Smyrna times., 1861-11-14

tutIonai monarchy. lie was at SirasbOurg
early IN 1892 One day Dietrich, the mayor
OF The town, who knew him we'll, asked him to
write martial song TO be sung on the depar
lure or SIX hundred volunteers who would soon
set out to join the army Of the Rhine. De
LlsIe consented. wrote the song that night
the words sometimes coming to him before the
music, sometimes the music before the words
and gave it to Dietrich the next morning. As
ls not uncom non with authors. he was at first
dissatisfied with the fruit ofhis sudden inspira-
ton, and as he handed the manuscript to the
mayor, he said, "Here is what you asked tor !;
but fear 1t is not very good" But Dietrich
looked, and knew better. They went to the
harpsIchOrd with Madame and sang it; they
gathered the band ofthe theatre together and
sehearsed 1t; 1t was sung in the public square,
and excited such enthusiasm that, instead of six
hundred volunteers, nine hundred left Stras-
bourg for the army. This song its author call
ed merely The War-Song of the Army of the
Rhine (Chant de guerre de rGrmee du Rhin.)
But IN the course of few months it worked it's
way southwark, and became a favorite with
the Marseillais, who carried it to Paris, where
the people, knowing nothing of its name, its
author, or its original purpose, spoke oft simp-
ly "The Song OF the Marseiluis," and as the
Marseillaise it will be known forever, and
forever be the rallying cry Of France against
tyranny.
ORIGIN OF THE COMMITTEE.
II has been said that this committee was
self-apponted; but that was not the case. The
notion Of thus calling for national hymn,
Know did not even originate with any member
OF the committee. but with an intelligent gen
tleman whose warm patriotic feeling led him
to be active IN the matter. AT first it was pro-
posed to place the matter in the hands of three
gentlemen, one from New York, Boston. and
Philadelphia, respectively; but the inconveni-
ence Of this plan soon became apparent, and
the New York committee was appolated. All
who were asked heartily consented 10 serve !;
but not one OF them expressed any confidence
IN the success ofthe undertaking. Yet ast there
was great desire expressed for the hymn on
all sides, and as the occasion was proptious
for It's production, they willingly said Yes, n.
stead of Ne. They felt much like the Bowery
boy who, being cut short ia a hard life by a
sore disease, which quickly brought him to
deaths door, was informed by his physician
that medicine could do nothing for him.
What's my chances, doctor !''-" Not worth
speaking off," One 10 twenty?"-" Oh no."
-, In Thirty o." No." Fifty !''-" |
{ nix not."-" A hundred o." Well, perhaps
there may be one in Il undred. "-s' sa ', then,
DOCTOR" pulling him close down, and whisper
ing with feeble earnestness in his ear, jess
you go in like h on that one chance" The
doctor went in," and the patient recovered
The chance that there was, the members of
the committee did not feel at liberty to refuse
HOW THE POEMS WERE EXAMINED.
The twelve hundred competitors at least,
will like TO know that this was the manner of
proceeding. The manuscripts containing words
4
aside for separate consideration. The verses
were then read by the member who opened the
envelope containing them. If they were con-
demned at once by nearly unanimous voice,
they were cast into a waste basket ready at
hand if not, they were reserved for future
consideration. But, by a waste basket, must
not be understood any Of those ordinary wicker
concavltles, known to mortal by that name
vast washing b. sket-a " buck basket" big
enough TO hold FalstaH himself was made the
temporary tomb Of these extinguIshed hopes /;
and TINS receptacle was filled five times with
rejected manuscripts, which were seized upon
for IncendIary purposes by the cooks of the
gentlemen at whose houses the meetings of the
committee took place. Alas, for the hapIess
writer's Were even the priceless manuscript
plays of the Shakespearian age that Warlon's 9
cook purIoined, and used TO put under pies.
80 lamented as those remorselessly increma ted
hymns will be The mass OF these maDuscrio,s
were " only OF interest TO their writer's" or, in
plain terms, either the flattest commonplace, or
absolutely neither rhyme nor reason. From
the whole collections, only about thirty were
reserved as worthy of a second reading, and
these. on a second and third examination, were
reduced about one-halE
HOW THE music WAS MANAGED.
| The hymns sent in with music were about
thre9 hundred in number. To enable them
fairly to Judge the merits of these, the commit
tee called in competent musical aid, and after
a winnowing of the heap over the piano. fort,
those which were found worthy ofa more par.
ticular hearing were sung. This second exami-
nation lett less than l~ enty musical compost
titns in the hands Of the committee. Among
the rejected musical manuscripts were very
many that were evidently written by persons
who were ignorant of The very first principles
of harmony, and who to their ignorance added
utter lack of native musical capacity.
HOW THEY WERE TRIED.
| The conditions stated in the first three para
raphs Of the committees proposal were OF
course insisted on. venture to say that they
arc both intrinsically and relatively good and
that no song which does not conform 10 them
will ever be adopted as our national hymn.
That it should be purely patriotic. and ada pied
to the whole country in its normal state, no one
will dispute. That q mere war song is not
needed even by people who are so eager for
military glory as the Ere nch, is shown by the
fact that they keep their Msrsllaise for extra.
ordinary occasions.
THE SONGS RECEIVED.
| No one of them was deemed TO satisfy all the
requirements of The needed hymn and so the
prize was not awarded. The decision was,
however, not that all the hymns we're devoid
Of lyric merit. Far from it. The number of
those which were Noticeable for poetic excel.
| lence, however small in proportion to the multi
tude that we're sent in, was quite as great as
as could reasonably aaVe been expected, espo.
| cially when the reluctaacs Of poets OF high
| and IoDg-estsblished reputation 10 enter upoH
such competition s considered.
The Baron Won Hermann of p,u..;. L..