Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1853-07-16

his collected poems, Of them struck as having
much Of the clear ring of poetic metal which distinguish
the gems above named that laid it by for convenie
season, and present it to readers 1t is entit,
THE FIREMAN.
There is stern pleasure in the shock of war
The wheeling squadron and the bayonet's jar;
When martial lines their cleaning fronts enlarge,
And the earth reels beneath their fiery charge;
When battle smoke lowers darkly Ger the land,
Where bleeding freedom makes her frmest stand
Our flag of heaven, with burning bars, shall glow,
And fash its starry terrors on the foe;
The glittering sabre and the dancing plume
Shall charm the icy terrors of the tomb
The muskets flame, the rockets lurid glare,
And culv rim bursting on the midnight air;
The trumpets clangor, and the drums deep roll,
And booming cannons FIRE the warriors soul
To know he struggles in holy cause
For God his country, liberty and laws
TIE see the foes thinn' ID ranks in terror fly,
To hear from CORY lips the shout Of victory;
For freedoms realm, the freest meath the sky ri
Our own dear native and-oh it were joy to die
But the poor fireman, in the direst hour,
Is doomed to combat more fearful power,
Without the inspiration he would feel
Midst bannerd hosts and cleaning ranks of steel;
When fiery columns Ger our homes arise
With their red horror streaming in the skies:
Too oft, alas, he sinks amidst the fame!
Unmarked by history and unknown TO fame;
For the dire foe with whom he battles there
A fallen hero ne'er was known to spare;
His tameless warfare will no prisners save
And to the yanquished cen denies grave
Oh, blessed hour-oh, precious time of rest
Dear to the weary and the mourning breast!
The winds are hushed, the city hath no sound
Save the lone clock, measuring lifes speedy round
Or the blithe cricket singing in the dark,
Where the swept hearth emits cheering spark.
The fireman sleeps And in his sunny dream
cottage stands beside purling stream
group Of pleasure and becoming mirth;
His babes his partner, cheer its social hearth
While trees of glowing fruit, all fenced about,
And fields Of ripening corn are seen without;
His horse, his dog, sleep meath the sunny wall,
And a'bue sky is bending Ger them all.
But bark There busts upon his startled ear
cry that fills the very soul with fear
Swelling each instant louder, clearer, higher,
Till earth and heaven reverberate-fre fire!
He wakes 10 see the cinders pour on high
Like volcano bursting in the sky;
While ringing bells confirm his waking fear,
And the hoarse trumpet thunders in his ear.
No time has be for parley or delay
His hat-his ready coat-away, away,
Springs from the threshold of his quiet home,
Mounts Ger the ladder to the blazing dome,
Where soon he stands upon the dizzy height,
And Yields the torrent with giants might
Or works the engine in the icy street,
Amidst the rushing storm, the driving sleet;
Till the sharp frost unnerves his willing hands,
Or piercing winds have frozen him where he stands.
A cry within those fiery walls is heard
What aid, alas can human strength afford
Flames are devouring each devoted room,
Fierce as the living Hindoos burning tomb.
suffocating darkness loads the air
The ceiling CLOVIS, and cracking flames the stair
No time for thought! Amidst the FIRE he leaps
His daring feet have pass'd the scorching steps
And, blind and breathess bursts the yielding door
Springs TO his prize DER the consuming floor;
Then turning finds too late oh God too late
He has but come to share the sufferers fate
One hdeous glare that instant shoots around,
And the whole pile lies smoulderng on the ground
They sink together in one common grave
The feeble there, and be who came to save
We are sorry to add to the above spirited effusio
what we have learned since the poem was laid by f
publication that its gifted author has been little al
precated by those to whom has been committed the
rangement Of the cerkshps under the late law that
has been degraded from respectable position he had f
two three years held in the Treasury to the lowe
grade Of 5000 clerkshps Of which only few are auth
rized We understand, however, that he Indignantly
promptly declined to accept it.
We are panied to add further (snce we have occasion
refer the above case that old friend and universally
respected correspondent, Tacits 1.-THE venerable WI
LIAM DARBY who has occupied humble clerkship f.
some years past has shared the fate Of Mr. CUTTER,
been dsrated to the very foot Poetry and History
alike in disfavor with the classifying Board but dout
IL the Secretary or the President either would have
toned this put upon genius, literature wisdom
age had il been brought to their notice in time to aver
it. OF the late remarkable article Of Mr.. DARBYs tn
Turkish question the enlightened Baltimore America
takes the following notice
"THE QUESTION OF THE DAY.-Every thing has tw
sides at least and hence every thing TO be properly
derstood, must on both sides be fairly considered A
article on the Question Of the Day. the Turks
controversy about the Holy Places appeared in Wednes
days National Integencer, from the learned and acut
pen Of William Darby His contributions that journal
ntermttedly continued through many years, especial
those under the signature Of Tdcus, have conferred
Mr. Darby much distinction accurate narrator and
some considerable degree philosophical commentato
in the department Of history. Whatever makes its ap
pearance with his attached is pretty be
Of the first things read and has always claims to bein
well pondered.'
TAn1r ARE EnR THE PREsipFNT.-A snnerh break