Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1876-07-14
THE NATToNs BIRTHDAY.

GLORY 10 God the Nation cries;
Behold our hour Of triumph nears;
A glittering circlst gemmed with years,
The century behind us lies.
Glory 10 Himl From East to West
H0sannahs ring with loud acclaim,
And North and South repeat the Name
Beneath whose rule the land is blest.
Our fathers God, our fathers land,
Throughout the varying years now flown,
Has deigned to holu II for His own
Within the hollow Of His hand.
Upon the soil His blessing lay;
The desert blossomed with increaHe;
And, born Of strife, came forth the Peace
That hallows our Centennial Day.
Behold the fabric here upraisedi
Between two oceans plashing foam
happy people make their home.
And cry with rapture, " God be praisedl"
The peal that rang upon the air
A hundred wears ago to-day,
Proclaiming death TO tyrant sway,
And calling men TO do and dare,
Rang not alone our country's birth,
Not liberty for us alone;
It's loud and never-dying tone
Re-echOed all around the earth.
II broke the silence OF the years,
That iron clang Of Freedoms bell:
Freedom to ALA fateful knell
II sounded forth to tyrant ears.
The echo was wars clarion note;
The weak are risen gainst the strong;
An angry protest. loud and long,
Poured from the canOn's brazen throat.
Our country's soil an altar lay,
Whence rose the sacrlfcial fire,
And there was bought with suffering dire,
The good we celebrate to-day.
Full glorious was the work when done!
What hero names are ours to lOvel
Many we boast. but one above
All other nAmes-our Washington.
He loved not war, and from the list
or men grown great in mortal strife-
But to defend the country's life
Forever had his name been missed.
He scorned the trappings Of king;
He could not brook the profered crown;
His sword, victorious, laid he down,
Which peace had made useless thing.
A halo round his memory lies
In worth and trust who never failed;
Forever honored, ever hailed
Hiscountry'e Father, good and wise.
And he who wrote the noble page
ProclAimng all men equal, free,
Honored and loved his name shall bo,
His fame undimmed from age to age.
Each who with holy courage bold
Defed the scatfolds threat TO sign
That charter of our rights divine
In reVerent honor still we hold;
And every patriot heart that led
To victory, though defeated oft,
At whom the proud invader scofed,
Then learned to know and fear instead.
And while we thrill with Freedoms breath,
Our hearts shall echo that brave cry
That shook Nirginias sultry sky,
Let us have Liberty or Death!"
And honor to that nameless throng;
Their blood secured the corner-stone;
From their set lips there came no moan,
For they could suffer and be strong.
They counted not the bitter cost;
Above their unmarked. leVeled graves
The flag they fought for proudly waves,
The record of their suffering lost.
They bore whatever hearts could bear;
They pledged their fortune. honor, life,
And shrank not in the glorious strife
While Liberty lay bleeding there.
On many desperate field OF blood
They fought the battles Of the world;
Nor ever were their banners furled
While tyranny musL OU uithstnnd
Dark was the night in which they wrought;
They saw, perchance, with faiths strong sig
The dawning of a glorious light.
Far of upon the land blood bought.
They fought for freedom, not for fame;
They died to leave their children free:
Blest be their hallowed memory,
Who left country, not name!
The homespun flag their honest pride,
A silken banner waves in air;
The fair design they wrought is there,
To show that not in vain they died.
In that blue field, undimmed in sneen,
Shine out the sisterhood of Stars,
Beside the white and crimson Bars
Bequeathed us by the Old Thirteen.
That heritage is ours to keep,
While DER each aforementioned grave
The Stars and Stripes forever wave
And bless them in their hallOwed sleep.
Unbroken be the glorious band
That stretches now from sea to seal
One flag, for ages yet to be,
Wave over Freedoms happy landl
No foreign hand shall strike 1t down,
No traitor children trail in dust
The symbol fair Of all things just,
That asks no luster from crown.
Beneath its folds all men are free;
Here refuge neVermore shall fail;
Sweet peace and plenty shall prevail
Where Law locks hands with Liberty.
-HdrDer's Week.,