108

THE YOUTH’S CABINET.

 

 

Judge Hopkinson.

LL our readers will be interested

b\ in the man whose portrait is here
JO presented, when they are told
that his name is Joseph Hopkin-

son, the author of that popular national
song, “ Hail, Columbia.” His father’s
name was Francis Hopkinson. If you
will look at the picture representing the
signing of the Declaration of Independ-
ence, you will see his signature among
the rest. Joseph was born in Philadel-
phia, in the year 1770; so that when our
independence was declared, he must
have been about six years old. During
his life, which terminated only some

eight years since, he held a good many
different public offices. Twice he was
elected to Congress, and for many years
he was judge of the district court for
the eastern district of Pennsylvania.

The song which has rendered him fa-
mous all over the country, and which
has been sung by high and low, rich and
poor, wherever there is an American
heart, was composed when Mr. Hopkin-
son was quitea young man. He himself
gives an account of its origin, from which
it appears that it was written during the
summer of 1798, when there was a pros-
pect of a war with France. Congress