Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1864-01-27
War Music and War Songs.


From tho earliest days-srom the tims Of No.
ses down to the present nonent-no band Of SOL
dicrs of any extent has undertaken march with
QUO the snlivenins influence Of music. In the
days Of Moses and Joshua, this inevitable passion
displayed itself ia the. shawn and cymbol and
sackbut, and is now -asf fully manifested in the
drum, trumpet, oornet, And other ;nzsruRsnts
that accompany tho marehcf modern armies.
During the last fvw years, military music in
almost all countries, hasmhde great xlyancs. In
Europe tho utmost attention is bcsto~ed by the
different governments upon this department of
.mueic. Tao Bands Of Austria are almoft without
rivals, and even the musical lsalia.is acknowledge
that the only benefit tbs Austrisns (nho so long
held sway oyer North I.ely3 brought them was
their unsurpasaable military. murie. SIN Prussia
and France also, the military music IS considered
very aamirabls; aud even IN Turkey, II hEsS un-
der tie supervision Of Gaiserps Doniz~tt, skill
full italian musician invited tithsr by the Sultan,
attained a high degree of excellence.
. gut;in; trumental2 musieissnot always enough
for the soldier He desires 3llMething beside the
esr piercing fife and the shall trump. He feels
the need Of some vocal demonstration, in which
he can himself take raSt. This feeling is unirer-
sal, ardzmanifest, itself in.the war mhoop Of our
American savage, as we'll as in the more finished
war songs ef the nadcrna. France indeed seems
to have the rre.tminenco fot;war songs and ma
tional airs. First:of all Is that maryolously
thrilling strain of Rosyef deIif1e, that gublins.
hymn Of liberty, the rld-reuowned Uarseliai.e,
than which there is not noBler war song n.exis-
tence. Thon follow. 1onrirdpour Ia Patrie, the
pleasing >composition of Queen Hortense, tho
mother of the present emperor, Partant pour Ia
.eyrie, and the almost chiidifh Monsieur Jal6ro.
IL e., mort. The English on the contrary, are
almott destitute of such songs Their great ma
tOnul anthem, I" God save tho Queen" is, with
its majestic choral hsrmonics, utterly unsuitod
for o war song. During tho Crimean struggle
the favoritc ballad Annie Laurie, md new song
Cheer, Buys, Cheer" were very popular with
the soldiers, and were often; sung in unison by
whole regiments. The Italians, for such musical
| people, have few if any real5war sOngs. Tie fa-
nous Suomi Ia fromJa Of Bellini has often served
to inspire patriotism and arouse courage, but it
can hardly be:considered national war song.
And now what have ne Of the Southern Con-
fcdcracy in the way Of national airs-or of war
song Alas! absolutely nothing-that is, moth
ing TINT will liye-no worthy and long g-enduring
strain in which our heroic seldiors may. expires.
the unanimous sentiments which animate their
brave hearts. Tho genius sf1 tho South, With all
its warmth. aud poetic glow, has rs yet giren ns
no hymn and strain of liberty bshtting this great
n.tioaal and historic episode, Such local and
sphsmcral productions as "Dirie," "1'he BOuny
Blue Flag" aud "Tae Yolafser" serve good
purpose for a very short time, but having no rsal
In.rit, they soon die away-asthey should too,
for they are entirely below criticism.
The Star Spanglei Banner, which has one Of
the noblsst melodies ever written, ought by rights
to belong to US of the South, for the noble lines
came from Southern man-one who in all prob
ability, were he now living, would be awor,hipper
at the Southern Cross. But this nob!o ar and
these noble words, let them bo oaltsrei as they
may, would forever smack too much of the &C.
cursed Stars and Stripes-of the foul and dsgra-
dsd gridirOn emblem. We do well to quietly give
it up.
In the meantime we have adopted the masnia-
cent BIarsollaise, which, in breadth and grandeur
Of theme, in intensity Of ,nusiell effect in mag
nsfc inspiratieni is entirely niyiyalled; and to
that lot US hold until the poet and musician shall
arise land he will indeed be immortal) who's. 60
MUS can give us 3 better.
| It is noticeable fact that real war music has
always been dreaded by despotc governments.
There are countries where no oae dare raise note
of the Marsellsisc. Gu. now it is sung by troops
all the way from Paris to Rome. Itre-echOcs in
the passes Of the Alps, and arises from the plains
of Lombardy. It,resouuds in hopeful and dehapi
strains from the Potomac TO tho Rio Grahdc.
To tho Italians, in their late struggle. it was a
signal Of relief and rescue; and has proved to
them a coronation anthem of triumph and liberty.
So niil it prove tc lii.