oggedness of the heart with a great zest for progress, a stout
martial fire, and a fierce _esprit de corps_; with patriotism indeed.
In almost every case, that march belonged to one John Philip Sousa.

It came upon this wretch then, that, if it is a worthy ambition in a
composer to give voice to passionate love-ditties, or vague
contemplation, or the deep despair of a funeral cortege, it is also a
very great thing to instil courage, and furnish an inspiration that
will send men gladly, proudly, and gloriously through hardships into
battle and death. This last has been the office of the march-tune, and
it is as susceptible of structural logic or embellishments as the
fugue, rondo, or what not. These architectural qualities Sousa's
marches have in high degree, as any one will find that examines their
scores or listens analytically. They have the further merit of
distinct individuality, and the supreme merit of founding a school.

It is only the plain truth to say that Sousa's marches have founded a
school; that he has indeed revolutionized march-music. His career
resembles that of Johann Strauss in many ways. A certain body of old
fogies has always presumed to deride the rapturous waltzes of
Strauss, though they have won enthusiastic praise from even the
esoteric Brahms, and gained from Wagner such words as these: "One
Strauss waltz overshadows, in respect to animation, finesse, and real
musical worth, most of the mechanical, borrowed, factory-made products
of the present time." The same words might be applied to Sousa's
marches with equal justice. They have served also for dance music, and
the two-step, borne into vogue by Sousa's music, has driven the waltz
almost into desuetude.

There is probably no composer in the world with a popularity equal to
that of Sousa. Though he sold his "Washington Post" march outright for
$35, his "Liberty Bell" march is said to have brought him $35,000. It
is found that his music has been sold to eighteen thousand bands in
the United States alone. The amazing thing is to learn that there are
so many bands in the country. Sousa's marches have appeared on
programs in all parts of the civilized world. At the Queen's Jubilee,
when the Queen stepped forward to begin the grand review of the
troops, the combined bands of the household brigade struck up the
"Washington Post." On other important occasions it appeared constantly
as the chief march of the week. General Miles heard the marches play