SENATE BILL 49 P1 6lr0445 HB 1241/09 – HGO (PRE–FILED) CF HB 215 By: Senator Young Senators Young, Kelley, and Kagan Requested: July 10, 2015 Introduced and read first time: January 13, 2016 Assigned to: Education, Health, and Environmental Affairs Committee Report: Favorable with amendments Senate action: Adopted Read second time: March 16, 2016

CHAPTER ______

1 AN ACT concerning

2 State Song – Replacement Revision

3 FOR the purpose of changing revising the State song; and generally relating to the State 4 song.

5 BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 6 Article – General Provisions 7 Section 7–318 8 Annotated Code of Maryland 9 (2014 Volume and 2015 Supplement)

10 Preamble

11 WHEREAS, James Ryder Randall, a native of Maryland, wrote the poem “Maryland! 12 My Maryland!” while teaching in Louisiana during the early days of the Civil War; and

13 WHEREAS, Mr. Randall penned the poem at a time when he was extremely 14 despondent over the death of a friend who was shot while protesting Union troops as they 15 marched through ; and

16 WHEREAS, Mr. Randall’s poem calls for Marylanders to take up arms and join the 17 South in its battle against the Union and disparages Northerners and President Abraham 18 Lincoln; and

EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MATTER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW. [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. Underlining indicates amendments to bill. Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by amendment. *sb0049* 2 SENATE BILL 49

1 WHEREAS, The poem was adopted by Southern troops as a battle hymn and 2 remains one of this country’s most martial poems, the only state song calling for the 3 overthrow of the government; and

4 WHEREAS, The poem was adopted as the State song in 1939 and has continued to 5 stir controversy, resulting in numerous legislative efforts over the years calling for its 6 repeal; and

7 WHEREAS, After close examination of the poem and the allegiance and motivations 8 of its author, it is clear that the poem is inappropriate as a State song inasmuch as it The 9 historic State song represents a bygone era when our State was divided in the midst of the 10 Civil War and expresses emotions that were characteristic of the that most divided period 11 in this country’s history; and

12 WHEREAS, John T. White, a native of Frederick County, also wrote a poem entitled 13 “Maryland, My Maryland” in 1894, which celebrates the natural beauty of this State, an 14 agreeable theme in which all Marylanders can take pride; and

15 WHEREAS, As many in this State make increased efforts to find common ground 16 and work together harmoniously in a nonpartisan manner, this State needs a song that 17 unites us moving forward and carries a theme that will endure over time; and

18 WHEREAS, John T. White, a native of Frederick County, also wrote a poem entitled 19 “Maryland, My Maryland” in 1894; and

20 WHEREAS, As a tribute to his native State, Mr. White’s poem celebrates the natural 21 beauty of this State, an agreeable theme in which all Marylanders can take pride; now, 22 therefore, The State Song Advisory Group, headed by the State Archivist, convened in 23 October 2015 and recommended alternatives to the current State song, one of which is to 24 revise the State song by merging select verses from Mr. Randall’s and Mr. White’s poems 25 that meet established State song criteria; and

26 WHEREAS, Mr. White’s poem is more representative of a unified and inclusive 27 Maryland; now, therefore,

28 SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 29 That the Laws of Maryland read as follows:

30 Article – General Provisions

31 7–318.

32 (a) The poem [“Maryland! My Maryland!”] “MARYLAND, MY MARYLAND”, 33 written by [James Ryder Randall in 1861] JOHN T. WHITE IN 1894 and set to the tune of 34 “Lauriger Horatius”, is the State song.

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1 (A) THE POEM “MARYLAND! MY MARYLAND!”, WRITTEN BY JAMES RYDER 2 RANDALL IN 1861 AND SET TO THE TUNE OF “LAURIGER HORATIUS”, IS THE 3 HISTORIC STATE SONG.

4 [(a)] (B) [The poem] SELECT VERSES FROM THE POEMS “Maryland! My 5 Maryland!”, written by James Ryder Randall in 1861, AND “MARYLAND, MY 6 MARYLAND”, WRITTEN BY JOHN T. WHITE IN 1894, and set to the tune of “Lauriger 7 Horatius”, [is] ARE the OFFICIAL State song.

8 (b) (C) The words of the OFFICIAL State song are:

9 [I 10 The despot’s heel is on thy shore, 11 Maryland! 12 His torch is at thy temple door, 13 Maryland! 14 Avenge the patriotic gore 15 That flecked the streets of Baltimore, 16 And be the battle queen of yore, 17 Maryland! My Maryland!

18 II 19 Hark to an exiled son’s appeal, 20 Maryland! 21 My mother State! to thee I kneel, 22 Maryland! 23 For life and death, for woe and weal, 24 Thy peerless chivalry reveal, 25 And gird thy beauteous limbs with steel, 26 Maryland! My Maryland!

27 III 28 Thou wilt not cower in the dust, 29 Maryland! 30 Thy beaming sword shall never rust, 31 Maryland! 32 Remember Carroll’s sacred trust, 33 Remember Howard’s warlike thrust,–– 34 And all thy slumberers with the just, 35 Maryland! My Maryland!

36 IV 37 Come! ‘tis the red dawn of the day, 38 Maryland! 39 Come with thy panoplied array, 40 Maryland!

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1 With Ringgold’s spirit for the fray, 2 With Watson’s blood at Monterey, 3 With fearless Lowe and dashing May, 4 Maryland! My Maryland!

5 V 6 Come! for thy shield is bright and strong, 7 Maryland! 8 Come! for thy dalliance does thee wrong, 9 Maryland! 10 Come to thine own heroic throng, 11 Stalking with Liberty along, 12 And chaunt thy dauntless slogan song, 13 Maryland! My Maryland!

14 VI 15 Dear Mother! burst the tyrant’s chain, 16 Maryland! 17 should not call in vain, 18 Maryland! 19 She meets her sisters on the plain–– 20 “Sic semper!” ‘tis the proud refrain 21 That baffles minions back again, 22 Maryland! My Maryland!

23 VII 24 I see the blush upon thy cheek, 25 Maryland! 26 For thou wast ever bravely meek, 27 Maryland! 28 But lo! there surges forth a shriek 29 From hill to hill, from creek to creek–– 30 Potomac calls to Chesapeake, 31 Maryland! My Maryland!

32 VIII 33 Thou wilt not yield the vandal toll, 34 Maryland! 35 Thou wilt not crook to his control, 36 Maryland! 37 Better the fire upon thee roll, 38 Better the blade, the shot, the bowl, 39 Than crucifixion of the soul, 40 Maryland! My Maryland!

41 IX 42 I hear the distant thunder–hum,

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1 Maryland! 2 The Old Line’s bugle, fife, and drum, 3 Maryland! 4 She is not dead, nor deaf, nor dumb–– 5 Huzza! she spurns the Northern scum! 6 She breathes! she burns! she’ll come! she’ll come! 7 Maryland! My Maryland!]

8 I 9 WE DEDICATE OUR SONG TO THEE, 10 MARYLAND, MY MARYLAND. 11 THE HOME OF LIGHT AND LIBERTY, 12 MARYLAND, MY MARYLAND. 13 WE LOVE THY STREAMS AND WOODED HILLS, 14 THY MOUNTAINS WITH THEIR GUSHING RILLS, 15 THY SCENES – OUR HEART WITH RAPTURE FILLS –– 16 MARYLAND, MY MARYLAND!

17 II 18 IN TWAIN THE CHESAPEAKE DIVIDES 19 MARYLAND, MY MARYLAND. 20 WHILE OCEANWARD ITS WATER GLIDES, 21 MARYLAND, MY MARYLAND. 22 YET WE IN THOUGHT AND PURPOSE ONE 23 PURSUE THE WORK SO WELL BEGUN, 24 AND MAY OUR STATE BE NE’ER OUTDONE, 25 MARYLAND, MY MARYLAND!

26 III 27 PROUD SONS AND DAUGHTERS BOAST OF THEE, 28 MARYLAND, MY MARYLAND. 29 THINE IS A PRECIOUS HISTORY, 30 MARYLAND, MY MARYLAND. 31 BRAVE HEARTS HAVE HELD THY HONOR DEAR, 32 HAVE MET THE FOEMAN FAR AND NEAR, 33 BUT VICTORY HAS FURNISHED CHEER, 34 MARYLAND, MY MARYLAND!

35 IV II 36 “SAIL ON, SAIL ON, O SHIP OF STATE!” 37 MARYLAND, MY MARYLAND. 38 MAY WE, THY CHILDREN, MAKE THEE GREAT. 39 MARYLAND, MY MARYLAND. 40 MAY GRATITUDE OUR HEARTS POSSESS

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1 AND BOLDLY WE THY CLAIMS EXPRESS, 2 AND BOW IN LOVING THANKFULNESS, 3 MARYLAND, MY MARYLAND!

4 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 5 October 1, 2016.

Approved: ______Governor. ______President of the Senate. ______Speaker of the House of Delegates.