American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1876-02-19
New Years Day, A. D. 1875.

| uOn) IDr Jan. i, 1910. cOnJalES the IOllOW'
ing interesting Centennial article:
On New Years Day, 100 years ago, En-
gland was depressed or elated according
to political bias) at the aspect of affairs in
America. London was divided in opin
| ion on the question of "the Provincials'
and the mother country, and was also in
active but Intellectual agitation to save the
twin brothers Perreau from being hanged
for forgery. While George III. was don
ming his claret-colored suit, his three ED.
est sons were buckling on their tiny dress
swords, and the Queen and two of heI
daughters were in the hands of their tire
women, all in preparation for hearing the
lode for the New Year" in the Council
| Chamber of St. James.
Now, there was much curiosity afioat
as to the utterances of the poet laureate al
this critical juncture. In the Birthday
Ode" June, 1775) he had been hard put
to it for subject for decent rejoicing. Wal
pole, in August met him at Nuneham
whitehead was,s for years, a domesti-
Gated friend in the Jersey family, and
Horace wrote to Lady Ossory There
was Mr.. Whitehead, the laureate, too,
who l doubt will be a little puzzled If he
have no better victory than the last
against Caesars next birthday. There W Is
little too much of the Hertere funeri6us
trtunaphos for a complimentary ode in the
last action" But, since the birthday,
worse incidents had occurred than the
surrender of Ticonderoga and Crown
Point. The insurrection had become
general, as the Kings speech intimated !;
public opinion In England in great de-
gree sympafhized with the insurgents; but
the drop of comfort in the goblet of sor-
row was that Quebec had been calamity
saved from the attempt to surprise it by
Montgomery and Arnold. The laureate
made the best of q very bad business, and
the following was the ode, sang to Boyce's
music, at st. James, 100 years ago:
ION the white rocks which guard her coast,
w SSss. r,S Of sas pairing day
Reclin'd Britannia lay;
pebsive look she cast,
And scarce could check the rising sigh,
And scarce could stop the tear which trembled
in her eye
.. Shesthe. sheathe the sword which thirsts
She cried, deceived. mistaken men;
Nor let your parent DER the flood
Send forth her voice in vain.
- - Aiasf NO tyrant she;
She courts you to be free.
Submissive hs a, ,;ss first co%@a1d.
hand
Hear her. ye wise. to duty true.
And teach the rest to feel,
Nor let the madness Of a few
So ehsll the opening year sssume-
Times fafrest child-a happier bloom;
TIE Mss d sesrs u :ss
: To err is human'-let us prove
Forgiveness IL divine
When the King and his family appeared
in public, after the performance of this
rather lachrymOse ode, they were received
with loyal cheers. New Years Day was
then in the first half of the London sea-
ended on the Kings birthday, in June.
As George III. and his Queen passed
much of that time in London, there was
much gayety always af1oat at court or in
the mansions of the nobility and gentry,
where "winter in London" was a long
and joyous one. The tradesmen of the
capital profited greatly. What money
there was circulated rapidly, and by that
rapid circulation one pound did the office
affect the freedom of expression as to
politics generally, and the policy of the
Government toward America in particu-
lar. Nothing can better show the exist
ence of such freedom than the publication
of the following counter ode in the
Morning Chronicle, two or three days
afterward; -.r .-s
"Ou the green banks which guard her strand,
whess f.di. ct o oas i hlisans her land,
America reclining lay
@ Ear DER the boist' rous main
Her aching eyebal1s strain,
Or drop single tear rom her enraged eye.
~ In vain,' she cried, the sword ye WELD,
Ye poor, deceived. mistaken men;
Old Freedoms sons disdain to yield,
Though they have sued In vain.
In truth no rebels We,
Who live but 10 be free;
Who ne'eS denied your mild command,
But scorn to sink beneath our wrathful hand.
Learn to be wise, and learn to know
What all the world must own
Your blessings from our blessings flow,
While commerce guards the throne.
q Learn this and let each future year
More radiant than the rest appear;
Let Peace and Plenty smile again,
And let fair Freedom shine:
Thine was the fault, Britannia, then,
Be reparation thtne!'"
In the following July the Declaration
Of Independence came like laundering
echoes Of this counter ode. In 1888
- Britannia" recognized the independence
IS fact, and she made graceful reparation,
rs recommended in the above lines of
f776, in the last of the simply eloquent
wor Is addressed by the King in reply
TO the words uttered by Mr.. John AID ans,
when, IN 1884, he was presented to
George III. as the first plenipotentiary to
our court from the United States of
Let them be kept in memory
On both si1es of the Atlantic: And, sir,
IS was the last person that consented to
the independence of the United States, SO
Sul1 kA l>u scf, ID