The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1922-07-07
THE STAR SPANCLED BANNER

A bill has been introduced in Con-
gress by Representative Linthicum
of Maryland to make "The Star
| Spangled" the official anthem of
the United States. Since the words
were written by Francis Scott Key, a
citizen of that State, and the in
cident that inspired them occurred
during the siege of Baltimore, in the
tive in the introduction of the bill
may be- appreciated.
But a considerable opposition has
arisen to the bill, and leading papers
of the country are giving space to an
appeal of Augusta E. Stetson
against it on the ground that we
should not adopt az al anthem a
song breathing hatred of our An
glo-Saxon brother, Britain, and
its music borrowed from a foul,
English drinking song, "Anacreon in
Heaven"
The controversy has developed
the fact the the air of "The Star
Spangled Banner" was composed by
DR.. Samuel Arnold, composer of His
Majesty's chapel, or John Stafford
Smith, probably the latter, but in
either case a British musician.
When the words of"The Star
Spangled" were first published in
1914 in the Baltimore American it
was suggested to Key th2t they
could be sung to the air Of "An-
acreon in Heaven" He adopted
the suggestion.
Now it is being brought out that
the song itself is a paraphrase of
the English drinking song, composed
between 1910 and 1880 for the
Anacrcontic Society Of London,
which used to meet in the Grown
and, Anchor tavern, Strand, to hold
wild Bacchanalian revels.
There are six verses of Ana
creon in Heaven" incrusted, d Tor
onto writer says, with sinful iElpli-
cations of wine and women
Thus the fourth stanza ends:
Whilst snug in their club room
they joyially Irvine
The myrtle of Venus and Bacchrs's
vine.
And this is the conclusion:
While thus We agree, Il toast
let it be,
May our club flourish happy, united
and free
And may the sons of Anacreon
entwine
The myrtle of Venus and Bacchus'
vine.
Mrs. Stetson in her appeal quotes
one of the verses breathing hatred of
Britain, and one cannot but be
struck with its similarity in rhythm
with the words of the Anacreon:
And there is that band who SO
vauntingly swOre
That the havoc of war and the
battles confusion
A home and a country would
leave US no more?
Their blood has washed out their
foul footsteps pollution;
No refuge could save
The hireling and slave
From the terror or fight or the gloom
Of the grave.
There is force in Mrs. Stetson's ar
gument-that an American national
should breathe hatred of no
but express the same noble
tIlIIluS DIS IHdl WiIiCH washington
when he said, LET US rails. a
standard, to which the wise and hon.
EST can repair, the event is in the
lands Of God" and by Lincoln, when
he uttered the high resolve that "this
under God, shall have a new
birth of freedom; and that govern
of the people, by the people, for
he people, shall not perish from the
The task to be accomplished in this
is a transcendent one. Pagan
can never be enthroned In
America. The effort to do this is be-
ng vigorously assailed by Christ, the
King Of kings and Lord Of lords. The
government was, is and always will
,e upon His shoulder. The downfall
If European autocracy, which has
to its utmost to trail in the
lust Americas spiritual standard, is
becoming apparent. Again, we af-
irm, America was founded upon
ideals. Christ, at His sec-
md appearing, through His %represen-
has planted His standard of
dominion on the soil of the
United States, and he is ever pres
mt to defend it. . The end of the
.eign of ignorance, superstition, serf-
lom, and allegiance to ally foreign
'uler has come. Every knee shall
,ow and every tongue shall confess
he spiritual fact in regard to Ameri-
"a. Christ, at His second coming, has
established His kingdom on
-