Yes, you're quite right re. "The Dumfries Volunteers" (i.e. "Does haughty Gaul...", which Burns wrote for the volunteer corps of which he was a member) and the necessity of back-pedalling from his earlier position re. the Revolution, when he was "an enthusiastic votary", at least until France annexed Savoy and Piedmont, according to a letter the recipient of which I can't recall (I could check it if you like). However, notice the ironic implication even in the lines you quote; he refers, incautiously perhaps, to "British wrongs". Hmmmm! And, while he calls for those who will not sing 'God Save the King' to be hung "as high's the steeple"--

"Yet while we sing 'God Save the King',
We'll ne'er forget The People".

Again, a pretty dangerous sentiment to express at the time (even though, as you'll see both from my earler posting citing his reference to "the uninformed mob", it's not a call for the kind of "Democracy" we now claim to have, where every adult is entitled to vote). As you state, the Tories will indeed quote those lines to claim that RB was a Unionist; but, if the De'il can cite Scripture for His purpose, it's nae wonder that His "subordinate Imps" will dae the same kind of thing. By the way, although "The Dumfries Volunteers" was published to an air specially composed by Stephen Clarke, Burns originally set it to "Push About the Jorum"; and, also for this air, he composed a remarkable parody of polite eighteenth-century Pastoral, a copy of which he then sent to George Thomson in Edinburgh. Thomson's comment was, "What a pity this is not publishable". The song begins, "When maukin bucks..." (i.e. male rabbits). If you can't find the verses, I'll add them later.

Best wishes,

RG (ABCD)