Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-06-09
CHAMP CLARk'S LETTER
= "
Power of Martial Music
to Evoke Enthusiasm.
HAVE NATIONAL HYMN
Anecdote Of Lincoln and the Of.
fcious Captain.
HAVE NATIONAL HYMN
ABE DIDN'T OBJECT TO DIXIE

hcious Captain.
ABE DIDN'T OBJECT TO DIXIE
A New National Hymn Needed 1hat d
Broad Enough to Take In All the PEG.
pie - Shortcomings of Existing Songs
Immortality Awaits Some Lucky Poet
A Republicans Glowing Tribute - the
Virtues of In G~reenback.
Especial Washington letter.
Ono of the minor questions now b.
ing more or less extensively and intelli'
gently discussed in connection with thu
Spanish war is whether we really hays
such o thing as a genuine national hymn
or air. While it is a minor question, II
nevertheless is Of great interest and d
considerable importance. If we have
mono, VIC should have. At the present
time We possess several which serve the
purpose more or less successfully, Hail
Columbia, 1.-THE Star Spangled Ban.
nor," Yankee Doodle" Dixie, "
maryland, - Columbia, the Gem a
the Ocean, - ''The Bonnie Blue Flag"
and "America," yet there are objeo-
tions moro or less tenable urged to all
Of them. Ask q F~renchInan, What II
your national hymn?'' and as certain -
fate he will answer, 1.-THE Marseillaise."
To the same question the German Will
respond, "Die Wacht am Rhein, and
tho Englishman, God Save the
Queen" But PROFOUND it to a half doz-
en- Americans, and they will answer 1t
in q half dozen different ways Each Of
tho six named would possess some excel
lenco and properly rendered would e.
cite q certain measure of enthusiasm
and patriotic fervor, for, while 1t II
true that Emusic has charms to sooth
the savage breast" it is also true that
martial music hath power to stir the
flabbiest heart. Unquestionably "Dixie"
has now taken its place permanently In
our repertory Of patriotic airs. As Q
yell producer it beats them all. When
Abraham Lincoln visited Richmond aft
or its capture, upon a band striking up
'iDixie" and some superseryiceable up
start dressed in shoulder straps and .
little brief authority ordered it to 30
stopped Lincoln said with great good
sense: "Oh, let them play it! We cap
tured Dixie along with the Confeder-
acy."
National Hymns.
Perhaps tho one most generally con.
sidered our Irrational hymn" is Rev.
DR.. Smiths song, my Country, 'Tis Of
Thee" 1t has been greatly exploited,
but fails to satisfy the popular ear and
heart chiefly for two reasons--first,
because by Juggling in the pilgrims and
by endeavoring to appropriate the con-
tinent to their uses and render it tribu-
tary to their famo it is too narrow, vio-
lates the proprieties and offends the
sense of those (who, by the way, CON-
stituto q large majority Of u people,
who do not run their pedigree hack 10
Plymouth Rock; second, it is an imita-
ton of "God Save the Queen" is sung
to that air and is therefore "too Eng
lish, don't you know" thereby irritat-
ing tho race prejudice Of III Celtic
friends and tho patriotic prejudice OF
many other Americans, for, talk as
much as you please about an American
English alliance, John Bull isnot popu-
lar with the plain people Of the United
States.
Tho objections to 1.-THE Star Spangled
Banner are twofold--first, it grew
out of a purely local incident and is To-
cal In its character; second, the air IL
too difficult to be mastered by those
whose musical education has been neg
lected, and their name is legion-in
fact, several legions. Played by skilled
artists on fine instruments, it sets the
multitude wild, but very few Of the
multitude can whistle, sing or play 1t
for their own satisfaction or ~edification.
Considering tho wonderful inventive
genius Of our people, it is amazing that
nobody has produced an air, Song OF
hymn SO simple, appropriate and in
spring as to DO universally adopted.
Tho man or woman who succeeds will
DO immortal.
Divers and sundry persons have es-
sayed the task.
Among others DR.. Thomas Dunn Eng
lish of New Jersey, ex-congressman and
author Of tho far famed "Ben Bolt"
tried his hand at it, and here is the re-
suit. Whether it will fill the long felt
want I shall not undertake to say, as I
am neither poet nor musician, but /
submit it to those who are not satisfied
with tho others to see what they
mako Of it:
HURRAH FOR YOU, OLD GLORY
Though changes may the world appall,
Though crowns may break and thrones may
fall,
Our banner shall survive them all
And ever live in story.
Tho rainbow Of q rescued land,
Where freemen brave together stand,
With truth and courage hand in han1,
Floats proudly here Old Glory.
REFRAIN.
Old Glory. Old Glory.
Floats proudly hero Old Glor.Yi
Old Glory, Old Glory,
Hurrah for you, Old Gloryi
In days we fought with George the Third,
When Independence was the word,
One voice from rising manhood heard
As we'll as old age hoary.
Ono purpose then we had in view
To form of states o union true
And eyes and hearts were turned to you,
Our banner grand, Old Gloryi
Old Glory, Old Glory,
Our banner grand, Old Gloryi
With You we scorned both lord and Town,
We needed not old EnRland's frown,
We fought the bulldogs Of the crown
And smote the skulktng Tory.
Long may your folds nboye IA wave.