Middletown transcript., 1873-05-10
Sslttt poetru
THE OLD CONFEDERATE.

Gather near nc. little children,
Stand you close around my knee;
For my voice Is waxing feeble,
Aud your FERNS scarce can see.
Brief the time -ss ! mus, leave you,
But. Lefoss I'm called TO 60
There Is something ~1ald tell ron.
And, ilirk, you d like 10 know.
Close the shutters, draw the curtain,
See tners are no gnnr'lsmcr near,
For the words | have for you
Nus, no, reach the public car.
Make you sure the room IL empty,
For In times like these own
|, would seem the walls have sound-nerves
Ccntsring TO a Tyrant's throne.
This old frarne that hraved unshaksa,
Showers OF shot and showers Of shell,
Calmly wcui through many n struggle
Where its friends by thousands fell--
Shakes and ,rcmhles like m aspen
Now, tits passing strange 10 me,
At the mrrsst giiiupsc or mention
Ola ryrsnt's gailows tree.
So, my children, close the shutters,
See no soldier fingers near,
Draw The curtain, dim the lamplight,
Then approach and lend an car.
Narycl not n, what tell you,
For ! tell ot Ion. ago
or when | was Young, and see me
Now. my locks are white rs snow.
H.
Long ago there dwe!' a people
Good and generous. brave and free,
~ a land OF peace mud plenty
Bordering on n Southern sea.
Life With them was m sprinc-iime
Where 10 shadows ever mored;
There were Natures favored children,
Livisg in the land they loved.
And there dwelt a kindred people
Next them, further from The sun,
And the two bad formed n compact
To go through the world as one.
Nature seeming palati.l houn'ics
Tha; upon the Southland fell,
Kept alive Northern eaTy
S,iil The Union promised we'll.
Tyrsn'-,ramplcd millions viewed them
With = lcaging 10 lie free,
Calling fnr'h world Of hatred
From ;.s .hgones beyond the sea,
Aud ere Ion each sail tina; .,ided
Seward IRON European piers,
Brought It's frci.h, OF whispered mischief
For that enyipus kindred cars.
And ere 'ong that cnsious kindred.
Caugh, within the ioaery snare,
Net It's friend with prosecutions,
Wrongs ani insults everywhere;
Till the virtue of iorucatanec
Ceased 10 be thing .. worth,
And civil war resulted
'Twlxt the scctions--Sorih and South,
Then the tyrnnt heads Of Earope
Tbst tttts tfs,It
Sided with their iupcs aud threw their
Influence in tic Northern scale.
Tytsnis means we're freely given,
Tyran,s arins were IN The f-hi,
Trranis heeis we're on the srahcard,
Ward.ng or their friends OF right.
And the d,catGli work tia, followed
Followed in this southern land
Can not be described Ia language
That our miui' HDn,l understand.
Countries robbed and citi,s plaalered,
Grimes Of ever, Agowa degree.
Traces igjaA @b,,t Northern vEndas
BGrnri th,ir luiG. toaaid the sea.
Homes uf case, and wealth. ard beauty
Crumb.si .raia lie siciUr tread,
Helpless wives gal children driven
Saeltsrleis to beg tor hstai
Shcl;criesS 10 log u UinF.rl
Lighted by the tarn.as glow
OF their stores, iha irl, = .eople
No, q morstl 10 Gtsi5w.
Bg, III drop til. theme, ipy children,
For I've noted with ,arptisc,
Something gliitegiag ,nFensh the dimness
Brirht rs diamonds In your eyes.
Lives there 4 feeling fof Us.
All was that ii We'll twas weak
In M. 10 have sent "A lrar-irDD
Tracing down my fnriowed cheek.
Blu, the old Confederate soldier
Couldn't help it, he mns, own.
For his thoughts we're carried backward
To those better days agonc.
When wife upon his hosoin,
And A child with ilaxcn hair,
And II child with golden ringle,s
Robbed t.e world o. every care.
Then his thoughts ran through the conflict,
Up 10 where the end had come,
And TO where lie left the prison
For his loyel ones aud his home;
Aud again he saw lis chimneys
Standing grim, and in "a row
Three neg s'ct,ed giaves were near them
Bu, twas rery leug ngo.
When the end had conc, my children,
When the South had ceased TO be,
When the proud and generous people
Claimed no longer 10 be nee,
Then tho vctors, flushed and ipaddsnsd
by TIC taste OF gold and blood,
Pouncsd upon the conquered region.
Doing all that vic,ors could.
And while every thought was plumber,
Where 10 pluIder, when and how,
Quietly the country elided
Into what you sce !, now.
The victorious chicflain marking
Great advantages 1t gave,
Taxed his cunning till the visitors,
Each was made u iyran,'s slave.
Vel! mind nc how they murmured
When awakened to the stats
OF affairs that hung around then,
But the waking came too late.
Every right their fathers gave them
Now Was cancelled, now was gone,
Loasing them TO beg for favor
Kuceling round tyrants throne.
You hare read, my It'll. ehildeu,
Standing NJ your ienchsr's knee,
How great and bad rebellion
Rees along the Southern ses.
You have read Of how the nation
Rallied In the right, snd how
One good msn led en- the armies,
- L.. A.. e. Il.