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Show FOUR AMERICAN SONGS. TWO WERE WRITTEN IN BATTLE AND TWO DURING PEACE. ' One of Them Averted a War The Sonroes of Inspiration of the Four WritersStrange Tact About the Miislo r "America" How Key Composed Ills Lyric. The four great lyrics of our country are "Columbia,, the Gem of the Ocean," "Hail Columbia," "Tho Star Spangled " Banner" aud "America." The ilrst named was written by Timothy Tim-othy Dwight, ancestor of Timothy , Dwight, the present president of Yale colleo-o. He wrote other patriotic anthems, an-thems, but "Columbia" is the only one by which he became famous, Dwight " was a native of Massachusetts taud a graduate of Yale. He studied law, intending to adopt it as a profession, but there being a dearth of chaplains in the Revolutionary army he became one iu Parson's brigade of the Connecticut line and served some time there. It was during this servico that lie composed the immortal song "Columbia," "Colum-bia," which at once attracted general attention, at-tention, and from the first became famous. fa-mous. It was composed without much thought, the times lieing full of patriotic feelings, which inspired the poet, and he is said to have expected no more than parsing fame for his production. It was caught up, however, by the patriots, and soon liocama known throughout the struggling colonies. After the war Dwight went back to tho pursuits interrupted inter-rupted by his entering tho army, and eventually became president of Yale . college, a txjsition which he held until his death in 1817. The author of "Columbia" was a voluminous vol-uminous writer, turning ont many extended ex-tended pot ins and books, but all seem to havo been forgotten but tho great lyric which he gave to his country during dur-ing the struggle for freedom. It will ever remain his monument. A 60NO THAT TOLD. The words and music of "Hail Columbia" Colum-bia" were composed under the American (lag. Its author, Joseph Hopkiuson, was a native of Philadelphia and the son of a nigner of the Declaration of Independ ence, Like the composer of "Columbia," "Colum-bia," he was the author of many other Miings in prose and verse, but nothing iias como down to our day with any lame but his national song. "Hail Columbia" was written in the 6ummer of 1708, wrenn we were having complications with France which threatened threat-ened to end in war. Hopkinson had an actor friend named Fox, who was to have a benefit at a theater, and it was for him that the Bong was composed. The niuslo which accompanied tho sung, and to which it is sung today, was originally the "President's March," which was written ten years before, on the occasion of Washington's visit to New Y'ork, by a German orchestra leader lead-er named Fyles. "Hail Columbia" sprang into sudden popularity, and it is said to havo averted the threatened war, as it incited national pride and roused the whole country. Joseph Hopkinson lived until 1S42, filling fill-ing various important offices and loved by all for tho great song he had given to his nation. Ho helped to revise the constitution con-stitution of Pennsylvania, was a warm friend of Joseph Bonaparte's during the ex-king's sojourn in this country, and at the time of his death was holding tha office of United States judge for tha eastern district of his native state, INSl'IIiliD liY BATTLE SMOKE. Of the mimy national song writers none havo enjoyed more enduring fame than the author of "The Star Spangled Banner." It is perhaps the greatest and most popular of all our songs and lyrics. It was comiioscd amid tho roar of cannon can-non and the bursting of bombs, and seems to have sprung without effort from the mind of its author. Francis Scott Key, tho author, was a prisoner in the hands of the British when tho song was composed. He had gone down tho bay at Baltimore, then being . attacked by the British fleet, for the pnr- poso of securing the release of a friend who was held by the enemy. He carried a message from President Madison asking ask-ing for the prisoner's release. Tho British Brit-ish commander agreed to the request, but told Key that he must be detained during the attack. Key and his friends were therefore hold back, and it was while they watched the terrific bombardment bombard-ment of Fort McHonry, now rnd then losing sight of the flag that waved over its ramparts, that he wrote "The Star Spaugled Banner." This took place in 1814. When he was released Key took his ' poem back to the city, where it was speedily printed to the inuido of an old English song, "Anacreon in Heaven," and in a short time was being sung all over the country. Dr. Smith's beautiful ode "America" was also adapted to an English air, that of "God Save the Qnee-a." Strange to relate, this same melody answers for the national song of the German empire, Great Britain and Ireland, Bavaria, Switzerland, Brunswick, Hanover, Norway, Nor-way, Prussia, Saxony, and does service in the United States as "3Iy Country, Tis of Thee." "America" has no stirring history surrounding sur-rounding its composition. It was composed com-posed in 13S3, and was first sung at a children's celebration at the Park Street church, Boston, on the Fourth of July the same year. Samuel Francis Smith, its author, is still living. He is a native of Massachusetts, where he was born in 1808. His famous missionary hymn, "The Morning Light Is Breaking," was written at the same time and place as "America," Dr. Smith has filled many important stations in the church, and has written volnminonaly, his contributions contribu-tions embracing nearly every branch of good literature. New York Telegram. |