Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-06-16
THE AMERICAN HERO.---A SAPPHIC ODE

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WHY should VAN muItalo tieiDble at the sight
,, d an and de.tf ucuon in the field of battle,
Where blpoI and carnage clothe the ground in
crimson,
sounding with death groans?
Death VIII invade US by the mean appointed,
And We NUT all bow 10 the king Of terrors;
Nor am ANXIOUS am prepa ed,
What shape he comes IN.
Infinite goodness teaches Us submission,
q is u % qIiet IN ier All HI, i,. ding;
Never replniu &, but for ever prai,lng
God our Creator.
We'll may we praise him, all his ways are perfect ,
Though lie plendence infinitely glowing,
Dszze III glory On Jne slsnt Of nortal-.
struck blind by lustret
God l. Jehovah in bestowing sunshine;
Nor less III, sooiness the storm AMI thunder
Ncicle9 and judgment, both proceed from kind
Infinite kntncss'
on then exult tnat God forever resneth
Clouds winch around him hnler our perception
Bind Us the stronger to ext his name, and
Shout louder praI>esl
Then 10 the wisdom Of my Lord anil Master
vii commit al that have wish lor
,Heetly a. babes sleep Will give my life up
When calI'd to lIeld 1t.
Now Mars dare thee, clad IN smoky pillars,
sing from bomb shells, roaring from the
cannon,
ToIturIng Ether
Up the bleak heavens let the spreading fumes
ireaAlns ike -Etha through the SIN king columns
lowing like T. pit o'er the failing city,
"antoLly burnt doWL.
While all their Ii, art, quick pa plate for havoc
lie slip y1Ir b.ooIh,uAI,. nami the BRUSH
hons;
pAuAttr,, rs death .,are-, ninJle: As the whirl-
VIM,
Dreadful as demons
ct oceans aft all our tipatins castles
au-At vi Ii !eo'tu: tloh Iori Iulc 10 nature,
tnen with ycur Sails .dlt'd uy storm of ven
geAncc.
Be.sr down 10 battle
ION the dive chyeI rs made by ghosty minerSi
H. The tNp.OsIon drcIdiul i, volcanoes,
leave HE 'Iohd town, with all Its wealth and
people,
QUICK t de>t uctIon!
i i -ha tn. banner of The Ming of heaven
't''f 'i'tlc "hc'et II II At Il tpilrY,
htle that icce'ie> me, with open ,som
Va. ,ely thee!
raue and j, al ,e,Iorn III e me on t. battle,
y Il le d eel "e~p't glnn nei thnt DEAN head,
tugs me " Itn Sc ent-. hel than Me,iLs4'-
TO II { encounter.
IF for mv country and the ctu>. OF freedom
- but a tifc Tor a worm TO pat with;
ANA II i't-e 'Ve'i ia ett 4 contest
L l. re l"ub ell
The above ode WAS written by Nathlni,l
Niles in no. DIvckinck says it wa>
composed in October of that wear. bat the
Boston 1ral~r1pt says thrt it WIS written
" on Me arrival Of the news of the battl,.
81 Bunker Hill, by the light of his hearth
tone fire. AT any rate the ode became
he "b'ttle hymn of the 4 violation,
'aTlng been sci to music by Rev Mr. Rip
Icy. II WI, sung in the lurchrs an by
The soldiers. No do ibt some of our older
ca''cr> have heard it in their childhood
At the time of writing The o lie. Mr.. Niles
i've in Nprwt-k. Conn. whence. he re-
n vel III l11J 10 West Flirlee. in tli
81 e where he lived till HI, death in ls2,
It the ripe age OF 81 yelr>. He was one
II til" ilr>t member, Of Congress from
Vermont and 4 man Of much prominence
n his time. The o lie and Il sketch of the
'uth1r may be founi in lIemenwtv, :
u 'zette>, Vol, >. p. 9, II. Il may also be.
found IN DnychlnrA Cyclopaeda of Ameri-
can Ii er'ttlre. The music to which it i :
set Is also eNtant h'vin= been republi>hel
1t the time of the Norwich centennial in
800