The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1874-12-30
yankee Doodle"
SONG AS 4 HEALER OF THE WOUNDS
OF WAR

We copy the following from the
New Orleans Times. A song that
/ has such power TO soothe the fierce
passions Of the heart shold be heard
oftener than it is in our public assem-
bIies.
Let me-" says an ambitious bard,
make the songs Of country, and !
care not who makes the laws" The
idea may by fringed with the en-
broidery of poetic license, but in its
warp and wcof there is something Of
philosophical verify. An accepted
national song or anthem is, as it
were, the incarnation of patriotic
sentiment, and like a national banner,
means far more than the prosaic IN
quisitor can discern therein. AS the
banner is not mere. bunting, so the
song is not mere words. The thrill
of patriotic fer,or felt when one un-
expeetedly sees the flag of his coun-
try on q foreign shore, and the thrill
of patriotic indignation which arises
when one see an indignity put upon
that flag, are readily understood.
These diverse feelings are prompted
by an ideal sentiment Of nationali-
ty which cannot easily be explained.
but which every true man sppreci-
ates and feels. The flag is valued,
not because of the fneness of its
texture, but because of the inspira-
ton it arouses, and the sovereignty
it represents.
So it is with a nations songs.
They may not be framed in accor-
dance with the highest demands of
esthetic art, or married to music pre-
pared by the great masters of melo-
dy, but if they leap like kiss from
the lips to the heart, and intensity
the manhood Of the man and the
patriotism 'of the citizen through a
process more readily understood than
described, they certainly perform a
high Office in regulating the economy
Of political communities.
We will not indulge in any special
criticism on national songs or on the
comparative capabilities Of those
which exist in arousing national en-
thusiasm. Ii is enough on this occa-
sion to refer to Rouget de Lisle's
"Marseillaise," and our own Yam
kee Doodle as agencies in the cres-
tion Of revolutionary ferTor. The
first is Frenchmsn's song of liber-
", and without waiting for reason,
be will respond TO its thrilling notes
with his hearts best blood. Yankee
Doodle has less merit, whether view
ed as literary or musical produc-
ton, but in the times that tried mems
souls it stirred the blood Of the old
provincials like an inspiration, and
made their hearts palpitate with an
almost audible response. Keys
Star Spangled Banner" comes later
and had far less influence in determ-
lining the issues of the revolution
1t has, however, higher pretence,
but will never crowd cut old Yankee
Doodle from the place it occupies in
our national holy OF holies.
Oar special attention was called
TO this matter through the casual re-
mark Of 8 Sir knight whom we met
yesterday He was describing the
Grsnd CommsnGery feast which took
place in Exposition Hall, and the
union of hearts" it represented, and
observed: You know what q fierce
old reb have been, and how intense
ly bitter | once was against every
thing Yankee; but when ] heard
Yankee Doodle played, it so revived
old memories as to bring tear TO
my eve and make me feel good. at
was" be continued "ihe first time !
had heard it played on any public OF
conviyial occasion for fourteen years,
and it caused a thrill Of emotion
which carried me back through our
late unpleassniDess into the revolu-
tionary days, when the struggle for
independence was going o. / tell
yon it stirred up kindly feelings TO
ward Massachusetts, and all the rest
of the old sister Statesr
All this from 30 simple an sir al
Yankee Doodle When. we heal
such statements as these from ''broth'
ers Of the mystic tie,s who less than