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Songs, Odes, and Other Poems, on National Subjects (1842)
Songs Odes and Other Poems on National Subjects - 1842 Author:William McCarty Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: songs have been given: but as they seem to refer to important eras in our political history, the compiler hopes he may be pardoned for introducing them, especial... more »ly as he has shown himself impartial, by giving as many on the opposite side of the question. Philadelphia, April 24,1841. Sir:— In compliance with your request, I give you an accoont of the occasion and circumstances attending the composition of the national song of " Hail Columbia." It was written in the summer of 1798, when war with France was thought to be inevitable. Congress was then in session in this city, deliberating upon that important subject, and acts of hostility had actually taken place. The contest between England and France was raging, and the people of the United States were divided into parties for the one side or the other; some thinking that policy and duty required us to espouse the cause of republican France, as she was called ; others were for connecting ourselves with England, under the belief that she was the great preservative power of good principles and safe government. The violation of our rights by both belligerents was forcing us from the just and wise policy of President Washington, which wu to do equal justice to ln li, to take part with neither, but to preserve a strict and honest neutrality between them. The prospect of a rupture with France was exceedinglyoffensive to the portion of the people which espoused her cause, and the violence of the spirit of party has never risen higher, I think not so high, in our country, as it did at that time, upon that question. The theatre was then open in our city. A young man belonging to it, whose talent was as a singer, was about to take his benefit. I had known him when he was at school. On this acquaintance, he called on me on Saturday af...« less