Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1878-05-04
WAR SONGS OF ENGLAND.
[ From the London Spectator. !

EFrom the London Spectator
waking through the Seven DiaiS You may
see in the little news shops a placard an
nouncing " The Latest War Songs" and OBJ
ain for penny seven closely printed pages OF
songs. which, If they were all of the. n, or any
thing like, all of them, war-songs, would Ger
tainiy make it appear that no people on the
face of the earth, the MontenegrinS them
selves not excepted, ever were Sd martial in
spiri: as the English.
The first of the songs, made for the present
var is one conceived absolutely in the spirit
of Lord Beaconsields conditional neu-
trality.' though it is clear that Lord Derby.
hero of the moment. This song is indeed,
very curiou> in une wav,-aS showing how alb
solutety, Ia relation to foreign policy, the
which even the least educated of the populace
will adapt their voices:
.'wEMEAN TO KEEP OUR EMPIRE IN TIE EAST"
Briianl,i, rules the waves, and Britons
So we've sag for many and many year,
And If this glorious boast is still TO be our toast
Our course of coldact now is very clear.
The Turkey and the Bear are lighting you re
And none can tell the finish of the fray:
But II we would maintain our might upon the
These are the words itannia now should say.
CHORUS.
While England has her sons. her vessels and he
No one shall harm her in the least:
Wen show the Russian Car the sort OF men W
And we mean to keep our Empire in the East.
There are some who seem to say-let Russia hav
And drive the Turks from Europe evermore.
But then sn they little dream of the very artfu
The Russians laid when forcing on the war,
turkey .hey should beat, and take from her fleet,
And no longer should we be the rulers of the sea,
Nor certain of our Indian domain
While England has her sons etc.
The celebrated note that brave Lord Derby wrote,
Vh at N. n.la
Ihey Wish us to deceive, and thus their ends
But through their crafty policy we've seen.
And II the MIscOvite should force us to the fight
WI ne ell III find for him we've not The slightest fear
We can prove our strength once more, We did in
When with France We beat them back in the
While England has her sons, &c.
So Wen keep our powder dry. and keep watchful
On those who break the treaties once they made.
Anu be prepared 10 show our old and envi0us foe
Tia. OF his lesions we are not afraid
threw party strife aside, and let no divide
. The Nation when IFS interests are at stake
IN together hand-in-hand, united let us stand
Fer the empire thai or fathers fought to make
lille England has her sons, &C.
That song reads to us very much more like
one written by order of some government sub
ordinate orc and deliberately intended to guide
the popular feeling than one written for pOpu-
lar amusement. The reference to 1.-The cele-
brated note when brave Lord Derby wrote
as the only authority which would snow them
twang indeed. And the elaborate reply to the
proposal for getting rid of the Ottoman gov
eminent, bag and baggage, as a prop ,Sal of
persons far too simple to fathom the depths of
MuScOVite duphci Y, has an argumentative
tone which we should hardly have expected
from any song writer writing without inStruc-
lions. The whole song is conceived in IA didac-
iic mood intended to inculcate Conditional
neutrality.' There is not the s!ightes: sign of
partianShip with Turkey in it, 1t is all com
posed in defense OF" British interests Next,
NO how l.
shlgh-fain in" character, but one by no means
decidedly pro Turkish in feeling as the first
verse sufficiently shows:
" In great menagerie seme birds and beasts we
And some of them are .rted from the rest:
The Turkey with his bin has been trying hard to
Some neighhors with hardihood and zest.
And q b ar was standing near, who said, L can
They re weakening the Turkey. 1 can see.
And the Lions fast asleep, L watch can easy
And the Turkeys cage will soon belong tome
CHORuS.
so the Turkey saw the b ar was looking from
But the Lion, who wa watching at his case.
Said l., , should make spring, you'll rem 2mber
So. kindly keep your distance, if You please
This account of the Turkey who, with his
pm; had been trying hard to kill some neigh
bors with hardhOOd and ZeSt.'' is strictly
impartial: and This tone of Indifference to the
character Of the Turkey, as well as of indifer-
ence 10 its fate tOr its own sake at lie iStl is
preserved through the song. However, the
melo-dramatc delight in the Lions roar is now
evidently growing rapidly i'm favor. 1t con-
Guides thus, with somewhat premature con
tidence:
Said the Bear, Twill be bold. the Lion getting
I'm certain m the strongest of the two.
l IL nave the Turkey now in my garden that
The job will be an easy one to do,
lnen came out the Lions roar, that the B ear had
heard before.
With grandeur in its deep and noble rage.
He said, Touch it if you dare, am ready, so be-
And the Bear SUNK back, coward, to his cage.
And this perfect indifference to Turkey
rises in another song into vulgar irony agains
neer-do: Weel, who boasts tina. he does every
thing like Turk
MA tastes iote have siWa RSt ah'ng varied,
Bat hold with being married,
Much married, like Turk
he eonfesses no atrocities, but ''lovely wo-
&c. Popular irony IS seldom very good I'f for
irony takes a subtle touch, and no one oan
affirm that this song has any subtlety in it :;
but the Judgment it embodies on the conduct
OF the Ottoman government is healthy and
reasonable enough. Indeed, the only song In
which the side OF Turkey is taken strongly,
and with something like decision, is the last,
| vflified:
THE war is at its height, and the Turkey in a
plight,
lii spite Of all that honest pluck could do,
OVermatch'd on every side, his power has been de-
fed
And the Russian Bear is the stronger of the two
Roumana's dirty slurs, with Servian whelps and
Have helped to lame the plucky little bird:
But voice is heard at last, quite forgotten in the
past,
And the Lion stands erect to say word.
| CHORUS.
Said the Lion. I'm the King; think you've
had your fling:
It's time that l should have word to saw
You have bragg u the Turkey out, and torn him all
about,
| But you dare not take his body clean away
..The Turkey did not finch, but struggled inch by