New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-22
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
THE SHOT HEARD ROUND THE WORLD

HE SHUT hOUND lT1E WOfsiiD'
WHO FIRED TTf-wHY THE HONOR SHOULD BE-
GIVEN To CONCORD.
TO ne Editor OF RE Tribune
SIR: There would seem to be no difficulty III
giving decisive answer to the mnchmooted question
Who fired the shot heard round the worid" There
two ways OF arriving at suoL answer.
In the first place the author this very familiar quo
tation has a right to be heard. All who employ an
authors language bound to accept hs inter
probation Of its meaning. Mr. Emerson leaves us room
10 doubt what he referred 10 in his noble line.
The verse in which it occurs makes his intention I'M
mlstakable:
BY this rude bridge that arched the food.
Then flag to Apgil's breeze unfuried,
Here once the enbatted farmers stood
And fired the shot heard round the world"
II is evident that the shot heard round the world "
means. according the author Of the words not any
single shot, but the compound shot, voley fired by
che whole body OF farmers drawn up in battle array
der flag at Concord Bridge No matter what separate
shots may have been here elsewhere fired, how
important they may have been; this voley, and this
only was described by Mr. Emerson the shot heard
round the world"
But H. in the second place we look at the question
Of historical fact rather than of literary authority n
would equally determine to what occurrence
such an epthet ought to be applied OF actual
sound of firing literally heard around the world
Only respect it's consequences could it be truly said
that such a sound audible Now the real question
is What shot, fired the 10Th Of April, ITO,
followed by .uch inevitable and world wide
Consequences to justify extravagant epithet
The for which this distinction Is claimed
those which took place at sunrise Lexington Com
mOn and in the forenoon at Concord Bridge. AT the
former place and time few scattering shots are some
d0ubtully reported TO have been fired by the dis
persng tOwnsmen without or against orders, and with
result either in checking the progress OF the
uars in ralying the militia TO stand. No
irretraceable step there taken by the people.
no such aCt OF committed would
make peace longer possible During and after what
.iyc rrsistance TO tyranny continued to prevail The
PrOynca retreated dispersed and the troops pursued
their march to Concord Had the latter desisted from
their purpose and returned 10 Boston the Lexington
saore might well have remained an isolated event and
merely added more item TO the long list Of high
handed aCgressons which preparing the country
for active resistance. Bat the few shots fired
ton f"r fhe slaughter Of their friends and nerhbors
did constitute decisive act OF resistance, nor were
Th; anotsfion in question could hardly therefore be
properly applied to such shots these And although 1t
l. that decisive act of war followed within few
hours is equally true that its immediate occasion was
the Lexington massacre but the sight OF the burning
The decisive rretraceable step. whose consequences
were to be worldwide taken later IN The day, when
tine organized battalion OF militia decded aer long ana
thoughtful consultation 10 assume the offensive against
the invaders In pursuance or that decision they marched
down in military array ana under command VI thelr
officers to the Concord Bridge with the hxed puI,
pose of driving the British nom te bridge ana
aggressive warfare committed by the coonists and in
the engagement which ens1e the nrst xoley nred Dy
them against representatives OF the King shot
OF such tremendous significance ringing the knell of de
parting power In the OF King and Parliament
The sea that II Ia hardly figure OF speech 10 say OF il
that IL was heard round the world"
II matters little what particular man or men fired these
or other separate shots Guns had been hred both
sides before the Concord fight and they little understand
the spirit OF that people VITO suppose that TO any chance
spark was the cOnfiagration due No accidental shots
could have heard afar the echoes from Concord
Bridge have ceased TO rcverberate everywhere,
ecise the volley there fired the angry voice Of
calm Intelligent l0ng-sufferng people now at last fully
and frarfully aroused. II then man. men.
INT the spirit Of the times acting through these pmbIt
tied farmers" that fired the shot heard round the
world" A. b.
No II Madison are, Nec York. April l., 1>75