The Golden Book of Favorite Songs.
Edited by N. H. Aitch, 1835-1895.
Chicago: Hall & McCreary Company, 1915. [Tenth edition.]

HAIL, COLUMBIA.

The passage of the Alien and Sedition Laws, in 1798, as an outcome of the trouble between France and England, aroused bitter partisan feelings between the Democrats and Federalists of the United States.

About this time a theatre was opened in Philadelphia with a benefit concert for Gilbert Fox, a rising young singer. One Saturday afternoon this young man called upon Joseph Hopkinson, a young lawyer, and asked him to write some patriotic words to the "President's March," a tune which had been composed at the time of Washington's first inauguration.

The following day he gave the words to Mr. Fox, who sang them at the concert Monday night. The song at once became popular. President Adams and many notable statesmen came to hear it. It was sung and whistled on the streets. Political differences were forgotten, and in the stanzas of "Hail, Columbia" the people caught new visions of their rights and duties as citizens of a free land.

YANKEE DOODLE.

When the Revolutionary War began, the colonists had no national hymn. We are told that during the French and Indian War a Dr. Richard Shackburg in a spirit of derision gave to the poorly clad and awkward colonial soldiers the words and music of "Yankee Doodle," telling them it was a fine martial tune. When they played it the British were greatly amused. Twenty years after these same militiamen marched to victory at Lexington to this much derided tune, while their British teachers skulked behind fences or sought refuge in retreat. And five years after this Cornwallis marched to the same tune at Yorktown to surrender his sword and his army to General Washington. This tune, given in derision, has become the battle hymn of the new republic, and whenever, since that time, the life of the nation has been imperiled, its well-known strains have aroused the people whom it freed, to the defense of their homes and their country.

Little is known of the history of the tune or of the origin of its name. No doubt it is several hundred years old, but authorities disagree as to its origin. One says the tune was commonly used by the Spaniards. Another claims the song was sung by German harvesters who worked in Holland and who sang a harvest song to this well-known air. While another tells us that the Puritans of Cromwell's time were ridiculed as "Naukeys" in a stanza adapted to this same tune.

The word "Yankee" is sometimes given as an Indian corruption of the word English. Or, as has been said, it was a contemptuous term applied to the Puritans. Others claim it to be a cant word, expressing excellence, which originated in New England, but which finally came to be applied to the people of that region as a derisive epithet. "Doodle," according to the dictionaries, means a trifling or simple fellow.

The words which were applied to this tune by the colonists were little more than meaningless doggerel, and are little known now. It is not the lofty sentiment of the words, but the catchy, rollicking tune, and the sacred associations, which give this song its place among our national songs.

THE BATTLE HYMN OF THE REPUBLIC.

Julia Ward Howe, the author of this stirring war song, was born in New York, May 27, 1819, and was married to Dr. S. G. Howe in 1843.

In December, 1861, Dr. and Mrs. Howe, with a party of friends, paid a visit to Washington. Everything about the city had a martial aspect. The railroads were guarded by pickets, the streets were full of soldiers and all about could be seen the "watchfires of a hundred circling camps."

One day the party drove several miles from the city to see a review of the Federal soldiers. An attack by the Confederates caused much excitement and delayed their return. Finally they started back to Washington under an escort of soldiers, and to while away the time they sang war songs, among others, "John Brown."

Waking in the gray dawn of the following morning, Mrs. Howe found herself weaving together words to the music she had sung the day before. Fearing she might forget the lines if she slept again, she arose and wrote down the verses of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic." The poem was first published in the Atlantic Monthly for February, 1862. The verses were published without the author's name, and she received but five dollars for them.

Of this great hymn, a recent writer says, "Unlike many of the songs of the civil war, it contains nothing sectional, nothing personal, nothing of a temporary character. While we feel the beauty of the lines and their aspiration after freedom, even in the piping times of peace, it is only in the time of storm and stress that their full meaning shines out. Written with intense feeling, they seem to burn and glow when our own emotions are aroused."

DIXIE LAND.

"Dixie Land," or "Dixie," as it is generally called, the most popular of the songs of the South, was written by Daniel D. Emmett, of Ohio. In 1859, Mr. Emmett was a member of "Bryant's Minstrels," then playing in New York. One Saturday evening he was asked by Mr. Bryant to furnish a new song to be used in the performances the following week. On Monday morning, Mr. Emmett took to the rehearsal the words and music of "Dixie." The song soon became the favorite all over the land. In 1860 an entertainment was given in New Orleans. The leader had some difficulty in selecting a march for his chorus. After trying several he decided upon "Dixie." It was taken up by the people, sung upon the streets and soon carried to the battlefields, where it became the great inspirational song of the Southern Army.

Many different words were written to the tune. Those by Albert Pike, of Arkansas, were much used, and are, perhaps, the most worthy of mention.

Like "Yankee Doodle," (with which it holds a close place), the original words of "Dixie" voice no great patriotic sentiment, and the music is not of a lofty character. Yet, like its companion, its notes stirred the hearts and crystallized souls who fought for the "Flag of Dixie."

Today, to the music of these two strange songs, there echoes the tread of a united people whose hearts are moved alike by the stirring strains, and who as they listen are ready to say with uplifted hands, bared brows, and reverent lips, "We give our heads and our hearts to God, and our Country."

THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER.

The "Star-Spangled Banner" was composed under the following circumstances:

It was on the evening of September 13, 1814, during the "War of 1812" that a British fleet was anchored in Chesapeake Bay. A Dr. Beanes, an old resident of Upper Marlborough, Maryland, had been captured by the British and sent as a prisoner to Admiral Cochrane's flagship.

Francis Scott Key, a young lawyer of Baltimore, hearing of the misfortune of Dr. Beanes, who was his personal friend, hastened to the British commander to endeavor to have his friend released. The enemy was about to attack Fort McHenry, so refused to allow Mr. Key and Dr. Beanes to return until after the fort was captured.

All through the night of September 13, the bombardment was kept up, and in the light of the "rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air," they could see the American flag still waving over the old fort. And when, in the first rays of dawn of September 14, he still beheld the same glorious banner waving from its accustomed place, Francis Scott Key wrote the words of that wonderful song, "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The next day Key went ashore, and, after copying his poem, showed it to a friend and relative, Judge Nicholson, who saw its worth and at his suggestion it was printed. Soon after it was adapted to an old English air known as "To Anacreon in Heaven," the composition of which is credited to John Stafford Smith, who is supposed to have written the music some time between 1770 and 1775. "The Star-Spangled Banner" was first sung in public by Ferdinand Durang, an actor, in a tavern near the Holiday Street Theatre in Baltimore, Md.

The flag of Fort McHenry, which inspired this song, is still owned and kept by Mr. Ebers Appleton, of Yonkers, N. Y., whose grandfather was one of the soldiers at the fort. This flag was made by a daughter of Rebecca Young, who had made the first flag carried by the Revolutionary soldiers, and, in commemoration of the one hundredth anniversary of the writing of the song, a buoy, on which is painted red and white stripes, and white stars on a blue field, has been anchored in Baltimore harbor as nearly as possible to the spot where Mr. Key, on the British ship, wrote the song, and, if you ever visit Baltimore, you should go out to see it.

Francis Scott Key was the son of John Ross Key, an officer of the Revolutionary army. He was born August 1, 1779, and died January 11, 1843, leaving "The Star-Spangled Banner" as a monument to his patriotic spirit, and an inspiration to his countrymen.

THE STORY OF THE FLAG.

Every boy and girl should not only know the "Star-spangled Banner" by heart but should also know the interesting story of our flag.

Miss Virginia Baker, a writer of many of the volumes of the Instructor Literature Series, has written a book entitled "Story of the Flag." It tells of the different flags which were used before the Stars and Stripes was adopted. It contains drawings of them, and, altogether, it is a book that every boy and girl, young and old, will find very enjoyable reading. The price of it in limp cloth covers, postpaid, is ten cents. Order it from the publishers of this song book.

COLUMBIA, THE GEM OF THE OCEAN.

Though there has been considerable controversy over who wrote this song it is now pretty well established as a fact that the idea and name of the song originated with David T. Shaw, and that at Mr. Shaw's suggestion the words and music were written by Thomas A. Becket, an actor. The hymn was sung for the first time in Chestnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, in 1843.

The song has been adapted and used by the English as "Brittania, the Gem of the Ocean," and in America it frequently goes by the title, "The Red, White, and Blue," and "The Army and Navy Song."

FIRST STARS AND STRIPES ON THE OCEAN.

On the very day (June 14, 1777) (now celebrated as Flag Day) on which Congress passed the resolution authorizing the national flag, Captain John Paul Jones was appointed Commander of the "Ranger," which was fitting out for service at Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

When this this news reached Portsmouth, some of the young ladies of that place (Tradition names five,–Mary Langdon, Augusta Pierce, Caroline Chandler, Dorothy Hall and Helen Seavey) made a flag from "slices of their best silk gowns" for presentation to Jones, who was in Boston at the time. He made the trip from Boston to Portsmouth for the purpose of receiving and displaying the colors, which event occurred, so it is recorded, July 4th, 1777, the first anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Other events of historical interest in connection with this flag was its first appearance on the ocean, November 1st, 1777, when the "Ranger" set sail to carry the message, "Burgoyne has surrendered," to the King of France, the voyage lasting 3 days, Jones landing at Nantes, December 2d, 1777. It received the first salute by a foreign naval power, February 14th, 1778, in Brest Roads when the "Ranger" sailed through the French fleet. It waved over the "Ranger" when she defeated the "Drake," and the "Bon Homme Richard" when she conquered the "Serapis."

Augustus C. Buell in his "History of Paul Jones" says: "When Jones returned to this country in February, 1781, he found Miss Langdon of the 'quilting party' a guest of the Ross family whose house was always his home in Philadelphia. By way of apology he explained to her that his most ardent desire had been to bring that flag back to America, with all its glories, and give it back untarnished into the fair hands that had given it to him nearly four years before. "But, Miss Mary," he said, "I couldn't bear to strip it from the poor old ship in her last agony, nor could I deny to my dead on her decks, who had given their lives to keep it flying, the glory of taking it with them."

"You did exactly right, Commodore," exclaimed Miss Langdon, "that flag is just where we all wish it to be,–flying at the bottom of the sea over the only ship that ever sunk in Victory."

HOME, SWEET HOME.

While the United States has no great war song which ranks with those of other nations, it has one song of peace that reaches not only the hearts of its own people, but touches a responsive chord in the hearts of the whole world. The song is "Home, Sweet Home."

Its author, John Howard Payne, was born in New York City, June 9, 1792, and died at Tunis, April 10, 1852. Payne's mother died when he was thirteen, and after that the author of the world's home song never knew what it meant to have a home of his own.

At the age of thirteen, Payne became a clerk in a mercantile house. At seventeen he went on the stage and achieved great success in the large eastern cities. He was twenty-one when he appeared in Drury Lane Theatre, London. He lived abroad for twenty years, and although he seemed to have been diligent and fairly successful, he was poor and often wretched.

He wrote several successful dramas, among them "Clari, the Maid of Milan." At the suggestion of the manager of Covent Garden Theater, the play was changed into an opera and the words of "Home, Sweet Home," were introduced into it. The song was a great success and enriched all who handled it except its author. He did not even receive the twenty-five pounds which was his share of the proceeds from the sale of the manuscript.

In 1822 Payne returned to America. Later he was appointed consul to Tunis and died there in 1852.

In 1883, through the generosity of W. W. Corcoran, the remains of John Howard Payne were brought to his native land and buried at Oak Hill cemetery, Washington, D. C.

FLAG SALUTE

"I pledge allegiance to my flag and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."