Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-12-25

Lo sec its starry banner proudly streaming
Among the ensgns on the distant sea,
Where foreign suns are clearly, sweetly bcaming,
1t waves the emblem of proud Liberty
The glaring daystar Of people free;
| While like fame from angel ccnsers leaping.
| The scroll Of Declaration fearessly
Proclaims to foreign lands, that babes are sleeping
At home secure and free. while mothers watch are
keeping
Long years of toll and stern endurance lie
Behind the Fathers, whose reward is nOao.
And in the coming future-and each eye
Yot CLEANS with wars wild light, and on each brow
Rests the calm grandeur of the sunrise glow.
CHASING the gloom of despcration-soon
The loud of war oerspanncd by peacc's bow,
| Will float beneath a sun in glorious noon,
| Whose healing beams will shed around a precious
| boon.
o ye wild desoatod plains, whose sod
Is stained with gore and scOrched with cannon fire,
Soon. soon. the patriots guide Jehovah God"
| Will give your martyr heroes their desire.
| Soon will proud city towers to heaven aspire.
| And rich prosperity pervadc the land;
While railroad arches. and the electric wire,
| As civilizations triumphs, proud will stand.
Where late the fend of war fierce waved his bloody
hand.
When will the memory Of those statesmen sleep
In dull oblivion, who met to frame
The Declaration ?-and whose accents deep
Flashed over Europe like the lghtning's flame;
The nonarch's hordes hurled back to whence they
came,
Were followed by an awful voice which said:
Behold the fruits of strife! Columbia's slain
Have bought her freedom" Noble, mighty dead [!
From out whose lowy graves Nations gories
spread.
Sleep, sweet heroic hearts. within the soil
Made free by your strong sclf-denying ZEAL
Oh long as freedom lives, or tyrants spoil.
Will men your history and example feel!
Fearless you met invasion's brstling steel,
With tecthf firm set, stern eyes unshrnking breasts
And though you died, you made the invader reel;
And by your side the slaughtered minion rests
As your great monument-the proudcst Of all
crests.
Cementcd with your blood, built on your bones.
A powerful Nation widespread empire sways,
And towers aloft on such foundation stones.
And deep damned will he be who betrays
The blood bought interests of the early daysl
Tho noble Union you have died to gain,
Such excellence and mighty power displays.
That he who rends The birthright of the slain.
Their blood and Nations woes his Cain-lke skirts
will stain.
The Past, with all its darkness, lay behind
There Bunker Hill. where gallant Warren fell
Trenton and Valley Forge; and black defined
The othor scenes of raging battles tell
There are low graves, where widows lingering dwell
Inanguish, over sons and husbands slain
Nor can the trump of glory grief dispel.
There, too, are dcsoate bones that will remain
Uncovered and unclaimed. slow bleaching in tho
rain.
But God has marked them; yes the mighty God
Of Washington has looked with melting eye,
Upon the stricken forms and boodstained sod
And ho the Father will not pass them by.
All, no! that warrior 'sgglazing, fading eyo ~
Perhaps last looked to Heaven and that high friend
That did for him low condescending die
As he dies for his country-now will lend
His hapd to close his eye-and gather in the end.
The Present, with its glory shines around:
The bells are ringing. and people free,
w lll DOHllco tuc lIOlH DOunu 10 DOuuu
OF their delivered country-fearfully
The clarion trumpet rings of Liberty.
Three millions from a tyrant's bonds redeemed,
Water with tears of joy young Freedoms tree.
Whose towering hight has instantaneous seemed
To shoot to Heaven. and Ger the whole dominion
beamed. .
Great heads are in Convention. Warrior hands
Fall from tho swords hit they have graspcd so long
To clasp their countrymcn's. Majestic stands
Great Washington among the joyous throng
Whom they revere with patriot feelings strong.
How grandly placid is that iron face, d.
Which burnt with fire. when his dear country's
| Came up before him-as it famed space
At Princeton when he rushed-a lion ilf the chase.
To him unfolds the Future-how his eyes
| Clean with proud happiness, as he surveys
The people straining to their hearts the prize.
Which he had sought for over rugged ways.
Now far away he sees the golden days
| Light up land with peace and plenty filed
The battle-ields o'crwaved with wheat and maize.
And genial rains, and fertile dews distilled,
Till mountain, hill and plain will be with joy Ger
red.
Far out upon tho tossing waves he sees
Our ships of commerce. and the Unions stars,
Flappng in every port, on every breeze;
In peace respected, and in naval wars
Dreaded by all its meteor stars and bars
Procaiming to the world, the strength Of home
Inyinciblo. while no dark dscord mars
United harmony. In every zone, ..
Columbia's banner keeps her sons where'er the,
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