The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-11-25
For the National Era.
PR0GRESS-TW0 VIEWS.
BY EDWARD SPENCER.

"Methinks this wild, this break neck gait,
Al which The mad world hurries past,
Should make all wise men stand aghast.
As ',were tossing whirlwinds blast
Dresding such speed precipitate.
I've seen huge waves OH rock bound shore
Rear high their white and foaming crest,
Then ,Swildy charging gainst the breast
or sturdy reefiines, quick attest
Their weakness, dashed TO spray, and lore.
The reef is order, man, the wave,
The stirring tempest, passions pride,
A moment conquering twill ride,
A moment churn its crested tide,
Then ripple back, an humbled slave ="
Not So, good sir; far in the West
I've seen "a mighty forest, boar
With frost of age, grown gray before
The fainie dream of Western shore
Disturbed unbendhg Colours rest
The aacieni, dark. and moss grown mould
Pampers he somhre G, press trees
There songsters breathe choice Iitsnits,
Aud there perennial bolanles
Rich bud, and bloom, and fruit unfold.
"All choked, and gone to fruiiless seed,
With riches that are lavish poured
Back whence they issued, and afford
No gift to man of all the hosrd
That is his own. by right ofneed.
He would there plant, as he would reap,
(He knows that labor foreruns bTead)
But in those shades of chilling dread
Where vipers every Ihicket inIead,
Where stealihy panihers noise'ess creep,
sand oil is wild, unkempt, and fierce,
lie finds no opening for his toll;
His spade breaks not the root choked soil,
And all conspires his aims 10 foil
His jealous work 10 blight aai curse
Until some chance.l t fame may wake
The forests languid iorpidness-
blade of flame that doth caIess
Only leaf in low recess,
Or bushes meath some humble brake.
fhen-as the leopard, tasting blood,
by the new luxury infamed,
No matter how he hath been tanned
10 savagery IL soon reclaimed
And gloa'Ing quais the grateful food
20 doth the hamelet with young greed,
Embrace some lime-worn, fallen nee
And soon, with roar ALL sDyelry,
With rampant, caring jubilee,
" Auriies OIL with msdden6d speed
"fill it hath circled all The wood
And grasps within its red embrace
The oaks stout strength, lao >soodbine's grace
And IN NAV FACE 10 Ia soon Oulpsce
Tho he-uolf IA with har l,ood
"The viper seeks the brook in vain,
The bison bellows his despair
The deer hath isf his bosky lair,
And eapeth pas, the umid hare,
Dreaming of shelter he may gair,
No cease, no pause, no slightest stay,
Can ohock the hamos, AS free they rant
Their power DER all, and shilani,
Atlune their roaring TO the chauhl
OF winds that pipe mo3rnful lay
"Tho beast is fed, the bird is flown,
The oak hath crashed, and is consumed
And where the lovely w,d flower ptsOssed,
The FIRE king hath his changers groomed-
Ger sii h. hatk kis LIVERY thrown
His crumbly ash, his circling smoke,
The suilen shoulder of his flame
All, who could guess this were The same,
so feeble, dim, inert, and tame,
That TO ills yoke the forest broke,
These linger ill the Summer rslR
Doth many times, with toSai aow
Submerge the masa; and winters snow
Its cIiEpy mantle of doth throw
Upon the scorcted and blighted plain.
" Then man, with restless, toiling hand
With cattle yoked, and harnesscd plough,
With straining nerve and sweaty brow,
With eye that careful cons tho how
TlleIh and tames The iesmful land
"NXhsrs but a weed was wont to spring
lie maketh grow a blade of corn;
The fertile bayfield, now is shorn,
"a here thrived the briar aud the thorn,
Aud where Le wild bird used 10 sing.
"Thns Ills wnh Progress; like the flames,
II sweeps a fo.est from the earth
Which once il cumbere red I; where was deafih
II bringeth plenty, wealth, and mirth-
II sears moment, but fore'er reclaims.
an,tdIy Is, 1851.