The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1888-02-23
THE SOUL Of vALoR.
rhe Positive Physical influence Of Patri.
otac War gongs.


Some one has termed music the soul
Of valor. and certainly history is rich
In the record Of battles won through
Its inspiration Of energy. What is
more familiar in anecdoto than the
change from rout to victorious as
sault when the young French soldier
dashed to the head Of his regiment
and began singing the Marsellaisee
In moment the stirring song was be.
ing sung by the chorus Of thousand
voices, and the French soldiery swept
forward like the wave Of an angry
sea, beating down and. overwhelming
all before It. In our own land and
times the war songs Of the Republic
have converted defeat into triumph
when the word of command fell upon
unheeding ears. When grim old
warrior. who had learned the trick OF
thrilling the human heart, heard that
his weary and dispiritcd soldiers In
advance were rebelious against the
impending fight, he rode along the
line ordering the bands to strike up
their liveliest airs. Presently the in
spring strains Of We'll Rally Round
the Flag were ringing from a dozen
bands. the hearts OF the soldiers
throbbed to the patriotic measure, their
voices caught up the words and flung
them out with the will Of courage and
defiance, the ranks surged into the
battle with the headlong tumult Of
enthusiasm, and the flag was borne
on, on. until the dews Of night fell
upon 1t. when 1t waved over the aban-
doned field Of the foe.
The songs that have become known
as war songs of a country have grown
up out of the necessities of the soul.
The mind needs cheering on to its
duty with most Of us. Work for the
mere love of work comes only with
habit and rarely springs from native
impulse. Toll is lightened with song
hummed to the time Of the busy hands.
The toll of the march is eased by the
joyous blasts of the bugle or the in.
spiriting strains Of the band. not only
because members are awakened or un.
happy thoughts soothed, but because
the music seems to have an actual in
fuence upon the physical organism.
thrilling along the nerves and quick
ening the blood to action.
It Is not merely sentimental in
spiration. 1t is positive physical in
fuence, rs any medical scientist may
attest. It was not the words Of thu
old songs half as much rs it was the
music associated with the words tina
quickened weak spirits into the hardi
hood of fearlessness There is not ,
great deal in the words of ''Rally
Round the Flag" "Just Before th'
Battle" ''Tenting on the Old Cam
Ground" John Browns Body,
Marching Through Georgia" but a
the right time, sung by hundre'
voices or played by full band, an.
one Of them has as much potency t
stir the soul of man as a gloria from
the trumpet of Gabriel.
The war song and the war musi
fought half the battles of the Union
! The mite of q drummer boy, march
ing doughtily ahead, rattling hi
sticks to quick-step or charge
sets more vital force speeding alon.
: the line than the stentorian '.For
ward" of the General, and the oom
pany that could send into the smok
Of battle the merry waves Of the SON
that touched heart with valor was a
serviceable to the cause as the car
nonado of the battery roaring in th'
, rear The war songs have not bee
sung of late, but they have becom
memories that would sweep over a
= audience like the voice of old recall
ing life. were they to be sung b,
strong voices with some OF the ol
i. fire in them. A people with vigol
/, GUS war songs .fondly cherished
: armed for defense. A nation {
!, fortressed at heart need fear no fc
4 without CHICAGO Inter- Ocean.