Rensselaer Republican, Volume 26, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 July 1894 — "My Country, 'Tis of Thee." [ARTICLE]

"My Country, 'Tis of Thee."

History of the Grand Old Anthem. S. Ft Smith, D. D., in Baptist Union. The story of the writing of “My Country, ’Tis of Thee” has been often told, but the many singers of the song still ask for a repetition of it, which I am happy to give: In the year 1831 or 1832, Mr. William C. Woodbridge, of Troy, N. Y., visited Germany with a view to examine the Prussian public school system, that, if any features in them were desirable they might be introduced into the schools of the United States. He found much was made in the German schools of singing by the children—the German teachers believing that nearly every one has a voice for singing,- requiring only the courage to bring it out. On his return to this country Mr. Woodbridge brought with him many books on musical topics, and music books, especially those containing music and songs adapted to children’s schools. These books he gave to Mr. Lowell Mason, known universally as a teacher and composer of music, also as editor of church singing books and leader and instructor of a children’s chorus in Boston. Mr. Mason gladly received the books, but they were all in the German language, oLwhich he knew nothing. I was at that time familiar with him, having occasionally written for him hymns or songs, which he pronounced helpful to him in his work. Knowing that I was at home in the German language, he brought me a large pile of books, requesting me, as I should find leisure, to turn over the leaves and to translate any German songs which impressed me favorably, or to make new hymns or songs of my own, so that he could use the music in his chorus. I was then a student of theology, in my last year in Andover, Mass. One afternoon in Februiry, 1832, in a leisure moment just oefore sunset, looking -through one jf these books, I fell in with the tune, “God Save the King,” set to Jerman words. I liked the tune, wd observing that the words were patriotic, not attempting to imitate them, I felt at once the impulse to write a patriotic hymn of my jwn, in the same meter. I had no j thought of producing a national j nymn, and did not suppose I had ; written what would find such universal interest. In half an hour the' cymn, written on a scrap of paper which was at hand, stood substantially as it is known to-day. I soon forgot that I had written it, and did *ot see it again for many weeks. I gave it afterwards with other songs io Mr. Mason, and to my surprise found on the following Fourth of July that he had made it a part of lis program of a children’s celebration in Park Street church, Boston. Mr. Mason importuned the Boston school committee to introduce singing into the schools of the city. With this exercise, my hymn found its way to the front. What is done in the’ city usually is imitated in the country. So singing in the schools was everywhere introduced, and with singing, the patriotic words at >nce became popular. Perhaps these seeds of patriotism had much to do with instilling into the minds jf the young a love of country, which helped to prepare patriots and soldiers for the days of the country’s seed. And in patriotic meetings, jn the march, in the camp, on the battlefield, in hospitals, at soldiers’ funerals, in days of triumph, and in the cloudy days of defeat, the words rang out again, as the most fitting expression of the heart of the soldiers and the people. The hymn has gone round the world, and now,

after sixty years, it seems as near the public heart as ever. I have heard it ih all lands, wherever Americans arc found. On my eightyfourth birthday (October 7 21, 1892), in the celebration of the discovery of America by Columbus, the children sang it as well as their fathers from the Atlantic to theßacific, from the risingto-thesettingsum