National Republican., 1878-06-28
SOUTHERN POETRY.

Inc MISSISSIPPI lfcSS ASSOCIATION held It's
annual convention Mt Vickburg, June 9TH
instant. Among other incidents of the con-
vention was the reading of poem, entitled
" Southland" Of which one WILL. II. KER-
NAN is the proud author. although the
reader was Colonel \. Y. HARPER. Missis-
sippi is the banner State of the "regenented
South" according to the ideas of the
Southern Democrats who have aided in
rcclaimng her from Radical, ,""n Niger"
and carpct-bag rule. Within her limits
the purcst inspirations of free and untram-
clcd Southern Democracy are cherished
and her press is accepted rs representing
the bottom facts of Southern political senti-
ment. Mr.. KERNAN's poem may therefore
present something in its sentiments worthy
of more attention than would ordinarily be
accorded to it, for it has the fragrance of
machine-grcase in each and every line. 1t
scars aloit at the outset with declarations
about blue bending skies in the land, the
Southland, the most passionate this side of
Paradise-which is a poor rhyme to skies
and then swoops ruthlcSsly down to remark
that this Southland is the
Cradle of JEFFERSON, CALHOUS, and DAVIS
knlghtlicst one,
Whose name. whose high, white name, will shine
and circle with the SUM-"
All of which is very encouraging to
JEFF. But dropping him in that shining
circle the poet returns to his mutton-i. e +,
the Southland, aforesaid, with this apos-
trOphc
80, land Of roses and romance, of lunshnc, and OF
song,
The Grand All-Hall Hereafter will avenge thy ruth
and wrong.'
This brings the poet down to the busi-
ness of the OCCASION which is q rally in the
future of the "Grand All-Hail Hereafter"
in behalf of the Lost Cause, q cause that he
compares 10
The same grand Truths that glorlhed our war. flag
when, unfurcd,
They bore 1t on from height to height against our
ancient foe
What time their yalor viyined throughout the blue.
rnged world
Afresh the awful host of men by tyrants trampled
| low"
They" who bore IT in this vivified style
were, it should be understood, "our Sires :"
in other words, the revolutionary fathers,
and they not only bore it, but they bare
their blades, and swore
by Father SON. and Holy Ghost this gody land
TO free
OF course they were bound to keep this
trebly-sanctifed oath, and the result was
! that
Liberty walked smiling through the
land
with sun-crowns and Blossoms fair up
'flOwcrcd' on her rampageous head but
something was even then the matter with
things. The poet calls this something "a
DOOM aud one that destroys things gem
orally, lie sings Of it:
But a Doom runs through the Ages; 1t was never
known to fail
In all the long.drawn cycles since our universe
began,
That plotters shall conspIre, and with brand and
ball asSail
The liberties that beautiy and bless their fellow
man"
So it came to pass that this Doom, fearful
thing put "our liberties in peril, and
"Up.changed the tocsin peal"
The amount Of up-ishncss in this poem
is startling-the up-llowcring, the up-chang-
ing, the uplifting aud up-clashing plainly
indicating that the poet revcled in the up
per realms Of beatitiC thought. But to do
him full justice, we quote his own words
remarking simply that, bad as his poetry is,
his devotion to treason, his laudation of the
past, and especially his prophecies regard
ing the future success of the Southern Con-
fcderacy, were highly applauded. The
further remark, somewhat trite, about writ
ing the songs of people and permitting