870.
Dear Dean Ramsay--I should have acknowledged yours of the 1st sooner. I cannot say that I regret the conclusion to which you have come, though. I would have done my best to help on the larger movement.... I very willingly acquiesce in the wisdom of your resolution to accept the position, for it is one which you may well accept with satisfaction and thankfulness. You have accomplished what I doubt if any other man could have even ventured to propose, at so late a period after Dr. Chalmers' death. It will be a historical fact, made palpable to succeeding ages, that you have wiped off a discredit from Scotland's church and nation, by securing a suitable memorial of one of her most distinguished sons, in the most conspicuous position the Metropolis could assign to it. It will be for us of the Free Church to recognise in our archives the high compliment paid to our illustrious leader and chief in the great movement of the Disruption by one of other ecclesiastical convictions and leanings. But we must always do that under the feeling that it is not in that character that you know Chalmers; but in the far broader aspect in which you have so happily celebrated him as a Christian philanthropist, a patriot, and a divine.
I conclude with earnest congratulations on the complete success, as I regard it, of your generous proposal; and I am yours very truly,
ROB. S. CANDLISH.
Rev. Dr. DUFF to DEAN RAMSAY.
The Grange, 29th June.
Very Rev. and dear Sir--Many thanks for your kind note with its enclosures.
From my sad experience in such matters, I am not at all surprised at the meagre number of replies to your printed circular.
When I first learnt from the newspaper of the meeting held in your house, and of Dr. Guthrie's proposal, I had a strong impression that the latter was on far too extensive a scale--but remained silent, being only anxious, in a quiet way, to do what I could in promoting the general design.
Having had much to do during the last forty years with the raising of funds for all manner of objects, in different lands, I have come to know something of men's tempers and dispositions in such cases, and under peculiar circumstances and conditions. I therefore never expected the £20,000 scheme to succeed; unless, indeed, it were headed by a dozen or so at £1000, or at least £500 each--a liberality not to be expected for such an object at this time of day.
Your present plan, therefore, I think a wise one--viz., to constitute yourselves into "a statue committee," for the successful carrying out of your own original and very practicable design,--handing over any surplus funds which may remain to any other committee or body willing to prosecute the larger professorship or lectureship scheme.--I remain, very Rev. and dear Sir, yours very sincerely,
ALEXANDER DUFF.