Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-07-09
Our National Anthems.


MOST nations have just one anthem
lNl or song that can be- strictly called
national and To- 1t tho people cling
as to the flag itself with fcryor and
devotion. Good examples OF such are
the French "Marscillaisc" and the
English God Save the King COR
Qucen.D But with us it has been hard
t. say just which one OF our popular
patriotic songs was really our ma
tional anthem" Unlike a good many
others. we have always had goodly
number OF war songs, all striving to
become the recognized hymn of the
American people as expressive OF our
national victories, our hopes, and our
political liberty We have been laugh
ed at by many foreigners on this ac-
count, since they have assumed that
the absence OF a specially authorized.
-honpred, and popular national
anthem reflects seriously upon our
patriotism. our foreign critics, how
over, have failed to realize that Just as
our political institutions have been de-
Vcloping and taking definite shape as
the years rolled on. so IL has been with
our national songs, until finally, by
decree OF the secretary OF the navy, is
sued two years ago, tho star SpHngled
Banner Is now officially recognized as
sary perhaps. TO recognize in the sec
rotary OF the navy "A power with uu-
thority To- decree what shall be Amer
teas national song. but now that the
star Spanglod Banner ia the ac-
copied anthem among the armed
forces OF the republic there Is little
chance that any other Will supcrscde
IT, Strange to say. the melody OF the
star Spangled Banner is that Of an
English drinking song, wcll-knoWn and
popular among the habitucs Of the
London taVcrns In the closing years of
the eighteenth century, ana called ITO
Anacreon in Heaven" II was also used
as q social melody in the English Ma
sonic lodges, and finally was brought
over to the colonies during the Revolu-
tlonary war. In 119S Robert Treat
Paine used this old English baCChana-
liam music as setting for his patriotic
adams and Liberty" Perhaps this
early use OF the music Of oar present
star Spanglod Banner" had some
weight with the navy department In
dccrceing that Francis Scott Keys al
most inspired poetry, composed on the
eve Of the British bombardmcut OF Fort
McHenrN. in 1914, should be hCnCctprth
our national anthem. The same music
was used IN Jcffersun's campaign for
the presidency. In an election song
called Jefferson and Liberty" Thus
with respect to age and use. the
melody Of the old British drinking song
had a prior claim over many other
and later claimants, In the eyes Of the
naval authorities at Washington,
though Il Is BY no means an easy thing
10 sing, and very few Americans really
know ID we'll enough to carry all the
stanzas In the navy II is the law that
whenever a sailor, marine or officer
hears the star Spangled Banner"
plaved. he shall AZ once stand at at
tontion."
Among millions OF our people
"Amerlca" has for years been regard
cd a. - national song, and viii
continue 10 be so regarded for years 10
come. Notwithstanding the order and
ruling OF the navy. The melody OF
america" was also that Of an old
English song, and II became the ma
tIonal anthem Of Great Britain in the
shane OF "God Save the King" II was
this that our colonial forefathers first
heard and sang while as yet they
were under political subsection to the
English monarchs. To some II has al
WAYS seemed rather strange that the
Rcy. Samuel T Smith should have
chosen this known English melody az
setting for his patriotic stanZas when
he gave TO his country hts immortal
america" n Is thought that he might
better have chosen n melody wholly
free from English connections.
"Hail Columbia the presidents
march. stood for many years with the
best outlook for its becoming our ma
tional hymn. II was composed In
1883, while It's words were the work