Middletown transcript., 1876-03-18
Selett poetrp.
An Eloquent Plea for Peace.

misplaced energy, duu diter dno'ue
member Of the House bad answered j
) a tone equally fierce and implacable. 81
accomplished Tennessee lady. Mrs. Vir
ginia L. French. wrote the poem wb'cl
we give below for the Nashville Amer
ican. 1t has been said that the womel
Of the South retain more of the hostile
feeling engendered by the late unhappy
strife than the. men. Mrs. French.
spirited lines might well make one sus'
pect this to be mistake. They are ar
impassioned plea for peace, and more
than peace. for an affectionate brother
hood and the. revival Of friendly memo
ries older than the late civil strife
Here is the poem: ar -fasg
/ THE PALMETTO AND THE PINE.
They planted them together gallant sires
of old
Though one was crowned with crystal snow,
and one with solar gold;
They planted them together-on the worlds
majestic height,
At saratoga's deathless charge, at Eataw's
| stubborn lfght;iitl 3b8 !ttu
Atmidnight on the dark redoubt, mid plung-
ing shot and she'll
At noontide gasping in the crush of battle $
| bloody SWELL Ns 5E
/ With CORY hands and reeking brows, amid
the mighty fray,
Which surged and swelled around them on
that memorable day,
When they planted Independence, as sym
Dol and sign,
They struck deep soil and planted the Pal
metto and the Pinel ae aluN
They planted them together-by the river of
the Years
/ Watered with our fathers hearts blood, wa
tered with our mothers tears;
In the strong, rich soil Of Freedom. with
bounteous benison
From their Prophet, Priest and Pioneer-our
| Father. Washing toni -. ss
Above them Hosted echoes Of the ruin and
the wreck
Like "drums that beat at Louisburg and
Numbered at Quebec
But tie old lights sank in darkness as'the
new stars rose to shine ..t.-..s "a,
Der those emblem Of the section-the Pal
metto and the Pine.
And we'll plant them still together-for lis
yet the self-same soil
Our fathers valor won for us by victory and
toll:
On Florida fair everglades, by bold Ontario's
food,
And thro' them sent electric life as leaps the
kindred blood
For thus it is they taught US who for Free
dom lived and died,
TIE Eternal's law of justice must and shall
be justified
That God has Joined together by a. fiat all
divine -9H WTEE 4 T.g+T ~
The destine Of dwellers meath the Palm-tree
and the Pine. a
Aye! we'll plant them yet together-tho' tn.
cloud is on their brows, 49,
And winds antagonistic writhe and wrench
.y.he stalwart boughs; Jd 8 81 - S
Driving winds that drift the nations into
gaping CULTS Of gloom,
Sweeping ages, cycles, systems, into vortices
of doom;
Though the waves of faction, rolling in tri-
umphant to the shore,
Are breaking down our brlwarks with their
sullen rage and roar; afaT
Serried armanents of ocean fling in line
after line,l y sslasseisSs ae
Washing up the deep foundations of Palmetto |
and of Pine.
Shall this, the soil of Freedom, from their
roots be washed away M
By the chatting of ihe pillows and the break
ling. Of the spray? w w = +1O ]
MOI the Hand which rules the vortex which |
is surging now before US
Above its shell of waters sets the bow of |
promise DER us
And the time will come when Discord shall |
be buried in the Past,
The oriAamme Of Love shall wave above the
breach at last, I'D ~ F 4 II
And beneath that starry banner-type Of
unity divine
Shall stand those stately signals-the Pal
metto and the Pine.
Shall the old victorious Eagle from their
boughs be wrenched away
By the double-heaeed Vulture of Disnnion
and Decay? ITI5I fF.4
Forbid it, Heavenl Columbia, guard thine
embems gathered here
To grace the brilliant dawning of this grand
Centennial year,
And bear them as thou marchest on with
gonfalons unfurled,
With thy foot upon the fetter for the freeing
of the world! sFY=. 4
And guard thy Holy Sepulchre-Mount ver-
mons sacred shrine 4e
For this is Freedoms Holy Land-her prom
lSed Palestine.
Oh thou voice Of God outfowing from the
lips of holy Peace,
Soothe the turmoil and the tumult-bid this
strife and sorrow ceasel
Ger savannas stepped in sunshine, over
mountains dark with rain,
Send the glad and thrilling tidings in thy
sweetly solemn strain
Let snowy North and sunny South send up
the shout, "Alrs welll''
And the music Of thy coming strike our
hsart-strings With its SWELL = 9 u
As to Jessie Brown at Lucknow struck the
air Of "Auld Lang Syne'
From the Highland pipes of Havelock) y
Save the Palm and save the PineI
God plant them still together let Them four
ish side'by side
h. k,l1,