The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-09-10


needed no further assurance that their
countrymen had not capitulated. But"
quote from the words Of Chief Justice
Taney, repeating the account given him
by Key Immediately after, 1T suddenly
ceased some time before day; and, as
they had no communication with any
of the enemy's ships, they did not know
whether the fort had surrendered, or the
attack upon it had been abandoned.
They paced the deck the residue of the
night in painful suspense, watching with
intense anxiety for the return of day,
and looking every few minutes at their
watches to see how long they must wait
for it: and as soon as it dawned, before
it was light enough to see objects at
distance, their glasses were turned to
the fort, uncertain whether they should
see there the stars and stripes or the flag
of the enemy" Blessed vigil! that it's
prayers were not in vain; glorious vigil!
that it gave us The Star spangled Ban
ner!'
During the night the conception of the
poem began to form itself in Keys
mind. With the early glow Of the morn
ing, when the long agony of suspense
had been turned into the rapture of exul-
tation, his feeling found expression in
completed lines of verse, which he wrote
upon the back OF letter he happened
to have in his possession. He finished
the piece on the boat that carried him
ashore, and wrote out clear copy that
same evening at his hotel in Baltimore.
Next day he read this to his friend and
kinsman, Judge Nicholson, who was SO
pleased with it that he carried 1t to the
office of the Baltimore American, where
it was put in type by young appren-
tice, Samuel Sands by name, and thence
issued as a broadside Within an hour
after it was circulating all over the
city, hailed with delight by the excited
people. Published in the succeeding
issue of the American, and elsewhere re-
printed, it went straight to the popular
heart. 1t was quickly seized for musical
adaptation. First sung in tavern ad-
joining the Holiday street theater in
Baltimore, by Charles Durang, an actor,
whose brother, Ferdinand Durang, had
set it to an old air, its production on the
stage Of that theater was the occasion
of spontaneous and unbounded enthusi-
asm. Wherever it was heard it's effect
was electrical, and thenceforward it was
universally accepted as the national an
them.
Tho poem tells its. own story, and
never a truer, for every word comes
direct from a great heroic soul, powder
stained and dipped, as it were, in
sacred blood.
80 say can you see by the lawn's early light,
What SO proudly we hailed by the twights
last cleaning.
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through
the perilous fight.
Ger the ramparts VIC watched. were 20 gal
lantly strcaming!''
The two that walked the deck of the
cartel boat had waited long. They had
counted the hours as they watched the
course Of the battle
"The Star Spangled Banner!' Was
ever flag so beautiful, did ever flag so
fill the souls of men? The love of wom-
an; the sense Of duty; the thirst for
glory; the heart throbbing that impels
the humblest American to stand by his
colors fearless in the defense Of his ma
tive soil, and holding it sweet to die 70"
1.-THE yearning which draws him to 1t
when cXiled from tits tree institutions
and its blessed memories, all are en-
bodied and symbolized by the broad
stripes and bright stars of the nations
emblem, all live again in the lines and
tones Of Keys anthem Two CT three
began the song, millions join the chorus.
They are singing it in Porto Rico trench
es and on the ramparts of Santiago, and
its echoes, borne upon the wings of
morning, come rolling back from faraway
Manila; the soldiers message to the
soldier; the heros shibboleth in battle;
the patriots solace in death! Even to
the lazy sons Of peace who lag at home
the asure-seekers whose merry
making turns the night to day-those
stirring strains come as q sudden trum-
pet call, and above the sounds of revelry,
subjugate for the moment to q stronger
power, rises wave upon wave Of melodi-
GUS resonance the idler's aimless but
heartfelt tribute to his country and his
countrys flag.
Since THE Star Spangled Banner
was written nearly century has come
and gone. The drums and tramplings of
more than half its years have passed
over the grave Of Francis Scott Key
Here at last he rests forever. Here at
last his tomb is fifty made. When his
eyes closed upon the scenes Of this life
their last gaze beheld an ensign of The
republic 'full-high advanced. it's arms
and trophies streaming in their original
luster, not stripe erased or polluted.
nor a single star obscured.' If happily
they were spared the spectacle Of sew
cred Union, and "a land rent by civil
feud and drenched in fraternal blool,'
it may be that somewhere beyond the
stars his gentle spirit now looks down
upon a nation awakened from it's sleep
Of death and restored to itg greater and