The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-07-29

1
condition of affairs, and must be set aside until
rebellion is crushed, and peace, quiet, law and
order reign from the lakes to the Gulf OF
Mexico Until then let us hear no more about
the violation of the constitution by the President
| The NATIONAL HYMN-It will be remembered
that few months ago committee Of gentle
men of New York offered prize for a ma
tional hymn, the immediate result of which was
that more than twelve hundred candidates sent
in their contributions. month has now elapsed
since the time appointed for the opening of the
manuscripts, and yet no decision has been an
nounced. The consequence is that the anxious
twelve hundred are waxing impatient, and they
and their friends are trying to find out by all
possible means which is the accepted poem.
But, if we are to believe mmor, not one of the
productions sent in is likely to answer the de-
sired purpose. A certain number, about twenty,
we believe, out of the twelve hundred, have
been laid aside for the consideration of the
committee. What judgment upon poetry and
music the members of the latter are capable of
prOnouncing we are unable 10 say, and what in
duced them ever to assume the position they did
is equally unknown, and, to us, inexplcable.
But the poems are written, ana the committee
have read them, without the prospect we hear,
of awarding the promised prize to any one.
But, as final effort, the members of the COM
mittee intend having the selected hymns sung
at public concerts, without announcing the
authors name, and according to the degree or
absence ofenthusiasm on the part of the audience
will be their decision. Under such circumstances
it will be advisable for the selected candidates
for the'prize to have plenty Of friends and an
efficient claque at each of the concerts referred
to, for the greater the sensation produced the
more certain the award
Are we really in want of a national hymn,
and can such thing be written to order at the
shortest notice?
Our opinion is that the labors of the
committee will result in the acceptance of
| nothing nearly as good as "The Star Spangled
Banner" The critics Of song will conse-
quently save their prize money, and save
us also from the infection of something worse
than what we have. The fact is, we want no
other national hymn than "The Star Spangled
Banner" and no better tune than yankee Doc
| die" Our troops marched to the engagement
at Bull run to the music of the former, and
joined heartily in the chorus, and "The Star
Spangled Banner" has followed them through
out the campaign. As for yankee DoOdle,~ it
is a tune that will never die. 1t will, we be-
lieve, be whistled by Americans as long as Ame-
ricans live and in whatever part of the world
they may be found. We remember that in the
early days of California, when Bochsa, the
harpist, first performed at San Francisco he was
asked to play yankee Doodle" "Ha! me no
know him." said the German, "but if you
whistle him play him." Accordingly, two or
three volunteered TO whistle IT, and no sooner
was the tune whstled than Bochsa played it,
with variations, and of course brought down the
house in Juror of applause.
| Both "The Star Spangled Banner" and cyan
kce Doodle" are endearcd to us by q multitude
of associations, and our people will never wish
for anything better. Even this war, in which
they have served us so we'll, will increase the ma
tional attachment to their familiar strains. The
attempt to introduce new national hymn re-
minds US Of the effort made about twenty years
| ago to change the name of the republic from
the United States of America to Columbia
People said that the United States of America
was no name at all. But it was soon discov-
cred that the old name was so firmly we'd
ded TO the popular mind, and carried with it so
much prestige abroad, that to change it would
have been impossible, and, if possible, obnox-
1 ious. The attempt to introduce new national
hymn will we apprehend, be about as unsuc-
oessful as was the attempt to change the name
of the United States to Columbia. Probably
the best use that can be made Of the twelve
hundred contributions will be, as we once before
suggested, to place them in the hands of Bar
mum, and let the poets in person recite their
illusions for the qualification of whoever feels
disposed to pay quarter for admission to such
an original entertainment.
1