Weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1858-1865, 1862-02-12
From the Southern Confederacy.]
THE DEVILS VISIT TO GOLD ABE.''
BIZ REV. E. P. BIRCH, OF LAGRANGE, GA.


Written the occasion of Lincon's Proclamation for
Prayer and fasting after the battle Of Manassas. Revised
and improved expressly for the La Grunge REPORTER by the
author.
Old Abe was sitting in his chair of State,
With one foot on the mantle and one ON the CRATE,
Ssd
As fearful death and as cruel as fate;
In old earthen jug, on table near by,
Was gallon of /" Buckeye or choice odd Rye"
To cheer up his hopes, which were ready to die.
Under whose potent charms old Abe would be able
To lay all his grrefs, like bA ION the table,"
Or, shut up his woe, like horse in q stable.
He sat in his chair,
With wO-begone air.
Gazing at nothing with q meaningless stare,
And looked like wild beast just skeered" in his lair.
His cheek.bones were high and his vsage was rough,
Like middling of bacon-all wrinked and tough;
His nose was as long, and as ugly and big,
As the snout OF q ha-starved Illinois pig;
He was long in the legs, and long in the face,
A LongfeloW born of a tony legged race,
Yet longing thro grace, for much longer space,
Till he'd finished his political wild goose chase
Bringing wreck on his country, aud endless disgrace
On the blockheads who'd placed HMM the very wrong
place"
The news had just reached him of rout and defeat,
Of his Grand Army" broken-of disastrous retreat
His best men were slain on the field Of the fight;
His legionss were scattered with panic and fight,
And s,pans had all met with ruinous blight;
His treasury was bankrupt, his finances smashed
His credit was gone, and his bills were uncashcd
His country with terrible foes still begirt
Was tumbing to ruin like fabric of dirt;
"Pm afraid, said Old Abe " there's somebody hurt"
l.. Thus sitting and thinking
'Twixt smoking and drnking-.
His head ON his busom gradually sinking
~ hen sound met his ear
So sharp and SO clear,
That be sprang 70 bis eetsanding breathless to hea
With his mind full of dread and hls heart ui of fear
Twas not like the roll Of the hurricanes thunder,
Nor the earthquake that ceaves the tall asunder
Twas not like the storms Which tumultuously sweep
Ger the lone bending woods and the dark rolling deep;
But q sharp, angry crushing,
confusion aud clashng,
Like things in general, prUmscuuusly smashing.
It's the Devr thought Abe In the sorrst Of rights
Or rebel masked battery "un arlington Heights"
On the wings Of the midnight winds 1t flew,
Aud nearer 1t came and louder it grew,
Till Washington City seemed all in stew.
1t paused just beiUre
The White House" door,
And then died away with explosive roar
:. It's the Devil" SAID Lnculn; and sure he's right
For just at that moment there CLEANED on his sight
The glare Of horrible sulphurous light,
Encircing form 60 CHASTITY and grim,
That his heart ceased to beat and eyes grew dim.
That form stood before him. majestic aud dread,
With large clOvea feet and huge horns bis head.
Mr.. Lincoln was seized with terrible quaking,
And the bones in his skin were rattng and shaking
Like the dry bones" in the "Vsliey of Vision"
With such dreadful collision,
As threatened to make " lcng division"
OF his body and members, without "ieea! decision"
"Aows your health, Mr. Mncon' ?" said old Nick with q
grin; .
I nxve only steppedin r."
To renew old acquaintance with your honor agfn.
How are Seward, and Scott, and good Mrs:Lg
hope all your friends are still hearty and we'll.
Thus saying, be seated himself in chair
And gazed q, Old Abe with an impudent stare;
Took drink Of "hotlead," from flaming sky.rocket
Which be drew from the depths Of his overcoss pocket;
Consulted bis watch with dandyish grace,
Saa % made qck tfp through the regions Of space
Over millions of miles in moment Of t,me.
You yourself said the fend, with wink Of his eye
Can travel like blszes.' when danger 10 nigh
iOur Gf0pd Army. DISTINGUISHED for SpQeo,
and run ike the devil, in cases Of need.
But ail this sside-alow me to slate:
Ihxse come here an business momentously greah
Witch deeply involves your political fate.
What means Mr. Lincoln, this strange proclamation,
In which you've invited the whole Yankee nation
70 fasting and prayer, and TO 6unliianoal
And called into action your pious devotions; /"
It seems to your q whimsical set,