New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-27

were parodles OF Eng!lsn songs
thence we derived "The Star-Spangled
Banner" (Which was adams and Lib
erty" when Key wrote his poem, CYAN
kee Doodle" and columbia, the Gem
Of the Ocean" But the more intense
feeling engendered BY our Civil War
produced dozen songs which hold oui
hearts to-day, though we are trying to
forget the internecine strife which they
celebrate. The songs of the South
rons are forgotten - all save those,
which, like the Revolutionary songs,
had borrowed airs ("Maryland, Ny
Maryland" sung to the old college tune
of "Lauriger Horatius," and Dixie" a
minstrel walk around" written by an
Ohioan); but few men of New Eng
land birth, Sunday School songsters
and sentimental balladists, living in the
West, created the songs which stirred
the souls of Northern men tifty-five
years ago, and stir them yet. Thus
George +. Root, inspired by Lincoln's
second call for volunteers in 1861,
wrote "The Battle Cry of Freedom"
which reused the great mass meeting
held in New York, when the Hutch
oson family first sang it. Henry Clay
Work, who was born in Middletown,
Conn, and, like Root, had made Chicago
his home, came Babylon Is Fallen"
Wake Nicodemus" and Marching
Through Georgia." the last the most
stirring OF all the war songs. Luther
o. Emerson, Maine man, wrote 1--WE
Are Coming, Father Abraham" or
Works songs only Marching Through
Georgia" has remained wildly alive, but
we can remember when every morning
a session in the public schools (of Cleve-
land, Ohio was opened with one or
more Of Root, Work or Emersons songs.
There are no sentimental ballads of the
war period Cor OF an earlier or later
time, for that matter) comparable in
present popularity with "The Old Folks
at Home,""Old Black Joe" and "My Old
Kentucky Home" but, though Foster
wrote war songs also, no one now re-
members their words or music. Who
can recall "We've Million in the
Field" "Stand by the Flag" "For the
Dear Old Flag | Die" and "Was My
Brother in the Battle?"; but the men
who were boys ffty-hve years ago are
not likely ever to forget the other
songs we have mentioned, or "John
Browns Body" Gust Before the Bat
tie, Mother" (also by Root, or Charles
Carroll Sawyer's "When This Cruel
War is Over" The people, both North
and South, sang much and Justify in
those stirring days, and the body of
popular song was greatly enriched; but
the traditions of art were not over
thrown, and, though We became a new
nation, politically speaking, we re-
manned the same people.
There was more than one expression
of the affectionate regard in which
Nine. Sembrich is held by the music
lovers Of New York in the great out
pouring of people at the funeral of
her husband, Wilhelm Stengel, a week
ago last Friday. 1t was tribute also
to the dead man, who had endeared
himself to all of the hundreds Of men
and women with whom he had come In
contact during the many years Of his
sojourn in this city. The Church of
st. Mary the Virgin was crowded by
friends and professional associates, to
whom intelligence of Professor STEM
gels death had come as a grievously
painful surprise, and who, ignorant of
his illness, had not had an opportunity
TO give expression TO their sympathy
and sorrow while yet ne was alive. In
the hearts Of all were tender recollec-
tons Of the gentleness, kindness and
courtly courtesy which had marked his
intercourse with them and profound
respect and reverence for the love and
devotion which they had known to
exist between the artist pair. That
love and devotion had endured through
married life Of more than forty years.
and was as generous and touching when
Nine. sembrich and her knightly hus.
band first came to New York, in 1888,
a. II was in the days Of suffering
which ended their companionship a
whole generation later.