The Shasta courier., 1866-07-28
A GEM.

The following gem we take from the poem, writ
ten by j. T. Goodman, and read at the Fourth o
July celebration in Virginia City
"We hold these truths to be self-evident,
That all men are created equal;
That they are endowed by their Creator
With certain inalienable rights;
That among these are life, liberty,
And the pursuit of happiness"
So spake
The founders of an empire for the free,
And laid the declaration side by side
With hate of tyranny and trust in God,
Whereon to build. And never in all time.
Did edifce stand on base so good,
Or fabric rise up in shape so fair,
Or structure grow unto a form SO grand.
1t linked the seas, it spaced the zones, it stood
realm SO varied, boundless and complete,
As could have spared the rest of Universe
And held mankind and nature in itself,
Nor Jared the incest harmony of things,
Or felt the change its boundaries oppress.
And some pronounced it good as it was fair;
And some bespoke it strong, as it was great;
And some enduring, as it stood on truth;
And they who viewed its massive framework best
Saw wrong, and weakness that portended ruin.
Its elements held enmty, and would
Not mix-like oil and water each hugged its OWE
In strong repugnance of the other half;
And thus was drawn an arbitrary line,
Which, not dividing into separate parts,
Did yet impair cohesion in the whole.
Its structure was incongruous, and had
Unequal strength. Here rose a solid wall
Of granite, by free labor hewn-a work
Of voluntary toll and recompense,
And fit to bear the arch of Heaven and there
Its counterpart stood reared by servitude,
Foul from the principle which it raised,
Weak from the Ianguor of unwilling hands,
Apd from the never-dying sweat of bondage
Inheriting the seeds of swift decay.
Its broad foundation of eternal truth,
By what thereon was built became lie
and mockery. Equality was talked
To those so low they deemed that earth nor hell
Had degradation of the same degree.
Men heard of rights who never knew but wrongs
Of life, who longed for death. And Liberty
Our proud, especial and eternal boast
The virtue by whose loud and constant praise
We hoped for favor in the sight of God,
And looked for honor in the eyes of men
The grace that made us righteous over ALL
That stamped coin with holiness, and wrought
spell of sanctity around our flag
This sacred word-this worshipped sound-this
boast
Oft as it rang, each time its falseness struck
An angry clangor from four million chains;
And weary bondmen, startled by the shock,
Through instinct raised their hopeless eyes from
earth
To Heaven, and marvele1 Gods avenging sword
Was not afash Nor was the wonder strange
The bondman's simple faith revealed events
The sage foresaw by wisdom both beheld,
Through scenes deploycd on the ages front,
Grand columns, massed for mighty purposes,
Come moving slowly down the slopes of time,
And heard foresoundings of fierce battle notes
Ring in the fastness of distant years.
r.
We go to meet century. One passed
Away, and told the story of our crimes
In those vast halls where all the ages wait,
In expectation of eternity,
And hail arrivals from the scenes of time
With questions of Earths tidings. Another goes
To tell tale of mingled fears and hopes,
But full of promises yet incomplete;
Then let the Century now coming on
Behold us such that when it goes TO join
The Ages that preceded it, and tell
The latest tidings, it shall haste to say:
:" saw Country, great and beautiful,
Where all were free; its parts were manifold
Its purpose one its rulers but obeyed
The aggregate of individual wills;
Wrong was unknown, for all were given their
rights;
Peace blessed.the land, and plenty banished want ;
And God was worshipped the cause of all p
And the assembled Ages shall respond
With one accord, that never in all time
Was such another wonder, nor will be
Until Eternity-come it soon or late.