The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1903-10-10
INSPIRATION OF A GREAT ANTHEM.


In the realms of literature genius
rears its own enduring monuments.
The blended creations of the intellect
and the heart survive the mightiest
empires and the stateliest fabrics of
the human hand. A book, an ora
ton, a page, d song touching from
generation to generation the universal
heart carries the name of IFS author
down through the ages. The popu-
lar, patriotic songs of great nations
have been the repositories of stirring
and memorable events, and at times
the epitome of nations history. A
prospector finding a nugget of gold
knows no rest until, for more, he has
explored the mountain stream from
which it came. So the world would
know more of the men whose genius
and learning have kindled the fires
and replenished the flames and watt
tie Gfgf6 E9RF fVgF h g42dfHRe dfgEgs E
1t invites investigation into the causes
that have produced the masterpieces
which evoke the admiration and the
homage of time and touched with
potent influence the lives of men.
Volcanic forces rear the loftiest noun
tains. The crushed shrub gives the
sweetest fragrance. When the storm
has ceased and the artillery of heav-
en- is hushed into silence all the tints
of earth and sky blend in the beauty
of the bow that spans the horizon.
When night unfurls her banners in
the sky she awakens the richest and
purest notes of the feathered min
strelsy of the woodland. So it has
ever been with the authors of the
most notable productions in litera-
ture some great stress of circum-
stances must press upon them some
mighty tugging at the heart strings
must make them speak or sing from
out the depths of their souls. His
tory is rich with illustrations. Fran
els Scott Key, the gifted author of
the national anthem, "The Star
Spangled Banner, sprang from wor-
thy, intellectual, heroic stock. He
grew up amid scenery were nature
had lavished beauty and fertility at
his feet, and strewn in the spanning
skies splendors above his head, where
history had planted her standards to
commemorate noble deeds, never to
fade or grow old. His associations
were from the first with those who
had won for his country place
among the nations, and the stories of
the sacrifices and triumphs of the
American Revolution were perennial
themes around their hearthstones.
EARLY IMPRESSIONS.
His father, John Ross Key, was
elected lieutenant of company of
rihemen at the beginning of the war.
They marched with others from Fred
ericktown to Boston, $50 miles, in 22
days and were the first troops from
the South to cast in their fortune
<x,;+1- yUo-L;-ete.. "a. The Geid, o,,d
later on he mustered troop of horse,
and they were on the march to join
Washington at Yorktown when Corn
wallis surrendered. He was friend
of Washington and the great man,
when President, visited him at his
home, Terra Rubra, Frederick coun-
ty, and doubtless placed his hand in
blessing upon the curly head of the
little boy of II year who afterward,
in the manly vigor of his thirty-ffth
year, gave to us our national anthem.
Francis Scott Key drank deep from
the sacred and the classic springs of
literature and translated the valorous
deeds and the lofty aspirations of the
heroes of the ages into his own being,
and so it came that exaltered ideals
and purity of thought lived in his life,
and the graces and the charms of
poetry and the fires of patriotism
slumbered together in the soul. The
signal guns of the second war for in
dependence awoke them his expert
ence in and the reverse incident to
the war, and specially the brave de-
fense of Baltimore, babe them live
and sing for us, our country and for
all time in his inspired song.
In the War of 1925 Key vol
unteered as a member of a company
which equipped itself at its own ex-
pense. A naughty a d imperious
foe that once ruled his country in
vaded her borders and sought to re-
strict or dominate her affairs. He
had witnessed the devastation of the
shores of the Potomac and the Chesa-
peake and their tributaries he had
participated in the defeat and retreat
of his countrymen at Bladensburg,
and he had looked with humiliation
and chagrin on the capture and the
burning at the National Capitol. Pin
ming the white flag of peace beneath
that of his country he gave 10 days of
his time in seeking for and securing
the release of venerated friend who
had been carried away on the enemy's
feet as prisoner. Threatened with
summary vengeance for the alleged
violation of his duty as a citizen or
noncombatant, he became a prisoner
of war for his sake-put IN peril his
own life to secure the release of his
friend. This generous act gave him,
without even the thought of such
thing, the occasion to enroll his name
among Times famous sons. Key
heard the loud boasting that the
chief city of his native State, which
had sent out more privateers-"feet
clippers" "swift greyhounds of the
sea''-than any other against the in
vaders, should feel the arm of retalia
ton and revenge; that they would
crush her rising power and subdue
the proud spirit of her people. While
he saw and heard the fires of patriotic
indignation burned within him.
THE INSPIRATION GIVEN LIFE.
He looked upon the fleet of the in
vaderc q very armada. with its host