Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1862-06-06
MISCELLANY.
for the Bellows fells Tmes-
Songs and Song -Writers.---1s.

hVh-o anu HOit- --NlitttSs---lts
We remember having been scoeed at by
a musical friend, for saying that Yankee
Doodle was a very inspirating air aud that,
as a composition, it deserved to take rank
with the best American marches Of The pc
riod when it was written for, and adopted
by our armyas Quickstep, having nothing
ridiculous about It, unless il was lis enforTu-
nate name. This opinion, however, was
afterwards enthusiastically endorsed in a
volume Of travels entitled A Rlm IArouqh
Europe" by Mr.. Benedict, a popular law
yer Of New York. He says 81 remem-
Der when it was fashionable to laugh at
Yankee Doodle as Vulgar air, written to
make fcn of oar eAtempore soldiers cf the
olden time-how it was written by DR..
Shaekburgh, and given to our soldiers as
celebrated European air, to ridicule their
icndness of European fashions, Notwith-
standing its simplicity, oar troops have kept
time to its measures on all their fields Of
glory-and it is quite impossible TO imagine
an air more perfectly fitted TO the national
tone of such people as ours. As we have
grown stronger and greater-as the stars
and stripes have foated higher over mere
and more fields of triumph--so Yankee
Doodle has risen in the scale of merit, and
believe il is at last discovered to be not a
new, nor an American air nor burlesque,
nor musical droiery, but it is found among
the most precious musical archives of--i
do not know how many musical nations
preserved and separated, and selected for
immortality by sitting ages Of traditional
popular harmony. 1t is indeed among the
music of nations. Its chords have vibrated
with the heartstrings of the people in all
ages.-The Alpine echoes have repeated
its strains. 1t has more than once broken
out among the ariozo trills of emasculated
Italy. The Suliote has rallied to it in the
forest glades Of Greece. France has been
made insane by it. Cromwell led his troops
to its resistless quickstep. Blind Ziska's
invincible brothers strobe to miraculous tri-
umphs in the spirit of its rebellious meas
ures.''
We were not prepared to hear such praise,
and from such source, of our national
Quickstep, though We know that Spain, Ger,
many, England, Ireland and other countries
have claimed it; and it has been said that
Layard found it among The things taken
from the ruins of Ninevah; which last as
serticn may be strengthened by the Biscay-
an tradition that Jubal introduced it into
their country
When the British officers and soldiers
came to this country to protect the people
of the Colonies from the French and Indi-
ans, they brought with them great contempt
cf the Proyincials, and they very soon be-
gan to call all Americans Yankees, though
\ in doing this, they only used the Indian
term, for the Indians called the English
II Tua0heeS," whence came the word Yankee
The English we're undoubtedly familiar
with the old Cromwelian song, and if they
used that song here or parodied it. they
would naturally substitute Yankee for the
old word Nankee. ii they did net thus use
the word, we know that the tories did.
1t has been claimed by the Dutch that
Yankee Doodle origin ated III Hollands and
to prove this claim an ancient song has been
produced in evidence, one used among the
laborers of that region, who in the time Of
harvest migrate from Germany to the low
countries, where they receive for their work
as much 6uttermilk as they can drink and
tenth of the grain secured by their exer-
tious. This song has the burden
"Yanker diaeI doodle do~r
Didel delel anter,
Nsnke Siser, vooyer yowu,
Botermilk and Tanther.n
This account may be considered apoory-
phal. to say the least, for the words are nei-
ther German, Dutch or any other known
language on the face of the earth. 1t must
be ranked with the Biscayan account, since
it is about as probable.
A little while before the battle of Lex
irgton, the British, (who it has been said
used the tune of Yankee Doodle as one of
their military airs at Castle William, in Bos-
ton harbor, as early as 1869 had song
in reference to the Americans near Boston,
who we're secretly procuring arms in the
city, then occupied by loyal troops, from
which the following verse is preserved:
HYankee Doodle came to town
FOR to buy ahrelock
We will tar and feather him,
Aud so we will John Hancock
There cannot be any doubt that the tune
was used by the British before the battle of
Bunker Hill; and this fact has produced
the common error that our words, The Yam
kee words, were known and sung there on
the 18th of June, 1775. On e, animation
of the American song, however, Ii will be
seen that any such conclusion or assumption
is completely and self-evidently incorrect
. Captain Washington" was not appointed
AZ f.z...1 ,,1 Eop,p,ani iar-in-e chief of all