THE YOUTH’S CABINET. 109

was then in session at Philadelphia, de- | heart responded to it. It was sung at
liberating apon the matters connected | night in the streets of Philadelphia, by
with the war, and acts of hostility had | large assemblies of citizens, including
actually occurred. The contest between | members of Congress. Every true
England and France was raging, and | American heart responded to it.

the people of the United States were What a mighty power there is, after
divided into parties for the one side or | all, in a simple song or ballad! It has
the other; some thinking that it was often more influence, for good or evil,
best to take part with republican France, than a book so heavy that a little boy or
as that nation was then called, and others | girl can scarcely lift it. This song of
inclining to think favorably of embra- Hopkinson’s is an extremely simple one.
cing the side of England, under the belief | There is no logic in it—no parade of
that she was the great salvation of good | fine words. It is one of the plainest
principles and righteous government. things of its kind in our language. But
Mr. Hopkinson thought that a better | when it is sung, it excites in the breast
plan still was to adhere to the safe prin- | of every patriot a glow of enthusiasm for
ciples of Washington—to mind our own | the republic of the western world,
business, and to take part with neither | warmer, perhaps, than that of the elo-
government, leaving them both to fight | quence of a Patrick Henry or a Web-
their'own battles. Still, there were @ ster.

great many wise men in the country, at | Little friends, I want you all to learn
the time, who thought otherwise, and | “ Hail, Columbia,” aye, and I want
party spirit ran exceedingly high in rela- | you to sing it, too. Wherever you are—
tion to the national question. At this | north or south, east or west—I hope
time, Mr. Hopkinson wrote the song, be- | and trust you will cherish these senti-
ginning, ments, and such as these. There is a
great deal of bad feeling, now-a-days, on
the part of some people living in one sec-
tion of the country, toward people living
in another section of the country. They
call each other hard names. They do
not make sufficient allowances for habits,
and preferences, and prejudices, growing
out of different early education. Instead
of yielding, for the sake of peace, as
much as they can, without giving up
morab principle, to those who disagree
with them, they seem even to cling to
every jot and tittle of their own notions,
more and more closely. This is all
wrong. When there is difference of
opinion between two individuals, or be-
tween two communities of individuals, the

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 

« Hail, Columbia, happy land!
Hail, ye heroes, heaven-born band !”

The object he had in writing it was to
aid in getting up an American spirit,
which should lead all classes to regard
the interests of our republic as above all
price, Nota word is said in the song
about England or France, or the quarrel
between them, or which was the more in
fault in their treatment of this nation.
But it was well adapted to take off the
attention of the public mind from other
people’s quarrels, by eliciting a strong
sympathy for the young republic. The
song did the work which was allotted to
it, and did it well. Every American