New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-05-16
MARSEILLAISE ONCE
MORE STIRS FRANCE
Neglected of Late, 1t Has
Been Revived with
New Zeal.
Bv NINE. JEAN ALCIDE PICARD.

BY NINE. JEAN ALClDE PICARD.
Paris, May When Captain Rouget
/ de Lislc wrote the "Marseillaise," In
April, 1892, he had no Idea that his
song, composed during a feverish
night. would become the war song OF
| France.
We had in late years neglected the
"Marseillaise"; some thought there was
a good deal OF exaggeration in the
/ first verse and even in the second and
/ third. -,
"The bloody standard Of tyranny"
the "ferocious soldiers" who even
in our arms slaughter our sons and
wives" these "leagUed kings pre-
pairing for Europe "chains since long
! prepared" the vile despots" with a
pretension OF becoming masters OF
our destiny" all this had SAVIOUR Of
revolutionary phraseolcgy which did
not quite suit our modern taste.
But these same words have sudden
ly become painfully up TO date. They
denounce tho crimes that the soldiers
Of Germany and Austria have perpe-
trated, and they tell of a whole nation
rising to defend her liberty, her
rights, her principles.
The "Marseillaise" has become q
means of keeping up courage with a
promise of victory. It's epopee Is aG-
mirable and cannot be surpassed IN
beauty and enthusiasm. 1t is sung
everyw here; IL IS the adequate express
sion of the sentiments of all it has re-
: vived, stronger and more vibrating
than ever.
One after another the theatres have
reopened their doors. In almost all
the "Marseillaise" is played every
night. The performance is not COM
plete without il. At the Opera ComiqUe,
where Mile. Chenal lends it the charm
Of her beautiful voice and the force Of
her pers alty, it is unforge table.
Half the audience, soldiers wounded at
the front, stand and follow with in
tensity the verses of Rouget de Lisle.
At the final invocation of the sacred
love of country and of victory, the au-
dience applauds, while the soldiers
throw their caps at the feet of the
| singer, embodying for them the spirit
of the nation.
Yet, the "Marseillaise," such as we
hear il on every occasion with so much
emotion, Is but a very feeble echo of
the "Marseillaise" played and sung at
the front. An artilleryman, relating to
his family one of the most terrible
days his regiment lived through-a re-
treat soon transformed into magnln-
cent victory-says:
Quite near I heard the
four formidable and regular shots OF a
battery Of IDS; II was my own regi-
ment, which had organized its batteries
and was reopening the fire. | joined
them, and IL was in the night, the most
fantastic fight. Two villages were
burning.
"The bursting of the shells was
making an uninterrupted succession OF
eyplosions-w fired 1000 shots in two
hours-and a tremendous noise. Sud
denly the 'Marseillaise' broke out,
while the clarions of three regiments
sounded the charge. From where we
stood. and by the light of the burning
villages. we could see the battlefield
very distinctly.
"Never shall see again anything so
fantastic as these thousands OF red
legs, charging In serrled ranks; the
gray legs were beginning TO tremblc.-
they don't like the bayonets and the
'Marseillaise' went on. The clarions
sounded the charge, the cannons spa'
out fire and death without respite.
FINALLY our men Joined the enemy.
/ NOI u IANE tAObp Wv 10y '''NN 49,
Suddenly the charge stopped sounding,
The clarions were calling TO the flag!
Our flag was taken. Instinctively we
ceased fire in dreadful suspense
aghast at such disaster we wait
ed. The Marseillaise' grew louder and
over there, further, the call 'On dra-
peaur went on more pressing.
"a silence of death, alone the Mar
seillaise' and the clarions we could
distinguish the terrible scuffle. Sud
denly the clarions stopped, one second;
then. with a triumphant peal. agar
they sounded the charge. The flag was
retaken. An immense clamor wen
up; our guns reopened the fire as il
by themselves. and the Boches thai
night had to run away as quickly n;
their boots would allow them.
you think you know the 'Marseil
laise' because you have heard IL played
, at the school distribution Of prizes. &c
over that mistake. To know IL on
. must hear it as | have tried 70 tel
you, when blood Is running and your
flag in danger"