Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1837-09-11
]. pIERPOINT.
A WoRDFROM A PETITIONER, TO con-
GRESS.
BY J. PIERPoINr.

BY J. PIERPoIEr.
What our petitions spurned The prayer
OF thousands-tens Of thousands-cast
Unheard beneath your speakers chair
But ye UW hear us, first or last.
The thousands that, last year, We scorned,
Are millions now. Be warned Be warned
Turn not contempiuous, on your heel; -
tits not for an act of grace
That, suPplianis, at your feet we kneel:
we stand I'VE look you in the face,
And say-and we have weighed the word
That our petitions SHALL be heard.
There are two powers, above the laws
Ye make or mar They've our allies.
Beneath their shield we'll urge our cause,
Though all your hands against us rise
We've proved Thorn, and we know their might;
The CONSTITUTIONS and the RIGHT.
We say not, yc shall snap the links
That bind you 10 your dreadful slaves
Hug, if ye will, corpse that stinks,
And toll on with it to your graves
But that yc may go, coupled thus,
Yc never shall make slaves ofus.
And what, but more than slaves, are they
Who're told they meier shall be denied
The right oil prayer; yet, when they pray,
Their prayers, unheard are thrown aside?
Such mockery they will tamely bear
Who're fit an iron chain to wear.
The OK, that tieadeth out the corn
Thou shalt not muzzle' Thus saith God.
And will yc muzzle the free born
The mdn--the owner Of the sod
Who gives the grazing OK his meat
And you-hls servants here-your seat2
There's cloud, blackenng up the sky
East, west, and north, its curtain spreads.
Lift to its muttering folds your eye
Beware! for, bursting on your heads,
II hath force to bear you down -
IT'S an INsULTED PEOPLES frown.
You may have heard Of the Sultan,
And how his Jannissaries fell
Their barracks, near the Atmeidan,
He barred, and fired land their death-yell
Went to the stars,-and their blood ran
In brooks across the Atmeidan.
The despot spako: and, in one night,
The deed was done. He wIelds. alone,
The scepre Of the Ottomite,
And brooks no brother near his throne.
u ven now, the bow-sring, at his beck,
Springs round his mightiest subjects neck.
Yet will He, in his saddle, stoop-
I've seen him, in his palace-yard--
To take petitions from troop
Of Domen, who, behind his guard,
lone up their several suits TO press,
10 state their wrongs, and ask redress.
And these, into his house Of prayer,
I've seen him take and, as he spreads
His own before his Maker there,
These woinen's prayers lie hears or reads
fsT while he wears the diadem,
He is instead of God to them.
And this he must do. He may grant,
Or may deny; but hear he must,
Were his Seven Towers of adamant,
They'd soon be evepd with the dust,
And public feeling make short work
should he not hear them--with the Turk.
Nay start not from your chairs, in dread
VI cannon shot, or burs ting shell!
These shall not fall upon your head
AS oncef upon your house they fell.
We have weapon, frmer set
And better than the bayonet -
a weapon that comes down as still
As snow-hakes fall upon tho sod
But executes a frceman'S will,
As Lightning does the will of God
and from lis force, nor doors nor locks
Can shield youths the ballo.-box.
Black as your deed shall be the balls
That, from that box shall pour like hail!
And, when the storm upon you falls,
How will your craven checks turn pale
For, at lis coming through ye laugh,
Twill sweep you from your hall, like chaif.
Not womeni nowi-the people pray.
Hear us-or from US ye will heart
beware IA desperate game ye play!
me men, that thickcn in your rear
Kings though yo be-may not be scorned.
Look to your move your stake !-Ys're u,arao
when the Britsh entered Wasbiny,o, in ,
war Of lel2--l5 ~