New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-04-21

our own StdT SpdHelfn Banner mas an
origin on which there rests not shadow
Of doubt. Its words were adapted by Key,
| the poet, as other patriotic poems had
been adapted before them. TO the melody
Of drinking song composed by john
Stafford Smith.
Though the names OF authors are al
tached 10 the national hymns Of the prin-
cipal nations Of the world. their creators
are. after all the people who give them
validity and enduring life by accepting
them. Songs may be declared 10 be Off
cial national utterances by royal or legls-
latlve decree: but II the people will haze
none of them they Will never serve their
purpose. \ patriotic song must be felt
to become puissant 1t will nevertheless
| be interesting To- observe the outcome Of
the EFFORT which our Welsh friends are
making in Pittsburgh. The money Prize
is the smallest part OF the reward which
would fall 10 the man or men who should
hit upon a song which the people Of tine
United states would accept as a III eN-
preston Of their patriotic feelings. The
need OF a national hymn has been dis
cussed ever and anon for decades. The
story Of a competition in which some OF
| the best poets Of the country participated
IL told by Richard Grant White In a
monograph entitled National Hymns:
| How They Are Written and How They
! Are Not Written" which was published
I'm 1851. The competition, as Mr.. White
would have us understand. grew out OF
the fact that there was a general lamen-
! tation AT the outbrcaking of the war OF
the Rebellion over the want Of patriotic
| HYMN i'm which the popular emotion cor
the North. OF course could ma utter
ance. \ gentleman. whose name was NOT
! divulged offered Prize OF sJp LOT IN
needed anthem, and committee lssueu
a call through the newspapers. under date
Of MAY :. 1861. very imposing commit
tee il was. It's members being Cuban -
Verplanck. Charles King. Hamilton tish,
George William Curtis. J. j. cisco, George
| r. Strong. John A. Dix. Moses h. Grin
reu Luther Bradish. Richard Grant
White. John X. Brodhead. Arthur Leary
| and Maunsell H. Field. I'm response 10
the appeal manuscripts poured IN on thc
committee from all parts OF the country
! from England and even from ltal>
twelve hundred In all were they, ana
three hundred of them were provided VIII.
musical settings. Every one was con
, scientiously examined. the heap being
winnowed again and again. william
! Scharfenberg, one of the founders OF the
Philharmonic Society. and Henry stephen
| cutler examined the music critically ana
| son,o of il was performed with the hcip
M the choir OF Trinity Church, OF which
Al, cutler WAS organist. ON August y.
1851 the committee reported that al
! though some of them nave ueEIee
| Of poetic excellence. which VIII pro1apIS
Mace them high in public favor as lEIicd'
! .o,,,,oeiti,ns no one OF them i well SUIT
cd FOR a national hymn" So no PRIZE
was awarded. mat privilege having peeh
reserved by the committee dt is also re-
served for the adiudicators at the Pits
hmeb Eisteddfod). The committee, SAID
| Mr. White was seeking not the best
h,.,,, euhmltted. but the hymn that was
needed ...
Nearly forty-nne Years AFTER 'his lu,"e
effort to endow our country win Ma
tional Anthem Thomas Ryan Boston
Musician. told IN Il book Oh reminiscent
of how oliver Wendell Holmes anu "o
mad collabordted in not one b"t TWO
HYMNS which were entered FOR the COM
.,,,io, Tbe story Is worth printing IN
IAN hu, a., can find room for only a part
~ !, THE plan adopted was TO select
g., niece of music with a strongly
,,,r,,ad march rhythm. To which Or.
uolnes was to write poem, when was
sfterward 40 be SET by Mr.. Ryan. The
80 sa,ccted was "Washlngton's March. "
Then DIR Holmes mounted mis- Pegasus.
Says Mr.. Ryan:
! He was chain lightning poe IN ms ms
! r,,id invention OF verses. Furnished VIA,
| narn"l Ind paper. he sat at the table ana
/ I san, with q good. lusty voice the melody
| ouicI .oft or loud. After few trials he
acsucbt on" to the rhythm and quickly
/ found The corresponding poetical meas