New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-04

Na.uraIIv enough our war with spain mas 'u'"''
the attention OF the writer's for the periodical press
10 tho songs with which IN times agone IN" Pup"-
lar heart has stirred itself 10 deeds Of hero'Sm %
,ha r.vArso For such writings Spain has never
been able to supply modern material IN" UNI J.
past when the patriotism OF country ga" NV
upon ancient songs written In praise of mere!
legendary hero Ike the romances or inc ~ "''.'
are the only songs 81 real martial spirit that SPIN
Possesses So all the writer's have t'll'h p"cN
for their finest enthusiasm on the revolutionary
songs OF Spain's ncghhor, France when country
has had too many additions 90 itS STOCK "i "hi''h'
poetrv within the last century and a quarter !"
,roubla i,self about rs ancient Roland lyrics. II
would be n pleasant thing 20 record 'hA' SOME
thing new he'd been added 10 our knowledge Of the
,vo NOS. stl-ring OF tho French political songs.
.Ca ira" and LA Morseinise'; but. nnhappiy'
every article which mas come under our Observation
has conienied itself with BRIEF references 70 N'h
ne Z, the whole world familiar with their con-
tents and history Touching ga ira the reverse
Is true: verv nttle Is known about H. and scarcely
a pont In ltq history Is free from controversy IT."
story OF its origin generally told II Tho United
States Is that the refrain Ca ira" which In me
French Revolution became shout OF hhuin'h
bloodthirstincss. had this origin: In i777. when
the patriots were rctr"atins through New-Joracy
and Washington and HIS army were enduring TIE
horrors OF valley Forge III" news was reporter 10
Franklin In Paris who Is said 10 have answered
Celia est facNeuX mails ca Ira. tn" remark
have
was a bit Of the alarg of the day. AZ any rate.
according 10 the same version OF The story. street
singer named Iadre took them for a refrain for n
political song which he wrote - a POPULAR dance
tune called the carlton National" which. by an
unhapoy coincidence was of the favorite tunes
OF Marie Antoinettc. who Is said 10 have IRE
oucntly played 1t upon the harpsichord Touching
the history Of the "Carillon National" there seems
10 be no question. II was one Of a set OF contra
dances composed by obscure musician named
Becourt who employed as violinist at the
Beauiolas Theatre from 17so to 1855.
This story which has found champions among
the French writer's Notwithstanding the improba-
bnty that Franklin should have introduced n
phrase which took such universal hold OF The
popular fancy as AID "Ca ira" further en-
bellishcd by the statement that the use Of the
frain was suggested 10 Ladre by Lafayette. But II
Is not certain that Ladre the original author
OF the song. Nothing seems 20 br palmer than
that there were many versions Of song with the
refrain One story gays that Iadrh wrote his song
in l7S9 and that II sung the night ~ Oc
tober 3 Of that year. during the invasion of Yer
sailles In 1869 n letter was found and made public
which furnished interesting. II not convincing. evil
dence concerning Ladres claims. II appeal
10 the Comite de snrete generate for a "gratinca-
ton for the author OF the words OF the Ca ira
OF 1870 and many other revolutionary songs" Here
we already have conflict Of two dates 1880 and
1890 The time. moreover. is four five years
after Franklin had returned 10 America. Another
disturbing fact is the discovery Of etching bear
ing the title "Ftte rationale. II Juliet. 1870"
which picture OF the oath-taking at the national
altar is surrounded by fifteen stanzas Of song
described as New song the subject An ca
ira by Poirer." Does by Poricr'' refer TO the
original Ca ira" only to the version the
etching? II the former there two claimants
TO the authorship ~ the words-Ladre and PORTER.
TO them NJ. Challemel In his Historic Musee de Ia
adj hird- he
and philosopher who wrote Il Origne de tous leg
cultes"
study of the different versions Of the song
which to be found In the French histories sug-
gests that the "Ca ira" like many another po-
ltical song. was In Its final form growth rather
than creation. In all likelihood the phrase
In the popular mouth. as many trenchant phrase
is to-day. when franklin went TO Paris. He
a picturesque figure that appealed powerfully to
the imagination Of the time and IT Is highly prob
able that his fondness for the phrase to which cir
cumstances gave peculiar significance. added much
TO It's popular currency. II must have been unusu-
ally tenacious, however to have outved the Amer
can Ministers stay in Paris by five years. The
phrase grew in significance as the Revolution made
It's awful progress At first the song which employed
1t seems to have been innocent enough; II
worse and worse as the people became more blood
drunken Here Is version OF 1890:
All, ca Ira! ca iraI ca ira
lie pcuple en- ce jour sans cesse repetc:
An ca ira, ca ira ca ira
Suivant les m4ximes De fEvangile,
An. ca ira, ca Ira, ca ira
Du legislator tout s'accomplira,
Celu qui sleeve. on rabaissera:
Celui qui s'abaisse on Ielcvera.
("Ah! II shall go on In these days the people are
forever repeating: 1t shall go on According to the
precepts OF the Gospel. The law OF the Great
Legislator shall now be fulfilled: He who exa!ts
himself shall be abased. he who humbcs himself
shall be exalted,)
But the spirit OF revolution grew the song grew
more and more c-uel Here IL another form Of IT.
All! ca ira. ca ira. ca irn.
lie peuple jour cesse repete,
All ca ira, ca ira, ca ira,
Malgre mullins tout reuissira
Nos ener1is confus en- restent Ia,
Et nous allons chanter Allelua,
All, ca irai CO ira, ca ira,
~,uand Boeau. jads du clerge