The true Democrat., 1855-12-18
History of the Marseilles Hymn.

The Marseillaise presents notes of the song of glory and the shriek of death; glorious as the one, funeral like the other; it assures the country while it makes the citizen turn pale. This is its history: There was then, Cat the time of the French revolution, 179O,) young officer of artillery, i'll the garrison of Strasburg, named Rouget de Lisle. He was born at Louis le Sannier, in the Jura, that country of revcry and energy, as mountain countries always are. He charmed with his music and verses the slow, dull garrison life. Much in request from his two-fold talent as musician and poet, he visited the house ofDeitrick, an Alsatian patriot, on intimate terms. In the winter of 1792. there was scarcity in StraSburg. The house of Deit- rick was poor and the table was humble, but there was a welcome for Rouget de Lisle.- Once when there was only some coarse bread and slices of ham on the table, Deitrick looked with calm sadness and said to him: " Plenty is not seen at our feasts, but what matter if en- thusiasm is net wanting at our civic fetes, and courage in our soldier hearts. 1 have still bottle of wine in my cellar Bring it," said he to his daughter, "and we will drink to liberty and our country. Strasburg is soon to have patriotic ceremony, and De Lisle must be in- spired to produce one of those hymns which convey to the souls of the people the enthusi- asm which suggested it."
 They drank-De Lisle was dreamer--hs heart was moved-his head was heated He was staggering to his chamber, endeavorng by degrees to find inspiration in the pal pitations of his citizens heart, and on the small harpsi- chord, now composing the air before the words, now composing words before the air, combining them so intimately in his mind that he could never tell which was first produced, the air or words, so impossible did he find it to separate the music from the poetry and the feeling from the impression He sang erything-wrote nothing. Overcome by the divine inspiration, his head fell sleeping on his instrument, and he did not awake till daylight The song of the overnight returned to his memory, with diff cuty like the recollection of dream. He wrote it down and gave it to Deitrich, who called together some musicians who were capa. ble of executing De Lisles composition. De LiSle sang At the first verse all countenances turned pale-at the last, enthusiasm burst forth The hymn of the country was found. Alas! it was destined to be the hymn of terror The unfortunate Dietrich went few months after wards to the scaifOld, to the sounds of the notes first produced at his fire sdc and from the heart of his friend.
 The new song, some weeks after, was sung at Strasburg. It flew from city to city, Mar seiles adopted it to be sung at the opening and close of its clubs. Marseiles spread it all over France. Hence the name of Marseilles
 De Lisle heard 1t and shuddered at its sound on his ears, while escaping by the wild passes of the Alps as prescribed royalist. "What do they call that hymn?'' he inquired of his guide. "The Marseilles" answered the pea. sant It was thus he learned the name of his own work. The arm was turned against the hand that forged t.-Lama,tine.