The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1879-04-24

aT Va 4StV -. L Will OS paruOne
} Tor stating that the music OF tn,
grand national song wss written b
Wilhelm, whose brother, a TRAY
county farmer, is now among US.
MISSION OF MUSIC.
The great mission of music is 10 ell,
sste and expand the e3thetic natur
of man. II sppeals not to III
mind, but to the emotions @
the soul-its realm il tn
ideal, its mission to help L
appreciate and enjoy the beauti
ful. Il appeals to the seusibilitie
OF our nature, not to our reason. Trutl
is the aim Of thought; good is, o
should be. the ultimate alm of action
while beauty 10 the goal to which ouI
sensibilities aspire. There is In human
existence faculty for the perception
and appreciation of the beautiful which
ID part of our sensAte nature-i
moves upon plane of its own, indie,
pendent Of reason and unaffected b,
that which is merely useful. To that
faculty music and poetry appeal, anC
in their development mans capacity
for enjoyment expands, while his de-
sires arc purified and his nature re.
fined. Vain and worthless is the at
tainment OF knowledge which the
mere intellect isbors to acquire, unless
that high sentiment to which music
appeals keeps pace with its progress.
Soul, is but conscious life or inner be-
ing of men, while intellect 10 its grand
est servant; and the conquests of mind
are only valuable ss they feed or ex-
pend this conscious life. Toe exalted
mission of mind is to supply this in
ner spirit and thus increase the flow
and power of its life. As money IS
Valueless only so far as the blessin gs
of life are purchased with it-so, even
30, the attainment Of knowledge must
have its value, measured by the out
growth and development of sentiment.
We hear of the ''spirit of love-" "the
spirit of charity and peace" ''the
broken spirit" and at last they are
each but qualities of that inner con-
scious life, which finds expression in
and receives its ministrations from the
spirit of song. 1t is in vain to reason
about cause when we speak of music !;
we know only its effects. We cannot
tell how or why its tones awaken the
most profound feelings In the soul, or
in what the charms of melody consist,
even rs In poetry We cannot explain
what mystic cause imparts to each
image OF speech and combination of
words their enchanting effect.
And now let me ask what enjoyment
can we conceive more rational IN itself,
better adapted TO the wants of mans
aesthetic nature, or SO free from harm
TO Others as We find when multitude
like this assemble to unite in song.
Assembled from every portion of this
great State and uniting here with
friends who have come to meet you
from beyond our borders, new social
ties are formed or old ones again
and assurances of good will
are interchznged in the hours of re-
Taxation, while ON the voice of
song the souls OF all, as of one
man, mount to the realms of the
ideal and are purified in the exaltation.
Why should the Anglo-American
care II he cannot understand the Ian
gusge in which your German songs
are sung, when he knows that all
breathe the spirit OF patriotism, of
love or of virtue. II the song of
the Fatherlsnd in swelling notes is
heard, he knows that the chord of pa
trotism is touched to lofty melody, and
that 1t will vibrate only the more
clearly when touched by a call from
the land Of your adoption. II the
"Wstch of the Rhine" Is sung, he
knows that it appeals in its lofty
sentiment to q jealous watchfulness
OF foreign aggression and that
such sentiment, kept alive
by song, will guard the sea-washed
ha5assrsd dasfyss dafy sshsiSS apdagsiQat-iR -iRs crown
that the Saengeriest is too exclusively
German, and tends too much to keep
alive feeling Of German instead of
American nationality. When the
songs Of freedom sung in free land
can tend to cultivate love for the rule
OF princes, we may fear the tendencies
Of the Saepgerfest, not before. II
would be indeed strange il Anglo
Americans, all of whom desire their
children to speak German, should oh
ject to the German song, which at the
festive board reminds the singer OF
his childhood hours. But men OF
Anglo-Ameticsn psrentage are welcome
as members of the singing clubs. The
German Singing Society OF Austin,
winch was first organized by Mr. Pet
mscky twenty-scven years ago, in
ciudes in its membership fully one
fourth of native Americans. Nearly
every State in the North and the West
now holds Its Saengerfest, where men
of English ancestry with their phil
harmonic and glee clubs mix and
mingle as brethren, and vie with theil
German cousins 10 singing the prais'
of native or adopted land. These
social reunions are marked 10y spirit
Of tolera,ion which only demands thai
the worshiper shall contemplate an6
sspire to the beautiful and good. Th'
Catholic and the Israelite, the Lutheran
and the materislist can mingie he n
their voices in one grand chorus, nei
ther needing nor inquiTing whatrel
conscience has established between tn,
worshiper and his God. Here tired
man, exhausted with toll, forgets hi
WEAKNESS aud care has the higher senti
ments of his nature receive from kin
dred voices the baptism Of eong. Th'
prejudices of race and nationality her,
disappear, and the man, lifted abovI
his mateFial existence TO the realms o
harmony, loves his neighbor with th'
universal love OF common humanity
The average ABg .o-Amsrican is too
apt to undervalue or condemn new so
ciAl customs which are the outgrowth
of foreign and older civIliz atoms. Tht
race course, the fair and the theatre b.
appreciates. These minister to hi
cupidity or his amusement. We hav'
NOT yet as q people IN new commnnitie
reached that point when love Of NJ
| alone will bring US together IS yol
| have come from distant homes TO cul
tivate Q high emotional nature, and b
admire the besutiful alone. Practical
above every other people in our pur
suits, we are apt 70 neglect eyerJ thin
which does not increase our gain. Bu
time 10 correcting all this. The ten
dency Of every social observance im
ported from . nation highly cultivate
will only tend in the end TO ni.u j an
fashion 9 high AmencsDism s"r ih
future. Time 10 needed 10 ass,milai
and make Homogeneous our populAtio
which has been rapidly gathered froi
syery cline. Every custom whic
ministers " Ibe higher nature OF msr
i and which will scd 70 the rum of b
happiness, will take root and spresf
We are develspiDe uuder the kindI
influence Of populations gathered