Western union. (City of Hannibal, Mo.) 1850-1851, 1850-11-28

Natures great orator. Columbia's child!
Born in forest, tutored in the wild;
Free was thy step 10 roam thy native hills,
Or slumber softly by the mur.nurins riils.
Upon bank pcrchance thy form is laid.
In listess ase beneath quiet SHADE;
Guz.ng intcitly in the babbling brook,
Where caution, trcu, Just n,bbIe a the hoo'"
Or round the tempting halt ls gambOl- play.
Exciting hope. then cliy darts away
O'cr rciagg, sleeps NOW flies the oilrightcd deer
His hasty footsteps echo in the rear;
Deep bays the hound as the pursuit he leads,
Sharp cracks the rife, see! the victim blecd';
And leaps into the air with one wild bound,
The struggle DER he quivering bites the ground.
Wha, cares .he youth lor the black lcttcred page!
And all the learned folly of the age?
Since natures volume better pleased ms mind,
And taught a truer lesson of mankind.
iIe knew to apply the match and then pursue,
Zach varying shade as on a mirror true
The fiery though,s5that DER the features glow,
Now bright with icy, now illts a shade OF woe.
The human breast! with answering passions full,
He knew what cord 10 shun and what TO pull;
Where strike the blow, and when the lash apply,
And where 10 dart the Lightning of his eye.
SO well the workings of the mind could trace,
He knew its depth, its slow, or quickening pace,
When all was ready with an artists skill, -,
Could draw II forth and mould il TO his will.
Though free from letters as from birchen rule,
Yet deep the knowledge learned in natures
school;
Well were his hours employed since he could scan,
With one wide gaze the very soul OF man!
The Western world had felt q fearful shock,
Her ship of state was dashed upon rock,
BY headlong pilots on aioreign shore,
While round the thrcatning billows hoarsely roar,
The little band now grouped upon the deck,
With horror viewed each painting of their wreck;
Saw piece by piece their platform rndelY torn,
Swift from their reach upon the current borne;
Slavery or death seemed stalking on apace,
And spread n fearful gloom upon each lace.
Both argument and prayer, alike were VAN,
Each day was forged some new and CALLING chain
Whose ciankng filled their souls with new alarm
Convulsively they grasp their gllitering arms,
Some dared 10 speak of evils which they feared
Some only whispered lest their words were heard
Low murinurs raised 10 words, words TO debate
Each flashing speech some smothering fire isnates
They saw their thoughts swollen 10 mighty ball
But motionless within Virginia's hall
II seemed 10 re ST; none dared as yet to roll,
The giant monster that O'erturns the world.
Young Henry saw the struggle mus, begin,
Fer England's fetters clarked upon their limbs,
And held them powerless in the toeman's grasp,
Already had the Lions fearful ioar,
Shook like an earthquake our New England shore
Which drove the blood in icy cnrdes through
The shrink ing vcins;as flee, on fleet they view
With Briton's flag proud floating DER their crest
Their living freight in scarlet vestmcnts dressed,
Poured forth upon their shores a lava flood,
Ripened for violence, and deeds Of blood.
Henry arose, with blanching lip and cheek,
Oh! for the tongue of Cicero TO speak,
The smohered thoughts that rankle in his breast,
To wake his countrymen from iorpidrest,
To put that ball in motion wasa task,
That glowing eoqnence alone might grasp;
He felt rev strength and nerved his powerful arm,
,One mighty effort drove it bounding on!
The wise and c-eaf, were startled at the sound,
But onward still the echo!Dg ball resounds,
The name of freedom held them IN trance,
Twas Henry's voice that urged them TO advance.
Chains were behind, they knew not wHa, before,
But hist nethinks that sound the cannon's roar
From Lexington that death knel NOW was heaui
And Bunkers hill soon views the rerking sword,
Upon the field their dying comrades bleed,
They dare not pause, ye' fearful 10 proceed;
See! now young Henry leads the dubious way,
His flashing eloquence around them play,
They felt their strength revive, their bosons glow
With burning words that like torrent flow.
The fire was tanned toa volcanic flame,
The Eagle dared 10 grasp the Lions name!
The stars aud stripes waved proudly DER Ike iani
To keep it sacred from the spoilers hand.
Henry stood tirm by old NiIgihlas heim,
And dared the tyrant ofthe British realm;
Till in that State from whence the ballhe hur
ed
Th. blow was given that freed the Western worl,
BE Hcnry,s name upon our breasts engraved
The great, the coed, the noble, and the brave;
Whose eloquence In loudest thunders rolled,
And shook the earth from centre TO each pole.
old England felt the shock in mute snrprisel
Had their oppression bade ,h' old Roman rls
And wax the new world from its ethargy,
And bid them rise, shalse off their chains, be ire
Ah!'twas not Rome's great son convilsed the ear,
But thine, America! and he of humble birth I:
Nn,c the school in which he learned the art,
To thrill each chord that vbra'es on the he,rti
And kndle into life the moihered fire,
Incite to mirth, or Tears, at her desire;
His eloquence, alike tie soul infames
For love of liberty, and dread ofchains
True nobleness was stamp'd upon his brow,
To God above, his free-born soul would bow;
The rich, of his high converse freely shared,
The poor received the mite he illy spared.
He scorned the empty titles ofthe great,
And all sheir pride aud pageantry ofstate;
His life devoted tohis conntry's cause,
Was spent for liberty, and not applause.
And such was Henry, such may ever be,
Ia. h.to Americat