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The National Music of America. 159
of the march in question, or rather his son has claimed it for him. The march is also claimed by this son to have been first played on Trenton Bridge as Washington rode over, on his way to the New York inauguration. Richard Grant White, however, states, on what authority we know not, that the work was first played on the occasion of a visit of Washington to the old John Street Theatre in New York.1
But "The President's March" would eventually have died a natural death, had it not suddenly received an accession of patriotic words. These words were written by J. Hopkinson, Esq., who afterward became the Hon. Joseph Hopkinson, LL.D.,
1 " National Hymns," p. 22, foot-note. But in this paragraph, R. G. White is altogether too omniscient. He brushes away the most disputed points with comical terseness. " The ' Star-spangled Banner,' is an old French air," . . . " ' Yankee Doodle' is an old English air," — are specimens of this dismissal of doubtful topics by the literary autocrat. It may be good critical, but it is very poor historical, writing. |
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