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Lessons from the land of Jefferson
01/04/2008
In the second of his trilogy of keynote speeches on the Scotland Week tour in North America, First Minister Alex Salmond evoked the spirit of US Founding Father Thomas Jefferson in support of a referendum on Scotland's constitutional future.
The First Minister visited Jefferson's home - Monticello, the only residence in America on the United Nations World Heritage List - where he presented a copy of the Declaration of Arbroath to Doctor Tim Garson, Provost of the University of Virginia.
"We are a people capable of self-government, and worthy of it." (Thomas Jefferson, 1807)
Mr Salmond said:
"Tartan Day was inaugurated 10 years ago because the Senate recognised the influence of Scotland's Declaration of Arbroath on America's Declaration of Independence. However, the connecting theme is not just clarion calls for liberty and independence, but the recognition of the sovereignty of the people first suggested in European history in the Arbroath Declaration and taken to its logical conclusion by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence.
"Today I call on politicians on all sides of the debate to recognise the sovereignty of the people. This is the basis on which the United States first asserted its right to self-government. And it is the guiding principle for the debate on Scotland's future - a national conversation involving all the people of Scotland.
"When the people of Scotland consider their place in the world and debate our constitutional future, the proper means to exercise this sovereignty is through a referendum.
"Thomas Jefferson wrote that 'Every nation has a right to govern itself internally under what forms it pleases, and to change these forms at its own will'.
"Scotland, sooner rather than later, is entitled to have the right to choose our constitutional future. That is a guiding principle for the debate on Scotland's future - a national conversation involving all the people of Scotland.
"And it is the words of Thomas Jefferson that will inspire us - today and in the years ahead: "We are a people capable of self-government, and worthy of it."
In 1987, the legislature of Nova Scotia - followed by other Canadian provinces - proclaimed that Tartan Day should coincide with the anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath. In 1998, the United States Senate issued a Tartan Day resolution commemorating the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath and the contribution of Scots-Americans.
Read full text of FM's speech in Virginia
The Senate's Tartan Day Resolution:
Whereas April 6 has a special significance for all Americans, and especially those Americans of Scottish descent, because the Declaration of Arbroath, the Scottish Declaration of Independence, was signed on April 6, 1320 and the American Declaration of Independence was modelled on that inspirational document; Whereas this resolution honors the major role that Scottish Americans played in the founding of this Nation, such as the fact that almost half of the signers of the Declaration of independence were of Scottish descent, the Governors in 9 of the original 13 States were of Scottish ancestry, Scottish Americans successfully helped shape this country in its formative years and guide this Nation through its most troubled times; Whereas this resolution recognizes the monumental achievements and invaluable contributions made by Scottish Americans that have led to America's pre-eminence in the fields of science, technology, medicine, government, politics, economics, architecture, literature, media, and visual and performing arts; Whereas this resolution commends the more than 200 organizations throughout the United States that honor Scottish heritage, tradition, and culture, representing the hundreds of thousands of Americans of Scottish descent, residing in every State, who already have made the observance of Tartan Day on April 6 a success; Whereas these numerous individuals, clans, societies, clubs, and fraternal organizations do not let the great contributions of the Scottish people go unnoticed: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Senate designates April 6 of each year as 'National Tartan Day'.