The Savannah morning news., 1903-11-22

began to move every band played II
and every man sung 1t. II was the
battle hymn of the South and the
tired and worn ranks of the men in
gray took new courage when they
heard the martial strains. 1t was the
rallY-cry and at it's sound everyone
flocked around the banners of the Com
federacy. When Lee marched north
ward on his first invasion, his SOL
diers kept singing the music all
through Maryland, using it to inspire
both themselves and the hearts of the
people through whose territory they
were moving.
AS the popularity of the song in
creased other versions appeared. One
of the earliest of these was that by
little Miss Porter which is given above.
The new words took at once and
spread rapidly over the entire South.
The popularity of the original was too
firmly grounded, however, for the
words to be displaced, and the patrio-
tic, and stirring words of the Ala
bama girl were forgotten for the time.
When the motion to re-write the
words was made, the attention of all
involuntarily turned back to her stir
ring words. Many have picked upon
them as the best that have yet been
written and declare that if the words
are to be changed, these should be
adopted. Maj. Sidney Herbert voiced
the sentiments of ALL when he said
that If there was to be a change moth
Ing could be better than these dig
nified, patriotic, and stirring words"
General Pixies Version.
One Of the most stirring versions of
the song, and one which was frequent
~ sung during the war, was written
by Gen. Albert Pike, a Yankee from
Massachusetts, who fought on the
Southern side. This version is the one
beginning:
"Southrons, hear your country call you,
UP lest worse than death befalI you.
To arms! To arms! To arms in Dixie!
Lo! all the beacon fires are lighted,
Let all hearts be now united.
To arms! To arms! To arms in Dixie!
Advance the flag in Dixie"
There were several other versions of
the song, but the two given above are
the ones which have attracted the most
attention. Should any change be made,
which is extremely unlikely, judging
from the effect which the suggestion
has had, it is very probable that one
of the two given above will be selected.
When the suggestion was made that
the song be rewritten pandemonium
reigned in the convention. Everywhere
that it has been preached the sentiment
has been strongly against a change,
overwhelmingly against it. Minna Irv-
ing, in her poem beginning, What!
Change the words of 'Dixie'!" expresses
the sentiment of the people of the South
in regard to the song. Her verses were
printed in the Morning News some days
ago.
The Only Truly American Song.
Dixie" is the only truly original
patriotic melody that has been writ
ten in this country. America" is
modelled on "God Save the King of
England. THE Star Spangled Ban
ner," is set to the music of an Eng
lish drinking song. Hail Columbia"
was ground out by a German band
master on the occasion of a visit of
Washington to a New York theater.
To Dan Emmett all must turn as
the father of one of the most in
spring tunes ever written and the
only American patriotic melody that
is original in all respects.
Out of this fact, it's originality,
there have been many attempts made
to give the song a Northern origin and
particularly so during the time of the
Civil War. One of the most anus
ing Of these is the tale that 1t was
suggested to Emmett by man named
Dix, who lived in New York. The
reputed Dix, once held slaves, ac-
cording to the lelend. Afraid that the
growing abolition sentiment would
ruin him he sold his negroes South.
From there they always longed to re-
turn to Dix's land.
But in spite of the many attempts
to make it national and to re-write
the words so that they might have a
national significance. the song remains
distinctively Southern. The Southern
people took it up when it was first
sung and they have claimed 1t for
their own ever since.