My life : a record of events and opinions - Wallace-online.org

324 MY LIFEvarious parts of England and Ireland.He was a veryimpressive speaker, and always held his audience.Among the most esteemed of the friends I owedto " Land Nationalization " were two eminent Scotchmen,both poets, and both ardent lovers of justiceand humanity — Professor J. Stuart Blackie andCharles Mackay. The former wrote to me in July,1882, saying that he had just finished the "carefulstudy " of my " Land Nationalization," and that hewas "happy to find it so much in accordance withmy oldest and most mature speculations, and—whatis of more importance—observations on the subject."He sent me a copy of his small volume, " Altavona,"with a chapter on the " Sutherland Clearances," andhe concluded, "As to your remedies for the giganticevils which our present system of land laws entails,they recommend themselves strongly to every consistentthinker."Both he and Isuffered some inconvenience fromhaving mentioned the name of the agent who carriedout the terrible Sutherland evictions in the first twodecades of the nineteenth century, as it is given in allthe early narratives, as well as in the report of thetrial of the agent for arson and murder, when, ofcourse, he was acquitted. His sons were at that timealive, and protested against the publication. Bothour publishers were frightened. Professor Blackiewithdrew his book, and published a second editionmuch cut down. I placed mine in the hands of anew publisher, and I promised that in a new editionI would omit the name of the agent, but refused tomake any alterations in the statements of facts.Three years later (in December, 1885), when Iwas lecturing in Edinburgh, I had the great pleasureof meeting Professor Blackie. I was staying with