The Louisiana populist. [volume] (Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish, La.) 1894-1898, 1896-05-01

m i nor historical
anecdotes there is none more unques-
fioningly received than that which re-
lates the story of the origin of the
great French war song, the Mar
seillaise." Everybody knows that a
French captain Of engineers, Claude
Joseph Rouget de rIsle dashed off both
words and music In a moment of in
'piration, at Strasburg On the evening
Of April "a. 1892. and that the hymn
was first sung on the following evening
At the house Of Mayor Dietrich.
You will find these alleged facts re-
corded under the heading, "The Mar
seillaise." In every book of reference
purporting to give information on the
subject. The tradition has been un-
questionably accepted by hundreds of
writer's and artists, French and other,
who have found 1t a source of inspira-
ton. And yet. unless tnat very inter-
esting book of personal memoirs, IAN
Epglishman in Paris" is to be regarded
as merely clever fiction instead of the
record Of facts 1t purports to be, there
Is scarcely a word of truth in the ira
dition.
Rouget de lIsle did not compose a
single note Of the music of the Mar
seillaise." He did not write the whole
Of the words. Those of them that he
wrote were written slowly and deliber-
Ately. as poems are usually written.
The words. were not written at Stras-
burg in 1892. They were written in
1871 at Marseilles, In the fortress of
st. Jean, where Rouget de lIsle was
then imprisoned for his refusal to take
an oath to support the constitution.
Rouget de lIsle never had the honesty
to openly acknowledge his Indebted
ness to those who helped to make his
name immortal, though he acknowl-
edged 1t privately when he couldn't
help himself
The two stories which seem to estab-
lish these points in regard to the au-
thorship of the "Marseillaise" are
worth rstelling. The first was told to
the author Of "An Englishman in
Paris" by his tutor. who had witnessed
the scene he described. Here 1t is in
substance:
I'VE were all more or less aware
that Rouget de pIsle was not the au-
thor Of the whole of the words of the
'Marseillaise,' but none of us in Lyons,
Uh = - 4 vuoo ho~r I->u, xr,,o ia ...-st
ten the last strophe, commonly called
the 'strophe Of the children and
doubt whether they were any wiser In
Paris. Some Of my fellow students
for l was 2S at the time-credited
Andre Chenier with the authorship of
the last strophe; others ascribed it to
Louis Francois Dubois. the poet. All
this YVES, however, so much guess
work. when, one day, during the reign
Of terror. the report spread that a
priest, who had been caught solemniz-
Ing a religious marriage. was to be
brought before the revolutionary tri-
bunal that Vme afternoon.
THE place was crammed to suffoca-
tion when we arrived at the Hotel de
Vile. 1t was large room, at the up
per end Of which stood an oblong ta-
BILE covered with a long cloth. Seated
around 1t were seven self-constituted
Judges. There was very little speech
flying. La mort sans phrase which
had become the fashion since Louis
xvI.'s execution, was strictly adhered
10. After having listened to the charge
and etidence. the judges either extend
ed their hands on the table or put them
10 their foreheads. The first movement
meant acquittal and liberation, the sec
ond, death. The priest was brought in.
Who art thou?' asked the president.
The prisoner drew himself up to his
full height. I am the Able Pesson-
eaux. former tutor at the college Of
Vienne and the author of the last
strophe Of the "Marscillsise," he said,
quietly. l cannot convey to you the
impression produced by those simple
words. Slowly and deliberately the
Judges stretched forth their hands and
then q dearening cheer rang through
he room. The Able Pessoneaux owed
his life to his strophe. His story.
thoush not questioned at the time, was
lfterward Investigated and found to
Do true In every particular. On their
way to Paris to be present at the TAX
ng Of the Tuilleries on Aug. 10, the |
Aarseillais had stopped at vienne to |
celebrate the fete Of the federation. |
3a the eve of their arrival the Able |
Pesssneaux had composed the strophe |
md but for his arrest the authorship
vosld have always remsired a rcatter
4 esTo 1kcfura for Rn.,zef IA YIaIs