The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-02-13
Robert. Bishop of Cloyne.
Secretaries of the Meeting.
AUTHORSHIP OF
Well-known and Famous War Son
In DISPUTE. Etfr

''~' s>"SVV anu FAMOUS war Our
In Dispute.
That famous old war-song, ''Hursa
For the Next That Dies" is in til
l!melight again. We are glad, becaus
a revival of interest in it and it's q,
thor may be the source of a reawa.ien
Ing of interest in Catholic Ca!iforn,
literature in general We visa ths
1t might be so, says the San Francisc
Monitor.
1t seems that the News of this eft
has been publishing some items re
Earding the famous poem; AMI no,
comes our friend, THE Insider,", i
the Call" stating that the author
"Hurrah For the Next That Dies
was enormously said to be an Iris
officer in the English service at Delh
a! where the cholera was raging, an
was written to the next who dies.
"The 1nsider" further gives the nam
OF Alfred Donlmett, an Englishmar
az the possible author.
The best records available 70 t.
prove that neither Of the above claim
is true--neithsr that awarding tn
authorship to IAN Irish ofdcer in tn
English service at Delhi" nor tina
fdvoring Alfred Dommstt. For tbs au
thor of "Hurrah For the Next :rha
Dies" was Bartholomew Downing, Ivfsl
patriot, Catholic. Californian. and ono
editor Of The Monitor. This 1aor wa
settled almost beyond dispute whan
some fifteen years ago. Rev. Fatlle: d
c. Crowley published his Irish Po-t
and Novelists." At that time Their.
was another claimant mentioned 70.
the poem-Captain Walter Dohenav
But the proofs SGT forth by FAthe,
Crowley In his book seem fairly fnsl
One Of the favorite arguments asains
Dowling's claims was that he "wai
never In India" True" Father Grow
ley writes; neither was he ever a,
Fontenoy. Yet he wrote that inimitable
martial balled called The Brigade Al
Fontenoy.' He had an uncle, however
who died in India when the poet was
Moro boy, and ever AFTER both at HON,
an in exile, the genial bard took a deer
interest in that plundered land"
Another Of Dowlins's best poems
one that no person ever thought of dis.
| NJ ~ 1,{ >1at - sNy.,
lief of Lucknow" deals with India
But that line Of argument seems ridi.
culous: as we'll say Longfellow did not
write "11vangelnc," because inc never
was In Acadia.
Now comes one of our strongest
proofs" says Father Crowley. in con-
clusion:
THE poem in dispute was fret
printed In this city in 1858 Mr.. BOWL
ing was then editor Of the San Francis.
CO Monitor Mr.. P. j. Thomas, sos
Clay street, one of the founders of that
paper, was also the publisher. He has
CS92) distinct recollection of put
ting the poem in type from the manu-
script of Bartholomew Bowling lie
still clearly remembers the comments
passed on II III the ONCE Of the paper
when it was read in his presence bH
the author We are glad that there is
a living witness to settle this question
Of disputed authorship"
Wo are glad that Father Crowley has
preserved the evidence Of that witness
IL his Irish Poets and Novelists.' :"
His proofs ought to settle the matter.
"Hurrah For the Next That Dies" is
one Of the immortal songs of tile Ian
guage. 1t will live as long as the Eng
lish tongue exists. It is read today
throughout the world as a perfect bal
lad: and 1t is sung in many tongueE'
At our own Military Academy az West
Point the strong voices of the cadets
have made 1t ring through the racers
for many a year, and they take II with
Thorn East and West and to the far
islands Of the sea, wherever the Stars
ard Stripes are flung. IT is only right
that the name OF it's author, Bartholo-
new Bowling, Irishman, patriot, Cath
Ole, California, poet, and editor, should
be preserved.