Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1883-03-07
The MarseilIaise Hymn.

No other hymn or battlesong has ever
done for country what The Marseillaise"
has done for France. Since its glorious
notes first rang out upon the air, it has been
inseparably connected with the history OF
every political movement, and it has reused
to enthusiasm the sometimes sleeping en-
ergies of the people. France is now re-
public, and "The Marseillaise has been
one of the most powerful instruments in
making her 30. We yield the pen to M. de
Lamartine There was, in 1852, young
artillery officer in the garrison at Strasbourg.
His name was Rouget De Plsle. He was
born in Lousle-Sanliner, in Jura, country
of thought and energy, as are always the
mountain towns. This young man loved
war like soldier, revolution like a philoso-
pher. He charmed, by his music, and verses,
the lazy Impotence of the garrison. Courted
for his double talent, for his music and po-
etry, he frequented freely the house OF
DIETRICH, patriot of Alsace, and mayor of
Strasbourg. The wife and young daughters
of DIETRICH shared the enthusiasm for pa
triotism and revolution, which palpitsted
especially on the frontiers. They admired
the young officer; they inspired his heart,
his poetry, his music. They performed the
first of his musical inspirations, confident
that his genius would eventually make itself
known. 1t was the winter of 1892. Want
reigned in Strasbourg. The home of Deit-
rich was poor, the board frugal, but hospit-
able for Rouget De l'Isle, the young man,
was seated there morning and evening, like
son and brother of the family. One day,
when there had only been some bread and
some slices of smoked ham upon the table,
DIETRICH looked at De PIsle with sad
calm, and said Abundance fails at our
feasts but what matter if enthusiasm does
not fail at our civil feasts, and courage in
our soldiers hearts have still one last
bottle of wine in my cellar; let it be
brought = he said to one of his daughters,
and we will drink to liberty and to our
country. Strasbourg ought to have soon a
patriotic celebration, and De PIsle should
draw up, with these last drops, one of those
hymns which can carry to the souls of the
people the enthusiasm from whence they
sprang.' The young girls applauded, brought
the wine, filled the glasses of their old father
and of the young officer till the liquor was
exhaused. 1t was midnight, and the cold
without was intense. De rIsle was thought
full, his heart was touched. The cold seizsd
him, and he entered his solitary chamber
totteripg. He sought slowly for inspiration,
first in the palpitation of his citizens soul,
then upon the keys Of his artists instru-
ment, composing first the air without the
words, then the words without the air, and
associating them in such way in his
thoughts, that he was not able to tell him
self whether notes or verse were born first,
and so that it was impossible to separate
the poetry from the music, and the senti-
ment from the expression. He sang only,
and wrote not at all. Overcame with this
divine inspiration, he fell asleep with his
head upon the instrument, and did not wake
till the morning sun was bright. The songs
of the night before required to his memory
vaguely, like the impressions of dream.
He wrote them, noted them, and fastened
to the house of DIETRICH. He found the
latter in his garden, digging with his spade,
with his own hands, the lettuces for winter.
The wife and daughters of the old patriot
had not yet arisen. Dietrich awakened
them, and called some friends who were as
passionately fond of music as himself, and
capable of executing the composition of De
PIsle. The eldest daughter of Dietrich
played the accompaniment. Rouget sang
At the first verse the faces paled; at the
second, tears flowed at the last verses, the
delirium of enthusiasm broke forth. Diet
rch's wife, his daughters, the father, the
young officer, threw themselves weeping
into each others arms. The national hymn
was found. Alas it could also be the
hymn of terror The unfortunate Dietrich
was led, few months later, TO the scaffold,
to the sound of these very notes born at his
own Preside, in the heart of his friend, and
the voices of his daughters. The new song,
performed some days later at Strasbourg,
flew from town to town among all the popu-
lar orchestras. Marsejlles adopted it in the
commencement of his career, and finally at
the meetings of the clubs. The people Of
Marseilles spread it throughout France,
while singing it on their route From that
it came to have the name of The Marseil-
lsise.' The old mother of De Plse, royslist
and very pious, frightened at these rever'
berations of her sons voice. wrote him
What is this revolutionary hymn which is
sung by horde of brigands who traverse
France, and with which hear your name
mingled p De pIsle, prescribed as royal
list, listened to it, trembling, resounding as
menace of death in his ears, while flying
to hide himself in the lofty Alps. What
is this hymn called p he asked his guide
The Marseillaise replied the peasant
1t is thus that he learned the name of hi!
own work. He was followed by the enthu
siasm that he had left behind him. lii
hardly escaped in death. The weapon
turred against the hand that forged it. Th'
revolution, in fit of insanity, knew nj
longer her own voice."-UuSicdl Herald.