Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1862-10-30
Extracts from Poem Addressed TO tho Sol
diers and Cetizens of Wilmington, October
9Th, 1862.
ny y. GILBERT DEXTER.

"Give us songl' the soldiers cried,
The outer trenches guarding,
When the heated guns of the camp allied
Grew weary of bombarding Bayard Taylor.
| come before this crowd Of beauty taste and wit
| speak in rhymes to critics who round me sit,
And just MS freely say "a hope they'll hit"
Here come then, to take my countrys part
And speak to the conservative as well as the radical
heart
With equal feeling, and with equal smart,
Giving to the one the iavelin the other dart.
look around me here and see the laughing eye,
see the quiverng lip hear the deep drawn sigh
Alb, these speak more than language could relate
To the Patriotic heart DER changeful fate
These scan we not by rigid rules of art
Her test is feeling-her judge the heart.
Not from the records of Imperial Rome,
Or classic Greece, the muses. chosen home,
From no rich legends of the olden day,
Our bard hath drawn the story Of his play.
Led by the guiding hand of Genius on,
lie here hath painted Liberty on her throne
His eye hath PIERCED the southands shadowy gloom,
And read strange lessons from Nations tomb
From foreign clmcs full oft the muse hath brought
Her glorious treasure of gigantic thought
And here, beneath the witchery of her power,
The eye hath poured her tributary power.
When recent pens have sought tn historic page,
To picture forth the deeds of warrior and of sage,
O'er burnt Vrgnia's sorrows We have sighed,
And dropt tear, when noble northmen died
nnus =" Su"nse omen are hoVerlns DER the world,
,"V, "'uS,0 '''S VI ",'c'' 'i'ngS iore'oiu-
''u We 'o"' "oii ''io.'" quNer'
lucy IL eo"o-'oy w H'"oeu just o ct inc RIVER
From the far shores of Europe there cometh wall,
Low, thrilling, portenious, as borne on the gale
Its echoes come floating FAR DER the sea-
From nations down-trodden who seek to be free.
Inc storm-coud Is goomng DER brlghtsunn France
me war loren IS gh'lhg-'ee an army advance
10 huri from MS throne The uSurper' ~ho ddres
10 grasp Ut 'he ,cep're Liberty wears
res voice halh gone ior'h, all mighty ana loud,
Like ''e ueaenlhg crash OIL 'huhuer-'raugnt cloud
Inc cry Is Tor freeuon-ali nan 10 Inc brave!
D'e"u 'yr''s s'ohu trc'noling DER tyranny grave
l"e ""i 'snou'S are Pe"'ns-'' o"''ie array,
o''Ha me "o''o"s q e"'m' all grim Tor the Tray
oh hl'l-tops' IN valleys, they IN legIons are mei
=, "'''''Se o'a';,'e". "'"Jo'9"'
l"e' Soo" s""n the gutter ho"arcI' nave worh
dc crush Il III tue Struggle all rahpied ana torn
anu omVerY lorth from Inc EARN snail be hurled,
Like demons waVe-rocked on the rim OF the world"
AS we come TO the scene OF our country's deep VICE.
ANA ike OeHsHs dumb wounds the dark picture we
show
We behold from aiar on the south-land's plains,
Despoled and oppressed people in Chains
les behold the broad sea OF oppression, that sweeps
o'or the land when the Goddess of Liberty weeps.
see the red CORY fields where Right battles Night
VIII our Nation sink down in this gulf Of desgar,
10 lgnooIy wander IN OBLIVION thereE
No. no, uod loroid' should Go great Trong,
10 oeheVe that such things to our country belong
U had Inc git oil the Roman or Greek,
In eloquent words my wishes d speak,
would cease to regard from their caverns of gloom,
Inc cries OF revenge that II go down to the tomb.
ffay' on stay the red streams from my own native sod
That like incense do rise iom the iootstool of God
Borne up on the breath OF Nations deep prayer,
ro Ju'"'e 70 Pie"u u oniii'Io'ei'ee mere
My friends, why stand we here to-day,
With earnest look, in solid, close array?
Why al these Injuries heapd upon the board,
To feed the anNious-not the hungry crowd?
why all TINS military noise upon the street,
From day to day midst dust and heat?
An why all these night and morning races
Alter news-Ioined with still mere anxious faces?
need not quiz You thus, for well It's Known,
That Rebel Jtt 'st5hhngJor throne.
FRIENDS meet TINS DAY 10 add one chime,
FOR Llberty-a boon to bless through time
For Liberty we meet for Liberty we fight to-day,
10 rid our Nation OF base hearted Sfdrery
Then united let us stand-down with all dssensions
Away with Jealous striie-away with all contentious
Those words OF hate which cometh from the lips,
Are but as snappers The DeviFs whip.
Beware! wait Jucemen'-ere goa ponce upon,
lhose men IN power ut Washington
Give every General, every sage his due,
For Just remember it is mortal you
A"d though you think yon'd better our condition,
Methnks you'd soon give up with deep conrition
truly wish we had spare CONAN
10 set all srumblers in to train.
When Abe called for help to fight Libertv's foe.
You, soldiers, responded cat the Gene and not co.'
And see by the tear in each Patriots eve,
Here on the mountains meath Vermont's sky.
Ye are all earnest foemen, determined and lust.
Al true to vourselres-aH true 10 non, trust
Yes. know by those tears and that mur'ring tone.
That each son of Liberty's heart is nv own.