Middletown transcript., 1870-07-09
Written for The Middletown Transcript.
..THANK THE LORD FOR DELAWARE"
p. Y. Masby--Dela,oare 7riJune)


This is no unmeaning sound-again and
again has it sprung up from brave and pa
triotic hearts and burst forth from firm
and defiant lips. In other days when the
cry was 1" to arms" to support the princi-
Piles set out in the Declaration of Indepen-
dence, none came forth more readily than
the sons of Delaware, from their farms,
from their workshops, from their fresides,
from their forests of STOPPING white oaks,
they came. Men of iron nerve and stormy
hearts threw themselves boldly into the
fight and the deeds of Haslet, of Kirk
wood, of McDonough and host more of
such worthless, brought comfort to many
dropping heart, nerved many despairing
arm and gave ample cause for the lovers
of Justice, Liberty and Right to thank
the Lord for Delaware
When the brave and chivalrous DeKalb
with Delaware troops on the bloody field
of Camden not only checked, but rolled
back the advancing host of Englands king.
When the hero of hundred fights saw
his command stand up so unhinchingly in
the face of and meet the fire opposed to
them-when he saw the advancing wave
which until then had been rolling in, over
riding and crushing all opposition and
spreading death and disaster on every
side, break against the iron wall of the
4" Blue Hens Chickens" and roll back its
shattered and foaming crest, thus chang
ing the tide of battle and securing re-
treat for the panic stricken militia of Vir-
ginia and North Carolina, from the inmost
recesses of his patriotic heart came the re-
sponse, "Thank the Lord for Delaware"
Wherever the most unhinching bravery
was required, wherever the utmost daring
was needed, wherever bloody sacrifice was
to be offered on our country's altar, there
the /" Blue Hens Chickens" were ever
found, and the record of many of the glo-
rious struggles Of the day of our patriot
sires have often caused fair women and
brave men with flashing eye and quivering
lip ands yelling heart to re-echo the cry
Thank the Lord for Delaware" And
when strife was DER, when nation sought
to create government out of the shatter.
ed waits that were floating on the sea of
political chaos, Delaware again came to
the rescue and was the first to adopt the
constitution which proved so long an an
chor for nations hopes, and served as a
beacon light to guide it on to glory and
greatness, and when her statesmen, the
Vandykes, the Reeds, the Rodneys, the
Bayards, the McLanes and Claytons stood
in the councils of the nation and aided by
preccpt and example to guide the ship of
state clear of the whirlpools that sought to
engulph her, whether their voices were
raised in warning against some measure
fraught with danger to our liberties or in
soothing tones of peace and reconciliation,
or when urging some onward step to fu-
tur greatness, how many hearts have beat
in unison and had reason to " Thank the
Lord for Delaware"
And here in this far-off land, in this
lovely valley famed and cooled by thu
breezes from the Pacific as they CONF
surging through our noble pines and swell
ling the grand choral music that ever as
cends from our mountain tops, as l tel
, my children of the patriotism, the brave
ry, the intelligence, the hospitality ant
virtue of the people of the " Diamond
State" too Thank the Lord for Della
ware" HAMILTON.
Guenoc, Cal. June 81, 1870.