Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1831-05-07
SELECTED POETRY.
From he United States Ga-etie.
To ny COUNTRY.

TO thee, who standes, child in age
Amid the nations now,
Yet round " h0se monarch brow
y. bound the wreath of neverdying glory
Thee, who hstst freedom for thine heritage,
Yet boaist no deeds ia lsurel'd minsirei's story,
In whose pure realm and simple cline
The pomp OF courts, and pride and king grace
Meter found dw cling place,
To thee tune my ley, thou prculeet work OF Time!
War pea,e his clarion. ard embattled myiiads came
To crush thee in their might,
With spear and corset glittering bright,
And yeugelul brow as black rs night;
With goltlt banner hsughtily unfur,ed,
As though they marchedt 60 conquest o'era world,
Yet thou vast still the same.
The, came like cloud in the might Of its wrath,
which the demon OF death marsi&ls in its path;
r like the dread that sweeps DER the sands,
where the desert hits up its parched face to The sun;
With hSte in their hearts and with blades in Their
hands,
Ere they struck they had vowed tina, the battle was
They came, but li''le did the, know,
Those men Of pomp, and pride, and show,
How hrm the heart that fights for life
Can keep in am unt quail STRIFE;
And httle did the. heed the bresth
That cried, " On, On for freedom or 10 DEATH"
rhey camethey quai!ed beneath thy glaIce.
Threw down each broken sword and spintered lance,
And s.ood, palsied nation in trsnce!
In blood writ thy scroll Of fame,
In tNfantS blOOd-a nationS shame,
The pgoudest that the world could claim,
Was gFsved by thee on llis,or,'s page,
And thou hast gained BY it name
That VIII east tlro' every future age.
Empires have moudered into ruin--Rome
las mingled all her greatness with the clay
{ fher seven hills; no longer now the home
of yalor and ofyrtuc. She remains,
With hat OF life blood courses ,hro' Ter veins,
vesiige other glory in The oden DIS,
Carthage, and Athens, and Pam!rs- here
Mid stOried pillar, Urn and monument,
On which the genius OF the earth was spent,
The Tiger aad the Leopard make their lai-
And Inches have lived and died, and passed away;
Yet thou shalt live till time may be no more.
: i'll the last trump may pesl along the shore;
For thou art like rock bull citadel,
Made time proof where the tempcsts dwell.
Thy sons--a bright and mSrshalled band
OF Roman stamp-sround thee stand,
As warm of heart and quick of hand.
As men of olden day;
And should a breath against thy name.
4 charge against thy well canned fame,
BE heard-eac soul is nerved, each heart is hame,
In blood TO wipe the stain away
Thy daue hters- ne'sr in Eastern cline,
That land Of love, aud sn, anal crime,
Whose shattered ruins feeby tell
The ills her race has known too well;
1ha, land than in whose soul the brave
Gould once have found no hoer grave;
The history &c whose haPless race,
rhro' blood and tears We tinly trace;
I Ia gluriss of whose brighter day
Like morning Inis,s have passed away;
" bile mental slavery fingers there
70 curse the few whom death may spare;
Yet wh,re b,igh; maids III angel mould,
I heir beauties to the sight unfold,
Set there msu's cherries lot 20 bless
AN Eden ia some widerns
The hue of whose clear laughing eyes
Can fear rival but her skies,
The beauty of whose ruty lip
Might tempt the bee its oew osir;
whose long end curling golden hair
Floats ike sunset cloud ~ s'r;
The light Of whose unshadtd brew,
Can mske e'cn mailed narchs bow;
Thy ,iaue hters--,n that cline, say,
No farer m,ids are found than tie i. S.
Alexandra, u. c. ~