Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1844-12-27
A Free Traders Frccdom.

A noble strain by William Cullen Bryant.
"THE ANrIaU1rT OF FREEDOM.
Here are old trees, tall oaks and gnarlcd pines,
ground
Was never trenched by spade, and flowers spring
up
Tnsown, and die ungathered. It is sweet
TO linger here among the fitting birds,
And leaping squirrels wandering brooks, and winds
That shake the leaves, and scatter, as they pass,
A fragrance from the cedars thickIy set
With pale blue berries. In these peaceful shades,
Peaceful, unpruned immeasuraby old
My thoughts go up the long dim path of years,
Back to the earliest days of liberty.
ooh, FREEDoM! thou art not, as poets dream,
A fair young girl, with light and delicate limbs,
And wavy tresses gushing from the cap
With which the Roman master crowned his slave
When he took off the gives. A bearded man,
Armed to the teeth, art thou; one mailed hand
Grasps the broad shield, and one the sword, thy
brow,
Glorious in beauty though it he, is scared
With tokens of old wars, thy mssive limbs
Are strong with struggling Power at thee has
launched
His bolts, and with his lightnings smittcn thee.
They could not quench the life thou hast from
heaven.
Merciiess power has dug thy dungeon deep,
And his swart armorers. Ivy thousand fires,
Have forged thy chan yet, while he deems thee
bound,
The links are shiverel, and the prison walls
Fall outward: terribly thou springest forth,
AS springs the fame above burning pile,
And shoutest to the nations. who return
Thy shoutings while the pale oppressor fiea
"Thy birthrght not given by human hands
Thou vert twin-born with man. In pleasant ieldss
While yet our few, thou sat'st with him,
To tend the quick flock and watch the stars
And teach the reed to utter simple airs.
Thou by his side, amid the tangled wood.
Didst war upon the panther and the wolf,
His only foes and thou with him didst draw
The earliest burrows on the mountain sips,
] Soft with the deiuge. Tyranny himself,
The enemy, although of reverend look,
E1oary with many years, and far obeyed,
Is later born than thou; and as he meets
p The grave defiance ofthine elder eye,
j The usuper trembies in his fastness.
"Thou shalt wax stronger with the lapse ofyrarss
But he shall fade into feebIer age,
+ Feebler, yet subtIer. He shall weave his snares.
] And spring them thy careless steps, and clap
His withered hands. and from their ambush call
: His boards to fall upon thee. He shall send
!, Quint makers, forms of fair and gallant lnien,
a To catch thy gaze, and uttering graceful words
To charm thy ear, while his sly imps, by stealth,
Irvine round thee threads of Steel light thread
Is thread,
That grow to letters or bind down thy arms
> With chains concealed in chaplets. OH! not yet
f. May'st thou Embrace thy corslet nor lay by
Thy sword; nor yet, o Freedom! close thy lids
= In sIumber: for thine enemy never sleeps,
: And thou must watch and combat till the dsy
.. Of the new earth and heaven. But wouldst thou
S. rest
Awhile from tumult and the frauds of men,
. These old and friendly tumuts invite
s. Thy visit. They, while yet the forest trees
d Were young upon the unvioIated earth;
e And yet the moss-stans on the rock were new,
; Beheld thy glorious childhood, and rejoiced."
n There are lessons taught in these powerful lines
which ought not to be lightly banished from memo
ry. It was overweening confidence that caused
;e nations to lose their freedom monopoly, the most
insidious form If tyranny. is on the watch to
ID avail itself Of unguarded movements, and there is
as much necessity for vigilance TO preserve Tree
e.. dom as for courage to achieve 1t.
to
Husband, where in the name Of sense did
L.. - :ls 1rat hia tananar fxonn non1f kIkW