Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1893-11-09
!. FRANCIS SCOTT KEY.
The Patriotic Author Of "The Star
Spangled Banner"
Circumstances In Which the Popular An
them Was Wrltten-The Memory of
the Poet to Be Honored by
a Monument,
Especial Washington letter.

The grave at Frederick. Md. of
Francis Scott Key, who spent most Of
his life in Georgetown and whose man
sion near the aqueduct bridge is still
an object of much interest to visitors,
is soon to be marked by monument
of more imposing dimensions than the
plain, fat marble slab that now dis
tinguishes it from the other mounds in
the little cemetery. Mr.. Lewis Rice,
of Frederick, for some time has inter-
ested himself greatly improvising a
more suitable monument for the grave
OF him who wrote the famous ''Star-
Spangled Banner and as an outcome
of his efforts has collected to date,
from patriotic citizens, over eight hun
dred dollars to pay for the proposed new
monument. Sit. Olivet is the resting
place of key. No patriotic American
could link his name to a ,nobler project
than the erection of a monument to
the memory of Francis Scott Key. Men
in all ages seem to have had their
patriotic chants, and we find that even
in the remotest times and among the
most barbarous nations there were GER
tain songs employed when armies adj
vanced to war, and which inspired
courage and love Of country. At pres
ent there is no country without some
patriotic musical composition, which
is looked upon as a national anthem.
Some countries. as France or Germany,
have several of these melodies, widely
known and generally beloved; but
among them there is always one that
stands out from the rest, and is recog-
nizcd as universal property, which
voices the thought and wakes the en-
thusiasm of the whole people.
France has a number of songs, the
origin of which is due to civil dissen-
siors or party conflicts; but, like
'Boulanger's March, pretty, though
trivial thing-that which is the patri-
otto hymn of to-day may be the trea-
sonable song of tomorrow
Austria has her "'Gott Erhalte Franz
den Kaiser" Prussia has her 'sIch bin
Elm Preusse," Belgium her "Branban-
conne," and England her God Save
the Queen"
The national anthem is a poem
whose words are on every tongue, and
whose sounds are in every ear, ready
to break forth whenever any occasion
of national interest arises. The words
must be welded to music Of heart-stir-
rins character. and although, per-
hap3, born Of some special occasion, yet
must be, so far as the country is con-
cerned, of general application.
It is an historical fact that nearly all
of the national anthems of the world
arc products Of impulse; are the prog
eny of psychological moments of patri-
otto ecstasy. 1t was upon such an oc-
casion and under circumstances of I'M
usual intensity of excitement that the
immortal poem was conceived in the
brain of an immortal man. It's ac-
couchement was celebrated by the ter
rible rumble and grumble and roar Of
battle. AS is we'll known, Mr.. Key
was a prisoner on the British fleet
which was anchored two miles from
Fo1t McHenry, during the lombard
ment of that defense. Accompanied
by John S. Skinner, a man of peculiar
character, he visited the caItel-ship
Minden to obtain the release of several
prisoners, and particularly of DR..
Beanes, of Upper Marlboro, Md. The
doctor had acted incautiously during
the invasion, and had got himself into
trouble. Still, there was certain
amount of question as to his guilt of
the crime charged upon him, which was
the breaking Of his parole.
When the British encanpcd at Marl-
boro, on their way to Washington, Adj
miral Cockburn and some other officers
made DR.. Beanes' residence their head
quarters. They were treated with
great hospitality, and, in return,
placed guards around the premises to
prevent depredations by the soldiery.
After the main body of the army had
moved off to return to the ships, some
stragglers appeared and began to