Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1877-06-01
THE POEM.


DELIVERED BY G. W. WAITE.
When the closing day is fading,
Into twilight's peaceful hour,
And the dusky night drops, shading
All below, with soothing power.
Through the evening shadows falling,
Deepening, darkening, more and more,
Come faint accents as If calling,
Calling from distant shore.
Those we loved in days of boyhood,
Seem to greet US now as then,
Friends of youth and early manhood,
Visit with US once again.
Then we dwell with fond remembrance.
In the years long since gone by,
Then we recognize the semblance
OF dear friends whose bodies lie
On the hillside, in the valley,
On the storm-sWept battle-plain,
Where In that last glorious rally,
Life went out In throhs of pain.
Though their mouldering forms are lying
In the grave where all is peace,
Yet their souls, undimned, undying,
In the JOY Of full release,
Seem to hover very near us,
| In the quiet evening air,
Whispering memories brought to cheer US,
From realm divinely fair.
Oh those hours of blest reunionl
When, as in the days of yore,
We may dwell in sweet communion,
With the loved ones gone before
As thus we are living in days that are past,
Mid memories, thronging so full and so
fast.
We hear the loud booming Of cannon again,
Thai pour upon Sumpter their death-deal-
ing rain,
From batteries both on the land aud the
main,
In thunders that echo Ger hill and Ger
plain.
Ger hill and o'er plain above oceans dull
roar.
Or the surges that dash upon Erie's green
shore,
Those thunders reverherate wide through
the land,
From Maine to remote California's strand.
Then away, in alright, speeds the Angel
of Peace,
While war and its demons in horrid release,
Bid every foul passion from slumber awake
Though blood flows like water and heart
strings must break.
How well we remember that dark Sabbath
day,
Its mornings alarm and its evenings dis
may,
When the bells seemed to shrek as from
Mortified throsts,
''0n the ramparts of Sumpter, another flag
floats"
And the mex. days suspense, how it hung
like pail!
Till the lightnings quick wings flashed the
Presidents call,
And the nation responded, uprising in
might,
Well stand by the flag and we'll strike for
the right.
How the people assembled in city and town,
To raise the old flag that at Charlestown
went down,
And as the fair folds floated full on the
breeze,
Their thoughts were the echo of words
such as these:
All hail starry flag Of the nation
The boast Of the brave and the freel
We hail thee with glad acchmation,
Our hearts and our hopes are with thee
Yes, peerless on land and the ocean,
Revered by the loyal and true,
We hail thee with steadfast devotion,
And strike for the red, white, and blue.
OF old when the wsr-cry resounded,
When Liberty's name was assailed,
Thy foes were full often eonfounded,
Thy cause, glorious banner, prevailed,
So now. in an earnest endeavoF,
To cling to the old and the new,
Well strike every hand that would sever,
The folds of the red, white, and blue.
Thy prestage shall check insurrection,
Whoever may lift up the hand,
Thy name shall give ample protection,
The length and the breadth of the land
The bonds.that enslsve shall be broken,
Wherever thy folds are in view,
Proud flag! thou art Liberty's token,
Westrike for the red, white, and blue.
Thy fame shall grow bright with the ages,
While cycles Of years roll along,
To cheer, when humanity wages,
Its conflict with manifold wrong,
Our children shall catch up the story,
Their children the theme shall renew,
Till nations unborn hear thy glory,
Thnu fe1 of tha rad uhita and hlua