Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-11-07
THE MARSEILLATSE."
SONG AND AIR THE INSPIRATION
OF RoUGET De LpSLE.

Birth OF a Giant Force More Might,
Than cannons and Bayoaets-origiu OF
the Famous soug-Its Eject ON the
Army.
On April %, lTn9, the national assembly OF
France voted for war with the emperor Of
Austria IL was solemn moment, for il
was the opening Of struggle which was 10
last for thirty years; struggle ia which
France. single handed. would have 20 con.
tend against the armies OF Europe. II reason
had been alone consulted, there seemed no
hope of success
Strasburg, in the month of April, 1T92,
was In a condition typical OF most OF the
great towns throughout France. Its streets,
It's squares, were tilled with people OF all ages,
but chiefly with young men. The bells were
toiling, and mothers AMI sisters were hurry
ing 10 the churches, for the dread boom Of
cannon was heard at intervals but the new
hope, the new faith, rendered the young full
OF JOY, and feteS and barquets, singing, en-
bracing and hanslshaking were the order of
the day.
The mayor OF Stnsburg entered with all
his heart into the popular feeling, and ON the
day after the vote for war he entertained
some oiiic-rs at his ho,ise Among them
came young man from franche Comte,
named Rougct Gle rislc. Born at I.ans-le-
saulnier, in the Jura, the sau Of barristar
connected with the provincial parliament,
well educated, and already known as a poet
and musician, this young man Of - repre-
sentsd the ardent and generous impulses that
distinguished the youth around him Mayor
Dietrich's nieces and some other Alsatian
Hall l.a,. L
siasn OF the gathering. The wish was ut
tered that some poet might be inspired TO
express in a national song the intense feeling
which at the moment made France "a people
The host turned to Rouget de Ilsle and urged
him 10 try 10 do this, and the company pres.
ent joined in the appeal
There Is more than one account Of the cir
ctimstances which attended, this request, but
"a note is preserved in the Bihliott,que Ma
tionale at Paris, written by NJ Delalarre, a
friend OF kouget de- flsle's, which is said TO
give the facts as narrated ON the poets own
authority:
M. Dietrich appealed to him TO compose
both words and music Of the song required
All concurred in the request, and about an
hour before midnight he returned home, and
finding his violin on his bed he took IL up.
ami, full OF the idea Of that which he was
requested 10 do, me began playing upon the
upper strings for fugue for the air. Be
lleying himself 90 have found ii, he immetii-
ately composed the words Trusting entirely
b. memory, and not committing anything 10
paper, lac went To bed. The next morning,
rising at q, he fortunately recollected both
music and words. lie took them himself to
M. Dietrich, Ia whom he submitted il, and
who was not little nstonished at its very
prompt inspiration. He was in his garden,
and after a cursnry perusal of the song he
said: let us 20 int the drawing room, that
] may try your air ON the piano He was
struck with its beauty, aroused his wife, who
was still in bed, and directed that each OF
the guests of the night before should be bid
den To breakfast, as he had something Of inn
portance to communicate TO them. All came,
believing that lac had already received news
of blows struck in the war from Gems Luck
ner and Lafayette. He would not satisfy
their curiosity ON the point until they had
breakfasted. Then he sang the hymn heart
ny, and it produced immediate admiration.n y
According to Michelet's version, some one
had said that ''Al'pnsF should lie the key note
of the hymn; and now, as .4.s poet entered
the room, he came singing the stropss13
Allons, enfants de la patrie.
emotion; it seemed, both words and music, as
q fash of light from heaven; it expressed, in
q way characteristic OF a true inspiration,
the feeling of every heart France had not
only realized her unity, hut found the gift OF
speech.
The song, once sung, passed like wildfre
from mouth 10 mouth, and in two months
was all over France The poet called il
"Hymn Of the Army Of the Rhine" and he
sent it the same day 10 Gen Luckner who
was at the head of this portion of the French
troops. II was Immediately printed ON a
half sheet in oblong quarto and those who
could not obtain = copy made one for them
selves. The orchestras at the theatres gave
It, and the band Of the national guard played
II ON the following Sunday.
Who composed the musici Undoubtedly,
as we have said, music and verse were Of one
and the same inspiration. Germany has
claimed the music as taken from mass by
Holtzmann, but research has been unable 10
find the mass in question: or that such COM
poser ever lived. The point is settled by the
fact that In the original impression, dedicated
30 Luckner, and published at Strasburg in
1T92, the music is there, and that contam-
poraries who knew Rouget de Tide say that it
was he himself who composed il IL would
be difficult 10 find a national ode filled with
patriotic feryor more intense, but the music
b undoubtedly superior 10 the words, and
venture TO say the most inspiring the modern
world possesses.
The Austrian emperor had made three de-
mands- Submission "a the first two would
have reduced France 10 a fief Of the empire
The third was still more Odious, for il meant
. return to the old order of things
The answer came in this Hymn OF the
Army of the Rhinen
In June, lT'ts, 1t WAS sung 10 the volunteers
departing from Marseilles, and To each was
given a copy Three days after the mani
festo was issued, the famous ''Six hundred,
who knew how 10 die, entered Paris, singing
what had now become this hymn OF the revo-
hutton. Hcnceforth il was called the Hymn
of tins MarseillAise," and then simply the
sMarseillaisen IL did at once terrible and
effective work; for TO its strains the Tuileries
were taken and the French monarchy over
thrown. VRlmy and Jemappes followed, and
the invasion collapsed What the ode did In
battle may be seen by a demand of one Of the
Republican generals: "send me 1000 men
and copy OF the .Marseillaise Leisure
Hour.
A New Word Wanted.