And where are the foes that so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war & the battle's confusion
A home and a Country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footstep's pollution.
No refuge could save—the hireling & slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave,
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free & the home of the brave.
Those who use this verse to justify disrespect for the flag and the national anthem are wrong on two counts. They misconstrue the verse, and they incorrectly include it as part of "the national anthem."
The false interpretation is that, because it mentions slaves as foes, this verse (and therefore the entire National Anthem) somehow supports slavery. That's ridiculous! Taken in context of the whole verse, it says quite plainly that the waving flag marks the triumph of free men defending their homes against an army and navy of mercenaries and conscripts-- "hirelings and slaves"-- as were the British army and navy at the time. The American army and navy, by contrast, had NO mercenaries and NO conscripts. While it is true that slavery was still legal in 1812, and Francis Scott Key was indeed a slave-holder, the plain meaning of the verse is NOT a celebration of slavery. In fact, the words "hireling and slave" are better understood as insults against the British military, lauding the free men who triumphed over the King's slave army and hired mercenaries. Remember, it was the BRITISH we were fighting!
I am no apologist for slavery. Its historical existence is a horrid stain on the honor of the country I love. I have personally risked my life fighting against those who would enslave us and our friends. But the National Anthem is NOT a pro-slavery song, just because it contains the word, "slave". Those who think so do not understand the plain meaning of the verse.
That verse was originally part of "The Star-Spangled Banner," as penned by Francis Scott Key in 1812. But the song was not adopted as the national anthem until 1931, more than a century later, after slavery was outlawed. The versions in use officially at that time included only the first three verses. The fourth verse, containing the song's sole reference to slavery, has never been used officially as part of our National Anthem, even though it was part of the original lyrics.
Songs change over time. If we must consider the fourth verse as part of our national song, even though we never sing that verse, we should logically so consider ALL verses which have ever been part of the song, INCLUDING the FIFTH VERSE, added during the Civil War, which is specifically ANTI-SLAVERY:
When our land is illum’d with Liberty’s smile,
If a foe from within strike a blow at her glory,
Down, down, with the traitor that dares to defile
The flag of her stars and the page of her story!
By the millions unchain’d who our birthright have gained
We will keep her bright blazon forever unstained!
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall wave
While the land of the free is the home of the brave.
