Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1870-09-10
The MaPSelllalse.


The Marseillaise, the French nation
al hymn, which Louis Napoleon has
long prescribed, is once more heard IN
every theatre, street and village in
France, stirring the peoples hearts to
brave deeds, andFe-awaking aspirations
for national freedom. 1t was written
in the earlier and purer days Of the
fierce revolution, and has ever since
been, as in times Of excitemcnts, the
spontaneous expression Of the national
heart. I.amartine gives an interesting
account Ofits origin in his LListOire tes
GirOndistcS. Its author was Rouget
de pIsle, a young officer warmly at
tached to the cause of liberty. In 1892
he was ON duty at Straasbollrg, where
he vas on intimate terms with the
Mayor Of the city, Baron Dietrish. He
was poet and composer OF music the
Baron's wife, a lady Of great intelli-
gence, admired his talents and treated
him as q brother. 1t was winter, fam
inc was in the city, when-one day
after dinner of munition bread and
some slices of ham-the Baron brought
out his last bottle of wine. He invited
De pIsle TO drink with him to liberty
and Ld p6,trie- native land--adding:
"Dep1s must draw from the inspira-
ton of these last drops a hymn that
will fill the people with enthusiasm ~
The young ladies present applauded
this suggestion. De FIsle became
thoughtful, and went away late into
the cold night, with an agitated heart
and excited mind. In his chilly, sOli-
tary room, inspiration gradually reused
his soul. Sometimes words arranged
themselves, hot and glowing, in his
mind-sometimes bars of an air flowed
from his fingers as they glided over the
keys of the instrument. The air came
mingled with the words, and the words
with the air in such manner that he
could not himself tell which was COM
posed first. Lamertine says: "QuH
Ctdd impossible dc sepdrd Ia pocsie dc
| Ia mlNsiVte. ct le sentiment dc y erl1rcs.
sion;" at was impossible to separate
the poetry from the music, or the feel
ing from the expression He sung all
and wrote nothing. He fell asleep at
last, wearied out, his head lying on the
instrument. When he awoke it was
daylight Words and air fingered in
his mind, like dream. Rousing him
self, he wrote them out and at once ran
with,them to the Mayors residence.
The Baron awoke his wife, who had
not yet arisen; he next sent for several
musical friends, and accompanied by a
young lady, ROuget de lIsle, sung
1.-THE song of the Army of the Rhine, u
as he had entitled his wonderful COM
position. Llamertine thus describes
the scene: " AT the first strophe every
face turned pale-at the second tears
were fiowing-at the third enthusiasm
burst out! Dietrich, his wife and the
} young officer cast themselves weeping
into each others arms. The hmm d
our ndtirc tdnd Uds .foltRdm The
writer continues: "Alas! it was also
to be the hymn of terror. A few
: months afterwards the unfortunate
Dietrich marched to the scaflold to the
, sound of these very notes, notes born al
! his own hearth, from the heart of his
| friend and the voice of his wife, A
! few days afterwards the new song
! was publicly sung in Straasbourg
: From thence it flew from city to city
: A band of men who were. marching
from Marseilles to Paris sung it every
5 where on on their route, and thus i
r acquired the name LA MARSEILLAISE
t pronounced marselyais.) De pIsle'
, mother was pious and royalist; sh,
d wrote to her son: "What revolution
: ary hymn is this that a horde of bri
: gands are singing and with which you
t name is connected?" De pIsle him
S self, afterwards prescribed and flynn
e for his life, heard the notes of his song
II which sounded in his ears like threa
|; of death as he was making his wa,
through the passes Of the Java noun
n tains. "What do they cal. that hymn?
d he asked of his guide. "The MarseiI
n laise," answered the countryman, an
r, so he came to know the name of hi
: own work. Lamartine concludes b
II saying He was pursued by the Ell
'r thusiasm he had spread behind hin
D He narrowly escaped death the wet
d pom was turned against the very han
70 that forged it! In its madness the rev,
er luton failed to recognize its ow
o voicew