Litchfield enquirer., 1871-06-22
Caught.

I try ana never prints lt If he Ncan help it Correspondentd seldom contiibutes mucI of that article, and what little they do send lis not usually printed. But Decoration Day is an exception to all general rules, and week before last,a perfect avalanche of yer ses came down on us: all which, with ma ny misgivings, more mistakes,an and single correction. we printed. We have heard from but one of the sufferers since, but we accept that as specimen of the lot and annex hereunto revised edition of the poem, as in duty bound. Weprotest, ,how. ever, that but one of the many mistakes referred to was intentional on our part That one occurred at the end of the second line of the second stanza where, of malice aforethought. we substituted < meet" for wreak. under the notion that the latter word was hardly just or complimentary to the Union soldier We were fully aware that !" meet" spoilt the rhyme and weaken ened the sense, but it was patriotic. where. as 'wreak" didn't seem so; indeed, it struck us as misreading of the manuscript, which we respectfully submit was inscrutable in ''spots." Now. on looking into Webster, we find that {" wreak" has nearly obso- lete meaning of "revenge, (which dispels the suspicion of disloyalty otherwise at- taching to its use. .5,.
 This is in fact terrible lesson to us. We can splinter up lame sentence of prose with any man but lpoeta nascitur. non 1st One who was not born poet might as soon try to set dislocated hip, as to med dle with foot of poetry. Hereafter. poe try will be printed at this office precisely as received. If it comes imping it goes limping, and then no undue responsibility will attach to us. The following is, the corrected version of the poetry in question with the accompanying letter: &@z
 MORRIS, June IT, 1871.
 MR. EDITOR: My attention was called few days ago, to some lines in the EN- oU1RER, for which am held responsible I wrote some lines for Decoration Day.; but must not rob the printer of his laurels. in making "meet' rhyme with "weak"; in leaving out ''star" in line six (was he thinking of the lost Pleiad?) in in that sublime figure of ''Closing the skies" [4th stanzal; and especially in ''cov- ering" 9th stanza] the patriot soldiers stone with Loves broad mantle. Let him wear his laurels alone.
 I send you correct copy. which you may publish, if you think it worth the while: or else release me from undue re- sponsibility. Yours truly,
 D. D. ToMPKINs MCLAUGHLIN.
 DECORATION DAY. @9a 4.
 BY D. D. ToMPKINs M 'LAUeHLM.
 He lies in no dishonored grave, t5 .arI Who died, his Country's life to save; sas Pouring his blood on Freedoms shrine,
 To make the priceless treasure thine.
 No vain ambition, thirst for power. s. .,.
 Nor glory false, his guiding star: @ He drew his sword dire wrong to wreak,
 Maintain the right, defend the weak. l-E Weep, weep the dead, who bravely fell
 Mid cannons roar and shriek of shell; -. Mid flashing of blades and iron hail. ea- The Victor's shout. the Victims s vail. Weep. weep the dead, who closed their eyes,
 In prison walls, heath burning skies;
 With fevered brow; consumption's boast;
 Gaunt Famine's quarry; ;-mightier host
 Our loved ones gone we mourn the brave,
 With flowers we deck the warriors grave.
 Love carves the stone with skillful art
 Outs deep the tablets of the heart.
 We mourn the death We hail the fruit
 Upspringing from this bleeding root.
 Away the tearsl Our Country lives!
 Our Fathers God salvation gives. Morris, Conn.,, May 30, 1871. a.i. z....s.,s. ..s
 ;