Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-07-21
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From the National Era.
America,
ny THOMAS wIcKrRsHAM.


Columbia, thou land Of the patriots desire,
Where genius may burn and ambition aspire,
What darkens thy pathway to glory. or mars
Thy fame. that 1t may not ascend to the siarsl
Like the sons Of Aloens, giant in size,
Thou has, grown-what delays thy ascent to the
skiesa
No shaft from Apollo arrests thy career;
What letters thy progressl VIVA, chills thee with
fcarl
o, land Of my love, there Is gloom on thy brow;
II deepens-it scowls-it grows dark on thee now
Like the storm-cloud that's charged with the ihun-
ders Of wrath,
1t hovers around thee-it threatens thy path!
IT'S the plague-spo, of guilt thatbesPeaks the deep
sin
Whichis coiled like the folds of a serpent within,
And but waits for the hour when its yenenous fang'
May pierce thy torn bosom with torturing Pangs!
o, where is the spirit that kindled the fires
or freedom, and burned in the hearts Of thy sires?
And where is the pledge they consigned to thy trust,
When the yoke Of the Briton was irampled in dust?
Alas for the laurel they twined on thy brow
The cypress were better BETTING thee now!
Thou hastbroken thy faith-thou hast bartered thy
truth
Thou hast quCnched the free spiri, that lighted thy
youth!
With the best Saxon blood was thy liberty bought
o. how do thy sons set the purchase at nought!
For the curse Of oppression thy bright honor stains.
And where freedom once triumphed, 10! sidrery's
chains!
A wailing is heard in thy streets, and-behold!
The market where men in the shambles are sold!
And shame to thy honor--how false to thy trust!
There ,coman is bartered--the victim Of lust!
The groans of the father, the walls Of the child.
And the sh.isks of the .lnve-mother, frantic and
wild,
Go up with the voice Of the rude auctioneer,
As he sunders the ties held by nature most dear.
Not alone from the cane-feld and rice-swamp arise,
Meath the lash of the driver, the slave victims
cries;
Like the las, parting tones of the death-doomed
they come,
On the 1ephyrs that kiss the proud Capitol's dome!
What a nockery this to the fame thou hast won,
By the time-honored deeds which thy fathers have
done!
And how dost thou spurn that most noble decree,
Which declares that all men have a right to be free,
While the dus, of its authors is stirred iu their graves
BY the clank of the fetter-the footstep of slaves!
The Turk bears no fouler disgrace to his name
The Hindoo abhors thee--the Moor bids thee
shame!
o! cast from thy borders this dark burning shame
This blot on thy honor--this curse on thy fame
Ere it eats as a canker, consuming thy life,
Or pours out thy blood like tn assassin's red knife!
Lo! the seeds of destruction. once sown by thy hand,
Spring up to consume the rich bloom Of the land!
Repent. ere the hills with thy life currents drip,
And the cup of Gods vengeance is pressed to thy
lip!
When Freedom, ,riumphing, shall hail the blest
hour.
That dooms to destruction the Shareholders power
When broken for aye is the fetter and rod
And repentance turns back the fierce vengeance of
God,
Then no more shalt thou blush who by heather art
shamed,
But in deed and in truth shall thy name be pro-
claimed
Ger the rock-girted shore and the foam crested
Columbia, the home Of the free and The brare'
N COLLEGE, ONO.