Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-05-26

Great act heroic and sublime,
Distinguished in the course of time
A noble scene. n bright event
That blazed across the continent
And threw its radient beams afar,
Precursor If approaching war,
When England. reused to ire, should pour
Her armies on this western shore,
And seek, like lion, to devour
Foes hostile To- her rule and power.
Already had the sword been drawn
On Concord 5 green and grassy lawn.
Already were the verdant plains
OF Lexington beloved with stains
OF crimson gore, by martyrs shed,
Who for the sake of Freedom bled.
And soon from Bunker Hill the sound
Of battle should be echoed round,
Announcing to a gazing world,
The die was cast, the flag uDfurled
That should conduct to victory
The valiant SONS of Liberty,
Who from the British crown should wrest
This splendid empire Of the West
Deep caHeth unto deep and now
From Southern lips went forth a vow,
Responsive to the Northern cry.
To live as freemen, or to die.
Virginia, lofty and sedate,
Her sons assembled for debate,
Displayed a spirit brave and free,
a hatred of all tyranny.
Her Henry, with his tongue Of fire.
And words that still our souls inspire,
With flashing eye and towering form,
As one that guides and rules the storm,
The Native Rights of man proclaimed,
With burning eloquence exclaimed,
While listeners heard, with bated breath,
- To me give LIBERTY or DEATHr'
The Carolinas were aflame,
With ardor to the conflict came,
And Joined their sister colonies
In struggling for their liberties.
But none as yet had gone so far,
Although engaged in open war,
The great, the mighty deed to dare,
And lNDEPENDENCE TO DECLARE.
This Jealous province led the way,
An act we celebrate to-day.
Her sons arose against the crown,
Assembled in this rising town,
lllustrious now, and widely famed,
AID here in council they proclaimed
1nelr COlOny sUNUI OiSn State
From England free and separate.
BY them this noble deed was done,
They boldly crossed the Rubicon,
Rebelled against the British throne,
Set up standard of their own
New laws and Institutions made,
And rulers of their choice obeyed.
This was the civic gun first fired,
Its sound all patriot hearts inspired.
And swiftly borne by winds along,
1t neryed the weak and made them strong
1t fell with terror on the ear
OF royal placemen, far andhear.
They saw the dark ans threatening cloud,
They heard the distant thunder loud,
And trembling at the sound and sight,
They refuge sought in hasty flight.
The tidings passed beyond the sea,
The patriot cry of liberty
ResOunded through the British isles,
Exciting angry frowns or smiles
Its rolling echoes died away,
Where monarchs ruled with iron sway.
Throughout the Western hemisphere
Re-echoed what was acted here.
The glorious news of this event
Electrified the continent.
1t reached the men in Congress met,
Who, fired by this example set,
And guided by its brilliant light,
Arose in purpose to the height
OF the occasion great, sublime,
Unequalled in all previous time,
And with united voice decreed
The Colonies from England freed
No longer bound by legal band
Unto the tyrant mother land,
But henceforth they of right should be
States Independent, sovereign, free.
This was the great, the GROWING fact
The grand, sublime, heroic act
That broke the chains of slavery,
Endowed our land with liberty,
And gave unto the nation birth
Among the kingdoms of the earth.
But while those giants ve applaud,
With grateful, joyful peans4aud
The names of Franklin, Jefferson,
Uf Hancock, Adams, Witherspoon,
And all who signed that famous scroll,
And formed the bright, immortal roll
OF patriots, heroes, statesmen, sages,
Renowned through all the coming ages,
Let us with gratitude repay
Their PROTOTYPES of earlier day.
The small but patriotic band,
Who first Of all throughout the land,
A formal Declaration framed,
And to their fellow men proclaimed
Their resolution to be free,
Whate or the toll, the cost might be-
They well foresRw the consequence,
That this bold act would need defence,
That many years might come and go,
That streams Of rebel blood might flow,
Ere England should her grasp release,
And they should Freedom win and peace.
The deed was done, pledge they gave,
Becoming patriots true and brave,
That closely linked, with hooks of steel,
Come life or death, come woe or veal
They would together stand or fall,
And on the issue hazard ALL
Poets and bards this deed sublime
Resound in every land and cline.
Let orators the act proclaim,
And spread abroad its noble fame.
Let History, from age TO age
Relate the story on her page.
With tongue and pen, in prose and verse,
The grand, heroic scene rehearse.
Let knowledge of this great event
Go forth TO every continent
Let winds and waves the tidings bear,
To every shore the news declare.
the earth, each hemisphere,
Publish the deed enacted here.
Let distant times and ages trace
Their rights and freedom to this place
Let unborn generations rise,
And laud this action to the skies.
For here, of all the spots on earth,
The patriot finds the place of birth,
Where Liberty her course began,
VI. -. n.