The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-10-26
PRAYER or PLAcIDo

ihAh Eh VT IbhNibo
God OF unbounded love and power eternal
To Thee turn in darkness and despairi
Stretch forth Thine arm, and, from the blow In
ferual
Ofcalumny, the veil ofjustice tear,
And from the forehead Of my honest famo
Pluck the worlds brand of inilmy and shame
o. King Of kings. my fathers God. who only
Art strong 10 save, by whom Is all controllcdj
Who giy'st the sea It's waves, the dark and lonely
Abyss Of heaven lt.ilght, the north It's cold
Life t. the flower, and motion to the streams!
All things obey Thee dying or reviying
As thou commanded, all, part from Thee,
From thee alone their life shd'power deriving.
Sink and are lost In vast eternityi
Yet do the void obey Thee. since from naught
This marvellous being by Thy hand was wrought
O, merclGll God Icannot shun Thy presencci
For through its veil OF hesh, Thy percinSeyo
Looketh upon my spirits uns0ilcd essence.
As throus "a the pure transpaTencc Of the sky,
Let LOt the opprcssOr clap his bloody hands,
As o'er my PROSTATE innocence lac stands
but II, alas II seemoth good 10 Thee
That should peri. rs tho guilty diesj
That my cold, manglcd corso my foes should sec
With hateful malice and cSultins eyes
Speak Thou the word, and bid them shed my blood
FULLY In me Thy will bo done, U God
On arriving at the fatal spot, he sat down,
as ordered, ON bench, with his back TO the
soldiers. The multitude recollcctcd that,
in some affecting lines written by the con-
spirator in prision, he had said that it would
bc useless to seek to kill him by shooting his
body-that his heart must be pierced ere II
would cease its throbbngs. At the last mo-
mcnt, just US the soldiers were about to fire,
he rose up, and gazcd for an instant, around
and above him, on the beautiful capital Of
his native land and its sail-ntcked bay, on
the dense crowds about him, tho blue noun
tains in the distance, and tho sky glorious
with the summer sunshine. 'Adios, mundo =
Farewell, world y he said, calmly, ahd sat
down. The word was given, and five balls
entered his body. Then it was, that amidst
groans and murmurs Of tho horror-strickcn
spectators, he rose up once more, and turned
his head to tho shuddering soldiers, his face
wearingan expression ofsuperhuman courage.
.'Will no one pity MOI" he said, laying his
hand over his heart. "IIcre, fire here 90
While no yet spoke, two balls entered his
heart, and he fell dead. Thus pcrishcd the
hero poet OF Cuba. flo has not fallen in
vain. Ills genius and his heroic death will
doubtless bo regarded by his race as precious
lcgacies. To the great names Of L'0uver-
turc and Potion, the colered man can now
add that Of Juan Placido.
The following remarkable lines were writ
ten on the wall Of Placido's prison tho day
before his execution
o, Liberty / sigh for theo
To,brcak this chain and dungeon bars
| hear thy spirit calling,
Deep ia the frozen north afar,
With voice like Gods and yisage Ikea star.
Long cradled on the mountain wind,
Thy mates the eagle and the storm.
Arise and from thy brow unbind
The wreath that gives Its starry form,
And smite the strength that would thy strength
dlsarm.
Yet Liberty thy dawnlng light.
ObscuIed by dungeon-bars shall cast
A splendOr on the breaking night L.
Aud tyrants, flying thick and fast,
Shall tremble at thy gaIe and stand a:hast.