New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-15
THE NATIONAL HYMN.
A FORCIBLE APPEAL FOR THE STAR
sPANGLED BANNER"
JANET E. II. RICHARDS Bees THE DAUGHTERS
OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION TO HELP
SETTLE THE QUESTION

JANET f. H. RICHARDS Bees THE DAUGHTERS
OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION TO HELP
SETTLE THE QUESTION
Much has been said and written on the
subject OF the National hymn. the last word has
not yet been spoken. nor do | fatter myself am
about to utter It," said Janet +. Fl. Richards in
her recent address before the Daughters of the
American Revolution at Washington, reported
In THE Pathfinder"
"In the first place." she continued I'VE find our
selves with relation to this subject between two
horns of a dilemma and from the dissatisfied on
side the cry goes forth:
1--WE have purely National hymn; none in
which the tune at least is not plagiarism Who
shall write us both words and music and give to
our country a truly American hymn?
1T is asserted by the other side that the trouble
is that We are suffering from embarrassment
OF rches-that already we have too many So
called National hymns"
She held in her hand a little pamphlet entitled
"Amerca's National Hymns" according to whose
index the Nation is possessed OF less than eleven
such anthems In addition to the familiar old
favortes. America" Columbia. Gem of the
Ocean," THE Star Spangled Banner" Hail
Columbia and Yankee Doodle" there are six
newcomers. productions Of modern growth, each
one more commonplace than the last. and all
aspiring to be known the National hymn
EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES
II have called this embarrassment of riches. :"
said the speaker. This. think. will be acknow-
edged when We recall the fact that we do not even
agree as yet among ourselves TO which Of the
first nve is par excellence, our National hymn; and
worse still, think it may be safely ventured that
were this audience requested to rise and sing
any of these songs, we should find ourselves
unable &c proceed beyond the words of the first or
at most the second verse. without printed copies
In hands
And this Is but the natural result of the stua-
ton. A nation luxuriating in half dozen National
anthems surely cannot be expected to know any
one OF them well. What really need, 1t would
then appear. is subtraction and not addition. And
now having presented the two sides of the dilemma,
what IL the solution?
THE first complaint. have seen. Is. We
have no hymn; who shall write IL?
And the second. Pray let us have fewer So
called National hymns and settle rather upon some
one among half-dozen which shall be unmis-
takably known and accepted in the future as the
American hymn.
I'm answer to the first demand would say with
all due respect those chershing an opposite sem
timent that the idea OF writing "A National hymn
to order i'm times of peace without the Inspiration
Of Nations peril or the fear OF losing people ,
liberty. seerls to absurd as to suppose that
the poet Bryant might have written Thanatopsis
to order as an obituary. that Gray could have
written his immortal Elegy as tunera ooe III
obedience 10 "A royal mandate.
Fancy Rouget de Lisle. for example composing
the immortal Marseilasc.' perhaps the most IN
spring and famous of National hymns, without
the Inspiration Of the French Revolution, the dan
ger Of losing the hard-won advantages drtdu!
wrested by oppressed people from three years
struggls Tor liberty. " :,
What less could have brought into being IN a
single night, those ringing words set 10 that NOH-
derful ard martial air. the TWIN ptoduct Vi a.
mighty nspirati born of a passionate desire ior
a nation Is freedom, . 49,.
dare IL Is impossible that National anthem uea
tined TO survive. should be horn Again assert mat
from the b.rth-throos only of a Nations peril eX-
pressed perhaps in the gulse OF a devoted ana
enthusiastic patriotism. the Nations anthems nave
come forth TO which, then. you ask me, OF our
several National hymns has such an occasion
given BIRTH answer To one. ana one only,
which Is itself the strongest argument Tor eXatlhS