The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-10
What They Are and Who Wrote
Some of Them.
E,ron, the New York Press

Some of Them.
From the New York Press.
The simplest questions from correspond
ents often lead into a maze of difficulties.
And old friend modestly inquired, What
is our national hymn" 1t was so alb.
surd! Such question: 1t was on the
tip of the tongue to reply humorously.
Then the inner consciousness asked, ''Do
you know?" In truth l could not swear
fes. The more l thought the greater
me uncertainty experienced. Was it Hail.
columbian Star Spangled Banner
ankee Doodle" MY Country, TITS Of
Thee, Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean
or Maryland, My Maryland?" Help was
called In. Sons OF the Revolution. Ameri-
can Revolution and all other revolutions
dld not know Confederate veterans said
"Dixle!' member of the Ohio Society
said John Browns Body" One of the
New England patriots said Home, Sweet
Home" A Michigander was sure OF rial
~ Round the Flag Boys" and a Ken
tuckian not in the Civil War suggested
tramp. Tramp, Tramp. the Boys are
Marching"
some of these guesses are ridiculous
The choice, so far as I can decide, lies
between Star Spangled Banner" INV
lumbia! The first named was written i'm
lsl4 after Key had passed a mournfuI
night on the frigate Surprise, during the
bombardment of Fort McHenry by the
British. He had gone to rescue a friend
and the British held him Seeing the
stars and Stripes still waving on the
ramparts$ at dawn, he was inspired to
write the hymn. So. brethren, Star
Spangled Banner was written on the
a NJ
we all know. is the composition of an
Englshman, John Stafford Smith. The
song was sung first in a barroonn in Holt
day street, Baltimore. II is intensely pa
triotic.
My Country, 'Tis Of Thee" otherwise
America" was written in 1882 by a theo-
logical student of the name of Samuel
Francis Smith, and first sung by children
I'm the old Park Street Church, Boston.
There was no particular patriotic push
behind IT, but the tune America" made
1t the most popular song OF its time. OIL
yer Wendell Holmes, a classmate OF
Smith, wrote of him:
And there's a nice youngster of excellent
pith;
Fate tried to conceal him by naming him
Smith!
But he chanted song for the brave and
and free
Just read on his medal. MY Country. Of
Thee"
The music was stolen outright It has
been ascribed TO both John Bull and
Henry Carey, and has been claimed by
the French. 1t is sung I'm Germany to
the words Hell Dir i'm Siegeskranz." the
national anthem OF the Fatherland, ana
has also been adapted to the Song Of
Daneborg," the national hymn of Dem
mark.
Hail Columbia was without patriotic
impulse by a fine lawyer of the name of
Joseph Hopkinson. He had an impecuni-.
Gus friend, an actor named Fox, who had
been al school with him when boy The
profession In Philadelphia got up a bene-
mt for Fox, and to help along the good
cause Hopkinson wrote the words and had
them set to the music of 1.-THE PresI-
dents March," by a German named
Feyles. The music was also called Cen
Washington's March," At the time of the
Fox benefit war with France was thought
to be inevitab Bile G79s), :. and the song. in
citing national pride. probably helped TO
avert the conflict. Judge Hopkinson, a
leader of the American bar was the con-
fidential friend of Joseph Bonaparte and
had entire supervision of his legal and
political affairs HIS fame. however. rests
on rather rocky song, Hail Column
bia.
Yankee Doodle" is fit only to march
by. Nobody sings II and nobody would
accept II as a national hymn The pref
TEST OF all popular songs is Maryland.
My Maryland" but 1T was composed by
a Southern sympathizer in the Civil War.
The original words have been warped to
the Union side, but they never can be
ma tional. However, as a matter OF fact,
who cares a rap about the words OF these
songs? All we wont is the music. Do
you know any one who can sing off-hand
any song mentioned In this column Mr..
Randalrs song was SET to the music OF
the German Burschenned. 20 Tannen-
baum Tannenbaum" II Is melodious.
We all like to sing H. have no knowl-
edge of a person who can sing Dixie
but the tune raises the hair. Gen. Albert
Pike furnished the words and Dan EN-
NETT OF Bryant's MINISTRIES the music
England has two national airs. Rule.
Britannia" words by Thompson. music by
Handel. and God Save the King" or
Queen" as the case may be. In Ant
werp Cathedral Is n manuscript copy OF
music were by DIR. John Bull, adding that
Il was composed on the occasion OF the
discovery of the gunpowder plot. to which
the words. Illustrate their knavish
tricks" especially allude. The music Is
a national air IN at least four countries.
The French cling 20 the 'Marseillaise" the
grand song OF the Revolution. Its words
and music we're composed by Joseph Rou-
get de Lisle. an artillery officer in the
garrison az Strasbourg, as a compliment
TO the Mayor OF the town. The Russian
national anthem Is God Protect the
Gar" and that of Italy Is Garibaldfs
warlike Hymn" Other national an
thems are: Austria. Haydn's Hymn to
the Emperor" Belgium. the 'Braban-
Gomez. Hungary. "Rancoozy March,"
and Scotland. When the King Comes Der
the Water" and 'Lilllbuiero"
LIS Wosnnn,s Wnv-.,You,re WORKING