Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1851-01-11
The American Union.
i,y IT, " p.

II was when the rights Of nnii were
hut as d shadow when gfoaning beneath
the ifon.ewny Of oppression, he looked
forward with desponlinyllope and sliglied
over The nisefies Of his kind, that pill
grim bark bravinn tile winds and the
waves, less pitiless than tlte passions of
man uiIttfled lier sails OH the shores of the
Western World, and embarked baud Of
lion hearted heroes, W. fearless as ever blcd
in the defence Of truth. They had left
the home of their yontli--tle comforts of
wealth and the Smiles Of beauty, to seek u
Wilderness where nlirstled thought was
free, aud Tie God Of Mature had reafed his
immaculate temple pure and undetied. -
The a astonished savage hears the axe Of
civilization resoundng along the Atlantic
coasts, and bellolls in admiration from the
rock Of Plymouth the flames of freedom
soariiig like ineenee to the skies
A few years have passed away, nnd
Philip stands upon tho summit Of Mount
Hope and looks down with mingled
feelings Of grief and wouder, npon the
towns and cities scattered along the
mighty strcanis--lhe smoke Of the stately
mansion curling above The green foliage
Of the forest, and the sails Of conlnerce
whitening the inland shores. Their hunt.
ing grounds IRE ploughed up. .and the
golden oceans of grain wave over the
tonts Of his tirea. They fought tAd bloody
was the counict, the red man feA ana the
banners Of the free were planted in triumph
over their fall 10 the East, to the West,
to the North and tho South the tides Of
civilization have spread over the whole
Western World. The tree first planted
by the pilgrim fathers aud watered hy their
blood has grown to Il gigantic height,
towering height. towering IN lofty pride
till its summit has pierced the clouds, and
stretching its lea1y branches like the Pride
Of Iadia, overa boundess continent be-
meath, whose cool ntigoratng shade,
milliona of human beings now repose.
The arts and the sciences, hand maids
TO Freedom shed abroad, n taste for the
beautiful, The refined and spiritual We
have, it is true, not costly collection Of
gems, no rare productions of the ancient
masters, no museum Of arts, but we have
what ID superior TO these, the genius Tint
can produce them A sense Of the beauti-
ful pervndes the whole of our population,
we behold it in the su1le Of woman. i'll the
stately nlien Of the American boy, we
hear ii in the soft breathings OF music, we
gaze with delight upon it in the purling
fill, the joyful sunshine, the limits OF
flowers and ints the pictured landscape.
The poet has tuned his golden numbers
of song and drawn his inspiration from
her rock-ribhed mountains, her mighty
rivers, far stretching forests, the laundering
catafact.and nntatllamed cave. The orator
inspired by the genius Of the land points
ont from the pulpit, the rostrun, and eotm-
Gil halls Of the nation, the future prospects
of orr free born institutions, our laws aud
customs and dwells with rapture OH those
heroes who achieved those liberties with
the same enthusiasm as isfelt by the veteran
soldier.
"Who shoulders his erutch and shows how fields
are won
The puinter speaks and forth from the
rude canvas come the shapes of life aud
beauty. The sculptor infuses breath and
motion in the cold and inanimnte marble,
aud as we gaze upon the monuments oi
their genius we are led away rs willing
captives
'Chaincdto the chariot Of triumphal art
Nor these alone,--we have the venerable
form Of philosophy that would move tho
earth with its lever, grasp the thunders Of
heaven and weave garland Of the light.
ning's wing. Under tho grospof Fulton
the winged car thnnders over the valley
and plain and the majestic steamship puff
along the tinerous waters. Man has
indeed
aLaid his hand on oceans name
| And played familiar with his hoary locks.D
We have to our historians on whose
| graphic pages the annals of the past arr
portrayed aud spread livid colors ofligh
over the dark scenes and struggles of th'
Revolution. Here it is that we find tina
sacred instrument that recapitulates ou
wrongs and ranks US with the Independent
nations of the earth. Here we hnger il
1 fearful anticipation over the spot wher
the first blow for liberty was struck AM
mourn the untimely fate Of Warren tn
brave defender of Bunker's bloody heights
Here we synlpathise with the half-cla
troops and trace their blood tracked marc
along the frozen banks of the Delaware
1.-THE plains of Jersey and the hills Of th
Brandywine. Here we read with indie
nation Of the treason Of Arnold and tn
melancholy fate of the young, the gallan
i Andre.
u Here we rejoice in the triumph Of or
armies upon the vietoAot1s fields Of Iofl
| town, Trenton, Cowpsns, Saltwater an
Saratoga. Here too we follow the netec
flag Of our little navy over the ocean an
! hear the thnnders Of Old Iron Sides D
every sea. The voices of Bainbridg
Perry, Hull, Decatur and Jones snel
familiar to our ears and the last words
the lamented Laurence Dont g1re y
r lie Ship, can never be forgotten, bl
, shall sound as a watch-word to future age
! But what shall we say 81 him whose so'
Ipervaded these mighty movements, who's
perseverance increasing with despair ro'
) paramount to every obstacle. High {
Falne's gorgeous temple, far above King
i Conqnerors and Pontifs, einblazoned
: letters Of light, throwing their eifulgen'
I over half the world, stands the illustriol
nafae of WASHINGTON the Hero Of mar
. / ! wall -fonght field the Cincifdlatns Of I'll