Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-12-11
4 Poem for he Tlme,

When thou didst there stranger roam.
Alb yesI tits easy 10 recall
The vine-clad porch-the ample hall,
With every thing which wealth and art,
Of beauty, TO it cnnld Impart-
The happy wife-the children gay,
The host as josiai too as they,
While from the cotton elds theye rang
The eleesome songs of those who sang,
In full content and ease Of mind,
Beneath master strict bat kind.
Ali do not doubt, Il Is Irene
The same that you before have seen;
IT'S she who trembling covers there,
Like hunted deer or startled harej
'Tis she who seeks her babes to hide
The dark o'er-hanging rock beside;
'Tis she who makes Of leaves bed
Damp leaves pillow for the head
OF that fair child who erst did rest,
On pillows soft as cygnet's breast;
Then rouud the rest she throws each arm
As If TO shield them all from harm;
Ana in her agony of dread,
Strives vet 70 still their cry for bread.
Hall kneelng near-just by her side,
Is Der brave boy-his fathers pr &c;
Twelve wears or more with promise bright,
OF her fond heart he's been the light,
And now With fearful eye and kiss,
he pleads, "Oh, motherl why is thisf
EListen, my boy, will be calm,
Your sympathy the only balm
For this dark hour, it may be well,
In nv poor way, the cause to tell
To thee, my son, of all this woe,
Of all this long continued flow
or ills which DER the land doth sweep,
Like mountain torrents dark and deep.
This was glorious land, my boy,
OF every patriots heart the joy;
Our fathers bought il long ago
With fearful strife and deadly blow,
And 10 us, child, they left this land,
The "old thirteen noble band
OF sisters, one in name and heart:
How could these sisters ever parts
When life was for their Union spent,
Who dared to break this blood cement2
God blessed this noble land, my boy,
Nor can my mind distraught employ
Fit words to tell thee of its fame:
In distant lands IFS very name
Brought up such scenes of ease and wealth,
Of freedom happiness and health,
That thousands ihither turned their way
From wrongs at home frum famlnes sway,
And sought this land-when none might fall,
For here was bread and work tor all.
Our Northern sisters piled the loom,
And gladly gave the exiles room
Swift few the busy shuttles then,
The shining spindle called for men,
And whirring wheels and whining steam,
And mighty boats upon each stream,
Did make this goodly land Of old
vast machine for coming gold!
Then in this sunny South of ours,
This lovely land of fruits and flowers,
I>need not tell thee, boy, that here
We all possessed that heart could cheer;
From bursting bowls our cotton peered,
And golden corn IN heaps appeared;
Our lands supplied the work and bread
On which our Northern sisters fed,
And in exchange they to us gave
All that luxurious taste could crave
On every hill our churches stood,
And schools, their landmarks doing good,
Sprang up to aid and bless mankind,
Their souls TO save, their hearts refine.
Our commerce dotted every sea,
We were the brave, The envied free,
And proudly was our flag nnfurled
In every harbOr of the world.
More, more than this, whole nations gazed
Upon onr glory, and amazed
That they had calmly yielded long
To iron yokes and direct wrong,
Now with their Kisses, cries and groans
Upheave their despot's tottering thrones.
=" The problems solved" they cry, "s see, see,
"And doubt no more men may be free
Selfgovernment's no idle dream,
"Noshadowy myth for poets theme:
A grand reality, it lives,
"And peace, and wealth and glory gives"
Then Christendom with out-stretched band
Turned ever to this goodly land;
On US The hopes of millions stayed,
On rs the mighty work was laid
The men TO give-fhe means devise
The heathern world to Cbristianise.
just then, my boy, when every eye
Was turned upon our clOudless sky,
Just then-just then, how shall ! tell,
Our glorious stars in darkness fell"
How could it be? oh mother say,
How came the evils of today"
" Ny memory fails me, boy, TO reach
The day when sprang this deadly breach.
Perhaps prosperity too great,
Led ON to this disastrous fate;
Beneath her full meridian blaze
We to our wisdom gave the praise
Forgot our God, and in our pride
Heroes and patriots dei6ed,
Nor sought the counsel which of old
These patriot fathers did uphold.
Heart-burnings silent then began,
Soon into words these feelings ran-
These opened wider still the gate
For envy, jealousy and hate.
Injustice then to us was shown,
Taunts and invectves by US thrown,
And thus from bad to worse we ran,
Until no bridge of faith could span
The treacherous gulf that opened wide
Our glorious Union to divide.
Ali twas gradual thing at first,
There was no sudden fearful burst
Of sorrow, anger or dismay,
But on the Northern breeze was borne
Low mutterings of the coming storm.
The "tightness of the times increased.
No means TO pay-tt en- labor ceased,
And with it came cry for bread:
g Our wives and children must be fed,
.sYour life for ours-give work and bread,
DOR rest the curse upon your head"
No answer came-bread riots sprang
In every city, and the clang
OF tempestis note and lannon's boom
: Pealed out our eountry's fearful dooml
With ports blockaded-har lost,
The drain of banks-the war, its cost,
More frightful evils followed fast
;Oh 1 ask not of the fearful past,
or brutal soldiers, soon horde,
An avalanche upon us poured
Goaded by hunger, on they rushed
Like famished beasts and blindly crushed
Whatever did obstruct the course
0f their wild hunger-maddened force.
Right bravely were they met, by boy,
And eesyy means did they employ,
Who home and hearfhstone guarded here
With al to life and heart most dear
But foes within soon turned the scale,
You know the rest, fearful taleD
Our poor misguided slaves were taught
The art of war, and soon they caught
The iendish zeal Of those who fed
Their passions wild, and madly led
These guieless ones TO sword and flame
And deeds too borrid cen for name
Wild rang the instruction cry,
The flaming torch uplifted high,
To midnight murder lit the way;
While blood and rapine sealed the day.
Twas yesteuight the rebels gained a.
The entrance to our lovely plain.
Earnest. you saw your father tali-
His life blood stains the steps and wall.
And clotted hangs upon his hair,
Would we had died beside him there!
We fed-I know not how or when,
We reached the shelter of this glen,
Nor do know how soon we'll be
Like hunted birds compelld to fee"
With anguish did the youth then raise
His eyes TO meet his mothers gaze.