The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1904-03-25
THE MOST FAMOUS
NATIONAL HYMN
II Has Stirred up Revolutions.
Under Its Inspiring Strain Vic.
tory Has Been Snatched
From Defeat

hSasASas "AAsSAs PANNNNSo oASaA GA SiASSc
on a crowd as the "Marseillaise'' hymn.
Carlysle said: 1.-THE sound OF it will
make the blood Jingle in mems veins,
and whole armies and assemblages will
sing it with eyes weeping and burning,
with hearts defiant Of death, despot,
and DEVIL" That OF course, would
hardly be the case in these quieter
times of the new empire. But it was
very different when an impetuous and
excitable people We're wrought up to
fever heat amid wild scenes of blood
shed and warfare in their own streets
when women were lighting with the
ferocity of wild beasts, and the heavy
laden tumbrils were rolling on day af
ter day towards the scaffold."
The power of the song during the
frightful days of the first French revo-
luton was indeed almost incredible.
Klopstock, the poet, declared that it
had caused the death of 80, 900 Germans.
1t could win the victory of Jemmapes
for the forces of Dumouriez, 40, 900 men
shouting themselves hoarse as they
marched on the enemy. 1t was sup
posed by one republican general to be
as good an addition of 1000 to his ranks.
Another reported of it: Il have won
the battle but 'Marseillaise' commanded
with me-" During the march Of Du-
crot's division after Froeschwiller, M.
Ludovic Halevy, making his way with
other fugitives to Phalsbourg, relates
how the company, battered by the ele-
ments and disheartened by disaster,
suddenly took heart and hope when the
tall Tembour Major Berne, striding in
front, lifted his gilt staff as signal and
led off the "Marseilaisc, the soldiers
striking in one by one and becoming
new men under the intoxicating in
fuence.
There has seldom been season OF
disorder in which the strains of the
famous song have not excited the pas
sions of the French people; and thus il
is that it has been kept in constant
thraldom always feared, always
watched, like lion ready to break
forth from its den and spread second
time desolation and carnage over half
the nations of Europe" The govern
ment forbade its being played or sung
for many years; and curiously enough
it is not many years since the Russian
government issued decree to the same
effect. 1t all reminds me of Heine's
French Drummer, who could not speak
German but ''could make himself very
Ineligible with his drum" II Heine
said he did not know what 'liberte
meant, he drummed the "Marseillaise,"
and the poet understood him.
Now what of the history of this epoch
making songY The authorship and
composition was the result of single
inspiration. for, as the story goes, both
words and music were written in one
night without any previous sketching
out or subsequent elaboration. The
author and composer was Rouget de
Isle, an engineer captain, who had at
one time been teacher OF music. AS
the son Of royalist parents. and himself
belonging to the constitutional party,
De Lisle declined to take the oath to
the constitution abolishing the crown;
he was therefore deprived of his mill
tary rank, denounced, and imprisoned,
only to escape after the fall of Robes
pierre. He appears to have been great
ly admired among his associates for his
poetical and musical gifts.
His most intimate friend was one
aron DIETRICH, the mayor of Strasburg.
One evening in the early part of 1892
De Lisle was the guest At the table OF
this family, The baron's resources, we
read, had been so much reduced by the
necessities and oaamities of war that
nothing better than garrison bread and
q few slices OF ham could be provided
for dinner. DIETRICH smiled sadly at his
friend; and, lamenting the scantiness of
his fare, declared that he would bring
forth the last remaining bottle of Rhine
wine in his cellar il he thought it would
help to inspire De Lisle in the compo-
sition OF o patriotic song. The ladies
signiied their approval, and sent for
the last bottle of wine the house could
boast of. After dinner De Isle, in
tit of enthusiasm, composed the words
and music of the song which has i'm
mortalized his name:
Eye seSs OF France, awake to glory!
Hark! bark; what myriads bid you RISE
Your children, wives and grandsires hoary,
Behold their tears and hear their cries.
Shall lawless tyrants. mischief breeding,