New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-20
How National Hymns
Are Not Created
And WHY America" and The Star-Spanged Banner
Cannot Be Replaced-Past Efforts Of
the Poetasters

happened to be one OF the two adjud.
Gators on that occasion, and bad b.
melancholy task of reading words and
music of twenty-nine hymns, all barren
Of poetical thought or musical idea a.
the Desert Of Sahara is Of water. Five
years earlier the Institute OF Ara snd
Letters, eager to try its hand at some
kind of literary reform. pointed out cur
national deficiency, but did nothing, 20
far as we can recall, 20 supply il Be.
fore that newspaper had made an
effort TO find the national poet among
its readers, ard some time before that
branch of the Order Of the Circin.
natl strove to supply the grisvous and
long-felt want.
But all these efforts and scores OF
hundreds Of others dried up and blev
away without leaving a trace. The one
serious attempt grew out of the Civil
War, and its results were preserved !,
monograph written by RiehsN
Grant White and published in 1851 b.
Rudd e. Carleton under the title "Ns.
tional Hymns: How They Are Writes
and How They Are Not Writtsn-A
Lyric and National Study for tho
Times" IL has always been an inter
esting little pamphlet, ard 1t Is esps:
cially interesting now. The moyeneas
grew out of a widespread lamentston
at the outbreak of the Rebellion cES
the want OF a patriotic hymn in Wild
the popular emotion could find utter
ance. A gentleman, who kept II
name secret, offered a prize OF wv
for the needed anthem, and a commit
tee issued call through the news
papers under date OF Nay II, 1851.
The members of this committee vers
Julian c. Yer Planck, Charles KIM
Hamilton Fish. George William Curtis
j. ]. Cisco, George T. Strong, john \
Dix, NJ. II. Grinnell, Luther Brsdita'
Richard Grant White, John R. Brcd'
head, Arthur Lesry and Maunseli D.
Field-as distinguished body OF e'
liens for its size as could vel! have
been got together.
Manuscripts poured In by the hun
dreds in response TO the invitation
They came from all parts OF the eoun'
try, as we'll as England and llsiy.
Twelve hundred in all were they, ana
300 of them were provided with museH
settings. Every one WAS conseieAtlo''
ly examined, the heap being winroSs'
again and again, and the best OF 10.
musical compositions were performs
by William Scharfenborg and s~pn''
Cutler. On August ., 1851, the coz
mittce reported concerning the hyD~
that although some OF them hs's !
degree of poetic excellence wbien .''
probably place them high IN p'"'
favor as lyrical compositions, no CT,
OF them is we'll suited for nati0'A'
hymn" So no prize was awarded ""
privilege having been reserved ~ v,
committee, who were seeking
Mr.. White, mot tho best hymn ~,
mitted, but the hymn that was ne
ed" The authors Of the moss n''.
torious OF the hymns were invi'ea
authorize their publication BY kcaa
Carleton in volume TO be edi'eo =
Mr.. White ard sold for the oenep' =
a patriotic fund; but so many w''h''.
their manuscripts that the pfop'.,
publication had 10 be abardcned' a. -.
White utilized the remnant IN "a
monograph. which is TO be eonns'
as a model OF intelligent diseunN.
and sparkling satire. Dr. os
Wendell Holmes was among 'ns
testants. and one stanza OF bis Rye
styled "Union and Liberty" des'''
reproduction from his collected @''
Flag OF the heroes who left "
glory, ,.s.s,,Ss
Borne through their bats'e"
thunder and flame. .,.ry
Blazoned in song and illum'ned ~ lslf
Wave DER us all who inherH -
fame!
I'D with our banner bright.
Sprinkled with starry night, ,,sis
Spread its fair emblems from mo''
TO shore; -.
While through the scundinS -
Loud rings the nations cry,
Union and Liberty. one evermoxss