, 1876-11-11
Cl,t &oythern 5$tar.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER H. 1876


u..N OI domestic NNN so'iII N''"S '"' -
i, national in its results; no race has
vet been iound at least none Of when
w, have any record, so low down in
IT,, scale OF humanity, but they have
song in some form AMI musical in,tru-
mgnt, ol some kind. Comparatively
sp..kfng. the records of civilization do
not cStrnd very far back. ! mean relia-
I,p truthful records. Yet the evidences
uf the carly date Of rudimcntary taste,
reaches far back of reliable historical
record, even beyond the hiciogIyph and
pictorial era, aud can be traced even in
the mouly eras Of prehistoric man.
" Hue. Roman Catholic Missionary
who crossed the entire continent Of Asia
over hundred years ago, found old ri.
ins inscribed with pictorial writings, in
which were found representation OF mu
s.cal instruments. Now when we re.
member that tho old Aryian and Indian
races possess the Oldest records in the
world, and, when, also, we bear in mind
that M,ir records, old as they are give
no account of the race or people who
were the builders Of these ruins, we
must assign to music aplacc far back in
the history of the evolution Of man.
Every beast and every bird has its rhyth.
mica note. May not man have received
this attribute as digiao gilt-among
the rgy first to distinguish him from
the lower orders of creation
Bard in his, Mosquito Shore" Cir.
onicro in his "Philippine Islands" Liv-
in-s,one, Benton and Speke, Munge
Park, Gordon Cummings, even Stanley,
the latest of all noted African travellers,
every one of them testify, that among
even the lowest African tribes, their
poverty of IDEAS was not so distressing,
but that they had some rude musical in
struments and some vocal prctences,
The writer has himself seen in Yucatnn,
the Central American States, New Gren-
ada, Ecuador, Venezuela, Chill, Peru,
Brazil, Mexico, Arizona and lower Cal.
iforna, inscribed upon the crumbling
ruins of prehistoric America, human
figures, with musical instruments, which
proves conclusiycly, that all the tribes Of
earth, ancient and modern, held the
power of music in high estimation.
If we will but glance at the world to.
day, we shall find that those are the
leading nations in point OF refinement,
who have cult vated the divine gift to
the greatest extent. No other country
than Germany, could have produced and
appreciated such men as Strauss, Wag-
ner and Beethoven. And why Because
music in the public schools, "a nation be
it remembered to her everlasting honor
that first established compulsory educa.
tom is taught even before the alphabet
is mastered In France, only few, eX-
ccpt her privileged classes, ever acquire
music, while in Italy, and especially Pal
ermo, it is rarely that you find little
child that cannot sing. And now will
ventue the assertion and challenge con.
tradiction, that the civilization and en-
lightenmert of any ancient or modern
nation could be most accurately gauged
by their ability to appreciate and their
love OF instrumental and vocal music.
The gift is often an inheritance.
Sometimes we meet with those that have
neither ear nor voice Once in great
while one is found that even detest;
music. Both ear and voice are seldom
accurately combined, balanced and even
ly developed. Yet every one Should pos
sess one or the other, or J9tb to q certain
degree. If a person possesses neither
'tis his misfortune not his fault. Where
parents, either one or the other, possess
musical taste, though perhaps not pro
fcient, the children will be likely to in
herit at least some little musical talent
That little should be made the most of
And il the child has inherited absolutely
none, such taste can be acquired, and il
should de too, even if for no other rea
snn than that they may acquire some
thing Of value to transmit to their pro
geny.
And in the training of children. wher
is the proper place TO iMprt musical in