The Washington herald., 1907-10-13
By FREDERIC HAskIN.

The great American nation has no one
song that may be called truly national.
1t has many that are patriotic The
; -ar-Spangled Banner" is accorded the
premier position by the army and navy,
and is played by military bands when
the flag floats to the top of the mast
But Who can sing it? OF late years the
children in school have been compelled to
learn the words, but the great majority
of Americans viii begin. bravely enough.
"Oh, say can YOU see'-and the rest of IL
is a medley Of whistling and humming.
The deeper feelings Of patriotism are
stirred by the stately "Amerlca'-''My
Country, 'Tis of Thee" But this song is
sung to a tune that is the common prop
erty Of Germany. Switzerland, and Eng
land. and is as much the national air OF
the British empire as it is of the United
States Yankee Doodle" viii never lose
its popularity, although its words meant
but Htcle when they were written and
mean nothing now. Ii is a good tune, and
tunes are what we like Marching
Through Georgia" is the most stirring Of
all our patriotic sonsE but the direct and
insistent reference Of its words to the
great civil war prevents its acceptance in
one portion Of the country.
Dixie" the war song Of the Confed-
eracy, however, is as popular in New
England as in Texas. The association
with the South is recognized, but the
words have no political significance what
ever. In the South I have heard band
play Marching Through Georgia" and
have heard listeners inquire What is
that rafting good tuner" It has not
been played in the South enough TO make
il familiar II is a peculiar fact that
Dixie" was the work of a Northern COM
poser, while the great marching song of
the Union army. John Browns Body,
was originally a South Carolina camp
meeting chant.
The first political application Of the
stirring tune of Dixie was far different
from that which attached to it during
the civil war. The song made its appear
ance in 1853 supporter Of Abraham
Lincoln wrote the words to it in 1860, and
it was sung as a Republican campaign
song in Illinois in that year. Mr. Lin
coin always liked it. and on the afternoon
OF the day he was assassinated he asked
a band which serenaded him at the White
House to play Dixie saying that Rich
mond had been taken and the South's
songs now belonged to the Union. His
words were prophetic, for Dixie" is
now the greatest yell-producer of all our
patriotic airs.
Daniel Decatur Emmett died in poverty
at Mount Vernon, Ohio, three years ago.
He had written many songs in his day.
and two of them stlIl Iive-his great sorg,
Dixie and "Old Dan Tucker" He re-
ceived $500 for Dixie" ard 500 for "Old
Dan Tucker" Charles K. Harris made
$4,000 from After the Ball" The CON
trast is a striking one In 1853 Emmett
was singing with Dan ,Bryants negro
minstreIs on lower Broadway in New
York The show had been dragging. AMI
Bryant thought he saw disaster ahead
one Saturday he told Emmett that h.
must have new negro ''walk-arounT
by Monday night II was rainy Sunday
and Emmett shut himself up in ii room
with his violin. When he came out he
brought Dixie" with him. It caught oa
instantly. and all New York was whis-
Ting it within the week.
It's adoption nearly two years later as
the war song Of the South was an acci-