Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-10-22

WORKS OF our greatest taVOrlteS is Increased Oy
sense Of personal gratitude.
The song to Anacreon is always admired on
first acquaintance, but it has not gained place
among verses, which make men stronger and
happier in remembering them. Though it is
free from grossness, it is bacchanalian song
and, like its subject, it must be transient
Measure at the hest. Ii is SAID that in the first
flush of popularity its rhythm and music were
used for pOetical efforts more short lived than
itself. / do not discover that it was a favorite
when Robert Treat Paine, Jr., used its measure
IN his spirited song, entitled adams and Liber-
ty," which was written for and first sung at the
anniversary of the Massachusetts charitable fire
society in Boston on June l, 1898.
It's first words
Ye sons Of Columbia who braVelv have fought
For those rights which unstained from your sires
have descended
And the energetic chorus
For the sons of Columbia will never be slaves,
While the earth bears plant or the sea rolls its
waves
Will bring to mind its high sentiments and
swelling sound, well suited for musical express
ion and enthusiastic effect. Though il was
brought ont in time of great party bitterness,
and it was exclusively claimed by one Of the
| parties, it has nothing but the language of the
broadcast patriotism. With all its merits, it was
never universally accepted as a national song,
| aud the recent Library of Poetry and Song"
published under the sanction OF the honored
name of William Cullen Bryant has rescued
| from oblivion "Sally In our Alley" but has no
room for the sons of Columbia. Some reasons
for this failure may be briefly stated. The name
OF the wise patriot at the head Of the govern
ment, which was part Of the title of the song,
did not recommend it, The broad waves OF
democracy which had begun TO carry Mr. JEFF
ierson to the highest place, for a time submerged
the merits of Mr.. Adams aud his federal assOe-
ates, and federal sentiments and federal songs
| lost their popular prominence. This political
movement, though partially unjust, was not
wholly evil, since it severed thu last
rope that bound ours nation to the fast
anchored isle, from which it had been
launched. Moreover, there was felt though
unacknowledged ncongruity between the chorus
and the condition OF an increasing portion of
our inhabitants, and the thoughts and feelings
| of the song are peculiar 10 the recent Struggle
and the escape from national peril; aud the
| ideasUf strength, prosperity and progress are
| not set forth as they should be IN national
| song.
After sixteen years, in which the tune of the
| AnacreOntic song was seldom heard In this
| country or in Europe, il was applied to the pa
| thetic verses of Mr.. Key. few words NAV be
| permitted concerning this gu STONED right to
use this rhythm aud music for an American
song. Notes and Queries I'D v. 6 1927 quotes
| from amusing letters fir IN America" this pas.
| sage The air of"the Star Spangled Banner"
which our cousins, with their customary mpu.
| dence Of assertion, claim as their own, is almost
| note for note that of the fine old English song
"When Vulcan forged the bolts of Jove" That
| the song when Vulcan forged, &c.," written
by Thomas Dibdn, els very little ii at all, older
than the Star Spangled Banner" and Its verses
are not fitted to the same tune, are, TO an anus
ing tCriter, facts of no consequence. The quoted
| passage IS missile that has so often been thrown
across the water, that it is worth while TO pick
| it up and examine it for a moment. The En-
gliSh language and its treasures are the proper
/ tV of those. who pmiprarp1 from tha
| country aud of those who remained there. And
| the emgrants have lot been wanting in success
full efforts to add something to the common
store. When frauds are perpetrated against the
| individual producers right to honor or profit
as has occurred on both sides, let the offenders be
punished severely, as they will be, by shame and
loss. But, in this case, there was no fraud and no
| injury. A musical composition, little regarded.
| was openly taken up as neglected estray, and
attached TO verses, with which 1t was more ei-
| fecive than with the words, with which it is
| first known to us. An advantageous use gives
better right of property than proftless dis
| covery or invention. No one reproaches the
Protestants of England that they took possess
| sion of an obscure French tune, and by change
| in its movement adapted it TO their taste and
| their religious comfort and edihcation, as cold
| Hundred"
For time the words of the Star Spangled
Banner were occasionally sung by the cult
| waited and refined, but they were too sad for the
| spirit of a strong and ambitious people. But
/ after forty years a cloud of anxiety and peril
came over our land that was family Swallowed
| in the night watch OF Mr. Key. Then strength
and endurance were gladly sought in sympathy
| with the devoted patriotism and confident hope
| that he has so strongly expressed. That dark
ness has now passed and the music, that cheered
| it, will not be heard above the loud and joyful
| tones of prosperity and ambition. The inStru.
mental accompaniment and the thrilling chorus
worthy OF the most beautiful national flag on
the earth, will be constant and unliring graft
fcaton to the ear and the heart of an American
But the words now in use will not be accepted
as permanent national song.
The distinction of being the undisputed and
most approved American national song is con-
coded to Hail Columbia, which was written
| in 1898 by Joseph Hopkinson, LID, of Phil
adelphia, for the benefit of an actor named Fox.
The Columbian Centnel of May 2, 1898, on the
shelves OF your library, gives the verses as we
have them, and states that sit has been sung on
the boards of Philadelphia" The Historical
Magazine, vol 3, page 2S2, on authority of Viii
liam McKJV of Philadelphia, in PoulSons Ad-
Yertiser OF 1929, mentions that this song was set
to the music of "The Presidents March" by
Johannes Roth, &c. man music teacher in that
city. Aud the Historical Magazine, vol. 3, page
%, quotes from the Baltimore Clipper of 1S41,
that The Presidents March" was composed BY
Professor Phyla Of Philadelphia, and was played
At Trenton IN 1883, when Washington passed
over to New York TO be inaugurated as it was
stated BY a son OF Professor Phyla, who was one
OF the performers. The thoughts OF "Hdil Co.
lumbia" are elevated and refined, but they are
peculiar to the circumstances of its origin. They
are directed to the conflict that has Just ceased
the efforts necessary to secure It's fruits, and the
possibility OF future peril, with a lust tribute to
Washington and the other heroes and states
men on whom the nation relies. With these
qualities it has never satisfied the demand for
national patriotic song, and Us time goes on, it
is called for, in the absence OF better, with
increasing infrequency.
Yankee Doodle Is national property, but it is
not treasure of the highest value 1t has some
antiquarian claims, on winch its warmest friends
do not rely. 1t cannot be dIsowned, and
it will not be disused In its own older words,
ut suits for feasts, it suits for fun,
And just as well for fighting"
And its easy utterance and its fearless and
frOlicksome humor make its accompaniment
welcome on fit occasions and preserves its
popularity. But it exists now as an instru-
mental and not as vocal performance. Its
voice Is never heard, and think would not be
acceptable in America for public or private en-
tertalnments. But ITS music must be silent
when serious purposes are entertained and
mems hearts are moved to high efforts and
great sacrifices. As a song Yankee Doodle has
not national character.
To give an account of the saphic ode called
The American Hero, written by Hon and
Rev. Nathan Niles, and very popular in Con-
necticut during the revolutionary war, and to
describe other abortive attempts 10 furnish
national song, would suit the patience of the
study Of an antquary better than the small
share that can claim of this brief session. But
cannot omit to say few words on the recent
efforts 10 obtain national song bv transplant.
ing the old English anthem God save the King.
The most acceptable of these is the anthem
called America, beginning only country It's of
thee" and following the air and metre of its
original. The author is Rev. Dir. Samuel Fran
els Smith, a professor in Colby university, and
al eminent man for learning and character in
the distinguished class that graduated from
Harvard university in 1929. The anthem
has much merit of thought and ex-
preston, but when it is sung it excites
little enthusiasm, and it is easy to see that
1t is received with the limited satisfaction with
which man wears coat that is borrowed and
altered. Such limitations will never be recog-
nized as national songs. Ii is said that the tune
Of God Save the King" has been adopted by
the present emperor Of Germany for state occa-
sions throughout his domlnons. If this be true,
the Germans have too much Of fatherland to
sanction such an adoption. It is more likely
that it is sung and played at times there, as in
France and in this country, for the mere enter
| tainment Of the music
The weight OF evidence is in favor of the
| claims of Henry Carey, Mus. d who lived from
1892 to 174S, TO the authorship Of the poetry and
| music of "God Save the King" OF MIR. Carey
/ IT, ~. -. E..al