Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1862-02-21

From the Atlantic Monthly for February.l
At Port Royal--l861.

L
The ship lights on the sea;
The night wind smooths with drifting sand
Our track on lone Tybee.
At last our grating keels outside,
Our good boats forward swing;
Aud while we ride the land locked tide,
Our negroes row and sing.
For dear the bondman holds his gifts
Of music and of song,
The gold that kindly nature Sits
Among his sands Of wrong.
The power TO make his toiling days
And poor home comforts please;
The quaint relief of mirth that plays
With sorrows minor keys
Another glow than sunsets fire
Has filled the west with light,
Where field and garner, barn and byrc
Are blazing through the night.
The land IS wild with fear and hate,
The route runs mad and fast;
From hand to hand, from gate to gate,
The flaming brand is past.
The lurid glow falls strong across
Dark faces broad with smiles;
Not theirs the terror, hate and loss
That fire yon blazing piles.
With oar strokes timing to their song,
They weave in simple lays
The pathos Of remembered wrong,
The hope of better days
The triumph note that Marian sung,
The joy of uneaeed birds;
Softening with Arctic's mellow tongue
Their broken Saxon words.
SONG OF THE NEGRo notrNEs.
oh. praise an tanks, DE Lord he come
To Sc, the people free ;
An maSss tink 1t day ob doom,
An We ob jubilee.
DE Lord dat heap dc Red Sea waves,
lie jus as 'trong as den
lie say de word We las night slaves;
10 day dc Lords frccmcn.
The yam will grow, dc cotton blow,
Wen hab dc rice ar corn:
Oh. nebber you fear. f ncbbcr you hear
De diivor blow his horn
Ole ma.sa on he trabbles gone;
He leab de Ian d behind:
DE Lords bref blow him furdcr on,
Like corn -shuck in dc wind.
We own dc hoe, We own de plow.
We avn dc hands dat hold
We sell dc pig. we sell dc cow,
But nebb.r chile he sold
De y.m will grow, dc cotton blow,
Well hab dc rice an corn;
Oh. uebbcr you fear if ncbher you hear
De driver blow his horn.
We pray de Lord; he g,b US signs
D. some day we be free;
De Norf. wind tell it to dc pines,
De Wild duck to de sea;
W" tink it when de church bell ring,
We dream il in de dream
De rice bird mean II when he sing.
De eagle when he scream.
De yam will grow. the cntton blow,
Well hab de rice an corn
On. nebbor YOU fear. Il nebbcr you hear
DE driver blow hts horn
We know dc promise nebber fail.
An uebhcr lie de wotd
So, like de 'po>,Ies in de Jail,
We waited for de Lord
An now he open cherry door,
An row away de key;
lie tink We lnb him 50 before
We luh him petter free.
DE VAN will grow, de cotton blow,
He'll eib de ricc sn' corn;
So ncb6cr you fear, II ncbbcr YOU hear
DE driver hlnw hIs horn.
80 sing our dusky gondo!icrs
And with secret pain.
And .mtlcs that sscm AKIN to tcar.,
We hear the Wild refrain.
We dare not .harr the ncgroe. trust.
NJr vet this hope leny,
We only know ,ha, God j, just,
Aud every wrong shah die.
Rude seems the song, each .warthy face,
F.amc -lishtcd rulcr .ttll
We start 10 think that haple>s race
Must shape our good or nj
That laws of chnngelc>s justice bind
OPpte-sor with oppressed,
And. elrs" as >in and suffering joined,
We march 10 Fate abreast,
Sing on. poor hearts your chant shall tc
Our sign Of blight or bloom
The N.!a- song Of Liberty.
Or death.tune of our doom