Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-09-22
THE STAR sPANGLED HAMMER.


Captain S. d. Mccullough publishes in
the Lexington Ky Observer and Re
porter what heknows about the national
anthem, ''The Star Spangled Banner
He seems rather cross of the subject, and
does Mr.. Francis 5. Key, the author Of
the words, some injustice.
Captain McCullogh says he has many
very valuable old books in his library,
and among them the "Nightengale, "
filed with vile baechanal and many
grossly indecent Songs. This old song
book was published in Portsmouth,
England, in 1904, and contains a cOllec-
ton of such songs as were popular in sa-
looms and bar-roOms in England in
those days. There is in it a song enti-
tied, ""po AnacreOn in Heaven" and in
this music-bo0kit is set 10 the very same
tune that has become our national air.
'"rhe Star Spangled Banner" Captain
Mccullough says he a trace the song
still further back than 1904.
The first line of the old song is:
"To Anacreon in heaven, where he sat in fun
glee."
Chorus by the whole band Of bacchan-
ais:
HVoice, fiddle and flute, no longer be mute,
III lend you my name and inspire you 10 boot;
And besides III instruct you, like me, TO en-
Irvine
The myrtle Of Venus with Bacchus's vine."
All the songs in the book are set to
music and in that day naturally found
their way into New York, Philadelphia,
Baltimore, and other ports by way of
the sailors.
Another old drinking song, sung to
the air of the modern "Star Spangled
Banner" was "When Bibo went down
to the regions below" Now Captain
Mccullough agrees to show any one the
book and the songs, and there is no
doubt they exist as he represents. 1t
shows that base things, if these are base,
may sometimes be put to good use, and
become hallOwed objects, and the sOurc-
es of worship, calling into play the
very highest sensibilities and aspiTa-
ton. Religions have had their BEGIN
nings in the mire, and shOne all the
brighter by reason of their dingy sur
roundings.
But the antiquary of Lexington goes
far wrong and wades deep into injustice
in the account he gives of the origin of
our cOuntry's song, The wording of his
scrap of history is so curious that we
give it:
In August, 1914, 1 think, Fort Nc
Henry, only two miles distant from Bal
timore, was attacked by a British squad
ron Of sixteen vessels. "a storm of shot
and shell tbombs?) was rained into the |
fort, and was calamity replied to by
the fOTt.n An American gentleman
named, [ think, Francis Key, in that
day asia an obscure poet, and whose
verses, with n exception, have never
been published, rose from his bed the
morning after the bOmbardment, and
the lovely flag of our infant ma
ton still floating over Fort McHenry, a
inspiration seized him, as it did
A. Poe wnen he wrote the IRA
yen;" remembering only the last air of
bis Jolly debauch, he suited the words to
the musical rhythm, and rapidly sketch
ed off the words:
50 say canyon see by the dawn's early light"
The historian and critic then goes on
TO say that Mr.. Key was exceedingly
Unfortunate in the choice Of an air to
suit the national words. He says they
a new national musical cOmpo-
iitiOn, and the anthem, as it stands,
bears no sort decomposition to theiFrench, /
Swiss, Spanish and English correspond
,nces. He asserts moreover that "Yan-
1ee DOodle"and the "StarS pangled Ban
Ter" sink into insignificance as musical
compositions, by the side of the South /
,rn air Of "Dixie."
All this may be 50 to some people
astes differ, but Captain Mccullough,
when treating of historical subjects. !
iughttO stick to history. In giving his
heOry of the origin of the Star Spangled
and endeavoring to make it
larmonize with his old song book, he
las perverted the situation and ignored
he facts. A writer in the Louisville
lOUrier-JOuTnGL thus takes him to task
Or this part of his performance: c
He suggests that Francis Key was en- !
aged in "a jolly debauchu at Baltimore 9
uring the bombardment of Fort Nc '
henry, and remembering "only the air q
f his Jolly debauch' he t'suited the '
lords to the musical rhythm and rapid &
sketched Off the Words of the "Star
pangled Banner" This is the first '
me that the memory of Francis S. Key J
ras ever assailed in this style. His life /
Tas one of perfect purity and devotional C
iety. The anthem, the "Star Spangled f
tanner" so far as Francis S. Key is t
Oncerned, had a nobler and more pain t
Il birth than Captain McCullogh gives 4
{. Instead of being in "a jolly debauch" c
uring the bombardment of Fort Nc (
Lenry, Francis S. Key was a pioneer to l
!, the British fleet that was engaged in il
lie bo~mbardment of Fort McHenry, G
nd watched throughout one day and s
light the enc wildly described in the a
Star Spangled Banner" At "the twi- d
gifts last cleaning he had proudly il
allied" his country's flag 'gaIlantly |;
reaming'i from "the ramparts he t.
atched' while he wa a prisoner to the il
lemy's fleet, having been seized with A
flag oftruce at the mouth of the Patux- e
1t river. During that night of painfuI 81
to Mr.. Key n
rockets're glare, the bombs bursting
in air,
ave proof through the night that our flag
was still there"
1t was in the bay, at the mouth Of the
river, that he witnessed the
)mbardment of Fort McHenry, and d
bile thus held a. a prisoner he COM a
,sed a large part of "The Star Spang-
d Banner" e
Francis S. Key wrote other things ia
at proved him to be a poet, as well as
A volume of his miscellan- h,
us poems was published in New York q,
1856. Another act of his life not III
morally known is that he was for sew M
al years District Attorney for thei Dis
let of Columbia. i;
A TALE OF HATS. -
A - 80