The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-08-01

oHo Will pdGIlOtlc emOtlOnS. but
when in that awful crisis the words
were heard, infused by that stirring
air into real life, the effect was cleo
trical. will never forget the effect
when the first time it was sung in
public, julie Lombard's resonant
voice, and there never was another
such voice, rung out with
Yes, Wen rally round the flag. boys,
Rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom.
Wen rally from the hillside.
We'il gather from the pl ain,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom
and then the whole splendid chorus,
led by Frank Lombard's clarion,
sympathetic tones,
"The Union forever, hurrah, boys, hurrah
Down with the traitor up with The star
While we rally round the flag, boys,
Rally once again,
Sho Ting the battle cry of free 1om."
1t was the rallying song of the war.
From the time it was flung upon the
breeze, the rebellion was doomed. Pa
triotic men impelled by that song
could not stop. The time of final
victory might be matter of uncer-
tainty but a nation once awakened
and thrilled by the Battle Cry of
Freedom, could never give up. Either
Tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are
marching" "The Vacant Chair" or
"Just Before the Battle Mother" ex-
pressive of patriotic emotion as they
were, would have made Mr.. Root ia
nous. but his fame will finally rest
upon "The Battle Cry of Freedom"
In that song the emotions of the
souls of patriotic men found express
sion. In that song Mr.. Root inter
preted to the world the emotions
which thrilled the souls of American
patriots and, what was better, he in
terpreted their emotions to each other,
and what was even better still, he
interpreted their emotions to them
selves.
Every time "The Battle Cry of
Freedom" was sung, it proclaimed
high resolve on the part of each indi-
vidual man for himself, and pledge to
him OF help and support and fidelity
from every other man, an elbow touch
of soul to soul.
Call it sentiment or what you will,
there is more potentially in "Coron-
alton" and in 1.-THE Rock of Ages"
than in all the reason and philoso-
ply, and even than in all the scott
ings of skepticism. The splendid
eloquence and the persuasive argu-
ment of the great orator of agnostic-
ism, are impotent, as compared with
the power of such a simple hymn as
"Jesus, Lover of My Soul"
The preaching of John Wesley was
supplemented by the hymns of his
brother, Charles. 1t may be doubted
whether the sermons of the one, or
the hymns of the other, have awak-
ened and converted the most souls to
better life. The Gospel preaching
of all the Beechers, and of the SPLEEN
did New England School of Divines
to which they belonged, have scarcely
exerted more influence in bringing
men and women to embrace Chris
tianity, than has the sweet music of
Lowell Mason. The moral power of
Hebron" "Olivet," and Hamburg"
and the missionary hymn, adapted to
the words of Bishop Heber can
scarcely be overestimated. There was
just such majesty of power in THE
Battle Cry of Freedom"
Under its inspiration more men
offered themselves than could be &C
copied. To them it was privilege
to be allowed to enlist, boon to be
permitted to fight and die.
We have not seen the end of Sec
tionalism. There are those who are
even now seeking to array the West
against the East, and the East
against the West. In our vast do
main, with SO many varieties of soil
and climate, and of production, there
will continue to be, as now, those
whose vision is circumscribed by the
boundaries of their own region, I'M
ableto see that through diversity and
consequent interchange, all are made
more rich, and prosperous and happy.
Enemies abroad will no doubt again
seek to embroil us in sectional strife.
Envy, and malice, and vaulting am
bition, will again, for selfish ends,
seek to divide us.
They will not succeed. Should
secession be again seriously attempt
ed, million of men will spring to
arms, and we will again realize the
majestic power of our great war song,
as all the patriotic people once more
break forth in the refrain of,