Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-12-30
CARRIERS ADDRESS.
TO THE PATRONS AND FRIENDS OF THE
DAILY AND WEEKLY JOURN l.

IA l. - IN
CHRISTMAS DAY, DECEMBER 70, 1865
KIND FRIENDS, the custom of this festive time
Demands the humble tribute of rhyme
To greet each patron with passing lay,
And wish to all 60 merry Christmas day"
Crownd By bright smiles and joyous Christmas cheer
Aud follow'd by the promise of a glad new year;
Where hope may find reality at last,
And each fresh hour be happier than the past.
We can but wisb,-for on life's chequer'd scene,
We know what is to be, from what has been;
We know that JOY alternates still with sorrow-
That smiles to-day may turn to clouds tomorrow
Each private bosom knows its private grief,
To which public plaudits bring relief;
Nor stern assault can add sharper sting
To those which sadden'd memory may bring:
A childless President who mourns his SON
His last, his noblest and his emily one
Fen in success may feel his rising JOY
Check'a by the image OF his manged boy;
Fen in reverse may all too deeply know
That fate darker trial can bestow;
The praise-the censure, or the wild cutlery
Of Hards and g Softs may pass UNDECIDED by
The heart must feel that in this turmoil fierce,
Ambition claims no thoughts from Franklin Pierce.
While fashions votaries thronged the shore,
Where breaks the ocean, or beside the roar
Ofwild Niagara, pasSd away the hours,
Or sought for health ~ in Saratoga's bowers;
Or view that ppse of glass which playful malice,
In sportive mood had nam'd the Crystal Palace"
While peace and plenty blessed the smiling land,
Pale pestence hung DER its Southern strand
Hung DER the orange groves, whose breezes blow
Soft perfumes to the gulf of Mexico
Hung Ger that Southern Queen who sits beside
The :: Crescent - sweep of Mississippis tide
Hung o'ef her homes, where oft at evning's close
4z:Il i
Hung Ger her prouder halls of wealth and state,
How soon, alas left lone and desolate.
That scourge has passd away, and scarce trace
Remains to mark it, save the burial place.
Where trench and pit received the mingled mass
OF what ,ras human life, but now, alas,
Where swOl'n corruption has assumed its sway,
And cen the human form has passed away.
Save where is told the sadly piteous tale
In widows tears and frendess orphans wall.
Like Oceans waves above sunken bark,
As bright the surface Shines beneath as dark,
Rolls on the living tide that rushes DER
The place that knew them once-but never more.
May echo to their tread.-Lke dew in sun
They passed away-ther earthly race was run
Embattled thousands stand on Danubes shore,
Old Euxne trembles to the lannon's roar;
Circassa's vaes echo back the cheer
OF bearded Inrk or sturdy mountalneer;
While pour along to dare the dubious fight,
The serried egions of the Musc0vite,
To drive the crescent from old Stambouls walls
And plant the cross above her Sultan's halls
But things are chang d since once the wild crusade
Drew western arms to eastern christians aid,
The paling crescent seeks but simple right
The cross-a pretext for unhaow'd might,
To stretch the Empire Of the grasping Russ,
Ger the bright waters of the I3osphorus
But all in vain, for still even yet
Old highlands fleets and Frances bayonet
May strike for justice, and the Russian bear
Be driven back, bowling, to his Northern lair
So lie it be--but come whatever may,
The straightest is still our wisest way,
To guard with care the rights fathers won,
To bear aoft flag untrampled on,
To do no wrong ourselves, and suffer none
To keep aoof from foreign strifes and bros,
To seek conquest, and to spoil8.
Our rhyme is rhymed, simple lay
With passing things, will pass away;
Our task is done-we trust that you
viii let g the devils have their due,
That they. in their IS birthstone - way,
May have a merry Christmas day.
The senior Devil on behalf of himself and all the little
u.s. would beg leave to state that the poeical market is
y supplied, and that, after tremendous exertion the
the hest that could be done under the circumstances
author crosS,eyed man. with bad hat went off afte
preparation of this euon and has since been heat
punishment. Some unheard-of penalty must be enfo
should the audacious sinner be discovered The only
il the 1"rcon that meets car approbaton is contain
the ,at SIX lines ~ "eestlon, we think, is good
sensible. and commend the attention of the patr
We did apply to the Editor, who responded to our ca
quoting the following lines from the immortal Epic
gifted Smcllfuu5us F
: No more man make himself poet,
No morn a sheep can make itself goat
Turnpike ARD Divorce.
One winter there came to Trenton two mon M