Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1858-03-04
MisttlIantous.
The Songs of the Natio rs.

We find the following exquisite para
graphs in The Mem York Tribune, in an ar
ticle defending Americans from the charge
tnat they do not appreciate songs. The
writer has music in his soul:
We would not exchange the profound
reverence with which Yorker receives
Lilly Dale" or ''Wcodman Spare that
Tree,' or The Old Folks at IIome," as.
in some sort, stammeriDg utterance of his
best hopes end sweetest "reminiscences, for
all the sensuous and deIiquesceut raptures
of Southern shores.
What a song is, and by what rules it is
constructed, remains to this day ar unsolv-
ed an1 inscrutable prob biem. Horace, with
all his art pOetical, would have been puz-
zled to say by ~hst method he composed
"Nunc est biDendum," the most Joyous and
fascinat ing of Latin me eiodies. OF all sim
gers, it may best be said of song singers,
:hat he is born, and not made. These har-
monists of the heart are always bursting
Upon Us like angels, without the drill Of
colleges or the drum of discipline. From
the Ayrshire cottage Of Burns, from the
garret OF Carey, from the printing-house Of
Beranger, from shrinking women, and un-
lettered men, come to the melodies which
sfastee themselves upon the life of the
world. The song is written--noboGy knows
how, when, or where. Often, like the
"MarseilIaise," it is the creation of scci-
dent. Often, like founding, it ventures
into the earth, without paternity, and first
winning by lis honest humanity the afTec-
ton OF the street or cottage, walls its wav
TO the affection of the palace. Poor How
ard Payne, sitting in his lonesome London
chamber, hard al work by manufacture and
adaptation, and Heaven knows by whist
other resources, constructing his "Maid OF
Milan ior manager greedy for novelties,
feels some old thought come over him OF
Boston, or New York, and of boyish tri-
umphs there, marries his "Home, Sweet
Home" to a Sicilian air, and the world
catches the complaint of his home-sick
heart, and will sing it over for a century.
A young lawyer OF Philadelphia is asked for
song by an actor whose benefit night does
not promise to be of the most lucrative; he
dashes off Hail Columbia" and to this dsv
he is chanteG by glee singers, PLAYED by
brass bands, and whistled upon The fore
castle OF ships sailing about Cape Horn
We remember that Prof. Wilson undertook
to proye--we think in one of the "Soctes''
that Tom Moore could not write song;
yet there is NJ land upon the globe that
has no: listened to Oft in the Silly Night
''Mary's Tears and "Ihere's Nothing
True but Heaven"
The song floats into existence a price
less wait, a most opulent estray, an anony-
nous donation, a love gilt of the modest
and kindly, TO the kind and retiring. The
masses, taking up the cheerful carol or the
minor plant, seldom inquire whose master.
hand struck the keynote of their unfa:h.
omed erudition. How many gallant tars
roaring out "The Bay of Biscay," know
who wrote it! How many grim -whiskereC
soldiers, singing with unusual tears "Annle
Laurie" in the trenches of Sevastopoi
have ever heard of tn, pure-hearted wo
man whose white hand first wrote
'Ma1wel,on's braes are honne?"
3 The singer of songs must be content t.
find in bis vocation "Iis own exceedir.
great reward" Not less, however shou
be our gratitude towards those who iavt
cheered our loneliness, elevated our hopes
or assuaged our grief.
The song is especially the property o
the people. 1t is pleasant, therefore. anC
en- th 81 r
people incline to the decorou>, the chaste
and the affectionate, and eschews thu
coarse, the ribald, and the heartless. o
dozen ballads purchased OF hawker yes
.terday, we found but one which might no
be sung by modest woman. A recapitu
lation of the titles will at once recall Il
the reader the character of these produc
tions. We have "Annie Laurie" "Ellel
Bayne," "Song of the Farmer "The DIV
ing Californian" Willie we have Misse
You," Jennie with the Light-Brown Hair,
.Cheer, boys, cheer" and "Let US Speal
of Man as We Find dHim,"-production
OF widely differing poeuca; merit, but all O
them honest and true in their sentiments
and decorcus in their expression. Nor O
we discover in those which are designed
grotesque any unpardonable violation Z
taste. The best Of Us have laughed a
John Perry's inimitable "Villikins and hi
Dinah," for now and then we all relish
little nonsense. Our scrutiny of our pul
chase was certainly satisfactory w
found, as We haze said, but one song |
which we could object, and that recited tn
deilnquencies of reverend gentleman
Boston.
EEAn old Scotch areacher said of