The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-08-06
THE MARSEILLAISE.
Origin OF the Famous War Song.
The origin of the words and music Of this
fauoous song is thus described by NJ. de Lamar

The origin of the words and music of this
famous song is thus described by NJ. de Lamar
tine:
There was at this time (l792) a young officer
of artillery In the garrison at StraspOurg. bis
name was Rouget de Lisle. He was porn at
Lons-le-S -Saulnier, In the Jura, Q country VI
reveries aud energy, as mountainous M resluns ns .
always are. This young man loved war as 70
soldier: the revolution as thinker By ms
verses and music he lightened the tealous-
ness of the garrison. Generally sougnt VI a.
count of his noble talent as musician anL nc
ooet. he became familiar Visl!oL r,,wnr
house of an Asiatic patriot, DleslicIh, Dleh+ars of
of Strasbourg. Tn ewlIe s;oan anu fur gatriotism
ana revolution. They loved the young oInceI. M
They insured his heart, his poetry ana nis
,a,c}c. and. trusting to the early hsplnSs OF
his geni,s. they were the first to execute his
scarcely expressed thoughts
It was in the winter OF l792 lamlne re'gneu er
at Strasbourg, The Dietrich family were poor,
and their table was frugal, but 1t was always
hospitable to RouSet. One day, when taere
was nothing on the board but some ammuni-
tion. bread and o few slices Of ham, Dletrlcn,
LOOKING at De Lisle with melancholy calmness,
said to him abundance 1s WanllnS ;.Su. az ~.
banduet but what matters tnaI Wnen ne.trior .or
enthusiasm Is wanting 81 a. onr U soldiers @ have
courage ~ nS vine left in my cellar: let it be
Srouobt mn and let us drink to liberty and our
Country. There will soon be patIiotlc ceie-
bration at Strasbourg; may these last drops no,
spire De Lisle with one Of those hymns WHICH,
convey to the soul OF the people Tue ntoAica-
ton from whence they proceed; ,,,t IN tho
wine. and flied the glasses Of their aged iatner
and The young officer until the liquor was s ex-
hansted. It was midnight. The night was
cold. DeIisle was in dreamy sCaie' mls
heart was touched; his head was neateo: me
cold overpowered him. and ne tottelea inlo
his lonely room slowly, seeking Inspiration
nnu in his patriotic soul, now in his harpsi-
chord: sometimes composing the air befo-e
fhe wnrfis. and sometimes the words before
the ali. and SO combining them in his thoughts
that he himself did not know whether the
notes or the verses came hrst, ana Inat II was
imnossible to separate the poetry from the
music, or the sentiment nom the expression.
he sang all and set down nothing.
\ Oyerpowered with the sublime inspiration;
fEeIisle went to sleep on the. harpsicord, and
did not wake until day. He recollected the
sonr of the previous night with a4difhculty
IKE that with which we recall the impression
Of dream He now set down the words ana
music, and ran with them 70 Dletrlcn,. Wnom
dauchters of the old patriot had not yet risen.
Dietrich awakened then, and invited some
friends who were as passionately fond OF music
as himself and were capable OF executing
DeIisle's composition. His eldest daughter
played slthe accompaniment, while Rouget
sung iI-a,
AZ the first stanzas all faces turned pale; at
the second, tears ran down every cheek; and
at the last, all the madness Of enthusiasm
broke forth. Dietrich, his wife, his daughters,
and the young officer fell weeping into each
others arms. The hymn Of the country was
found. It was destined, alas to he also the
hymn Of terror. A few months atterward the
unfortunate Dietrich went to the scafold to
the sound of the very notes which had had their
origin on his own hearth, IN the heart OF his
friend and IN the voices Of his children.