The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-09
National Hymns.

Secretary BoNAPARTE did well not ito
commit himself to the project Of Offer
ing a prize for a new national air to be
selected by a council of musicians from
all parts Of the country"
He was wise to withhold even his in
dorsement of the project of advertising
for a national air, and perhaps of offer
ing souvenirs as an inducement to COM
petitors.
The Star Spangled Banner" which
it is proposed to supersede, was COM
posed by a native of Secretary BONA
PARTIES home State, Maryland. Very
recently in the Albany Legislature a
measure was seriously discussed max
ing it mandatory upon school authori-
ties in New York to insist that all the
words of the Star Spangled Banner (all
the verses without curtailment) should
be sung by the school children. with
whom the Star Spangled Banner" is
a favorite, made familiar by frequent
repetition.
National hymns, however, are not
made popular by legislation, and songs
responsive to the aspirations of a people
are not to be secured by advertisement.
A government proposes; the people
adopts or rejects a song or anthem and
makes it q national air." Under des-
potic governments only, II ever, are
such official selections accepted. God
Protect the Gar is the national Russian,
or rather the Russian Government,
hymn: HAYDN's Hymn to the Kaiser"
has similar, but no greater, vogue in
Austria.
"Das Deutsche Vaterland' is Off
cially the recognized German air; Die
Yacht am Rhein' is the popular one.
For many years in France "Partant
Pour la Syrie' was the national air;
LA Marseillaise" has been the peoples
favorite since it was first sung over
a century ago at the beginning
of the French Revolution. In Italy
G%ARIBALDI's hymn is the popular, but
not the official, national air. In Ameri-
can crowds or American audiences the
stately music of Hail Columbia eve
causes the moving feet or the singing
accompaniment Of Dixie"
Popular preference determines, formal
legislation can prescribe. the acceptance
as popular of any song or anthem. Even
in England, where the conventions of
army and official life are tenaciously
observed, Rule Britannia, the music of
which was composed by ARNE, has been
generally replaced by God Save the
King, a composition Of disputed author
ship. The Wearing of the Green" in
Ireland owed its popularity to no official
recognition; indeed for a considerable
period it was legally i~nterdicted in some
Irish counties as an appeal to revolt
and an Indictment TO disorder. A wiser
and more tolerant view Of its effective
appeal to Irish emotions has been
adopted since the Boer War.
The Star Spangled Banner is proba-
bly, secure in patriotic American favor
If no more serious assault upon its popu-
larity can be devised or suggested than
an advertisement by the Government
authorities for a substitute, the selection
of which could be determined upon 'by
a council of musicians from all parts Of
the country" National airs are not
sung by the people of a country because
a Congress, a Parliament or a National
Assembly so ordains or recommends.
Musical councils cannot regulate public
taste or preference in such a matter, and
Secretary BoNAPARTE was discreet in
refusing to commit himself to the fur
therance of any plan to do away with
the Star Spangled Banner as the
recognized national air for most Ameri-
ms