Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-08-06
THE SILVER WEDDING" 1879
'sTALWARFN POEM.

A 'srALwARTN POEM.
Eighteen huudrca aud tifty-lour,
Babes that were, are babes no more:
Bows aud Girl, who brealhed that air,
Manly and womanly farms now wear
Men who walked in manhood's prime,
Show the touch OF the tyrant time;
He d5 that wore that glorious day
kingly crowns of iron.gray
Now lift up their drifts OF snow,
GIstenng far in the suniight's 9tow,
While volcanic hearts below,
Sill with patriotic fires ag,Ow,
Keep their earlier faith sublime,
More than match for the gray beard
time
Many head that thea was fair,
White with age or bowed with care,
Long ago in silence deep
Dropped away TO that drcamless sleep,
out of whose restiul quiet springs
All the comforts eternity brings
Peace to their ashes, and passing peace
Keep their souls while the years increase.
Parties are bern of our civic needs,
Outgrowths they OF political creeds,
Fixed and exalted by noble deeds,
only debascd by little breeds
Out of We wrath of God ami man,
Out of the faith OF a slalwarJ an
Long rcvelcd and under ban.
out OF HE Wings old hope iorlorn,
Out Of q Nations pent by scGrn,--
Thus the Republican party was born.
What, do we say, is in that mmey
twenty-five years of more than fame.
born of principle, sired by thought,
'Slavcs are men, and not TO be bought -
1--WE are a Nation, are truths it has
taught.
Swiftly those terrible years have fed,
Who are the partisan patriots dead
Lincoln end stanton and Seward, indeed,
These were statesmen of no mean breed
Wilson and Sumner and Seward and
Chase
Heroes cnbalmcd in the hearts Of race,
Andrew and Harvey and Morton and Yates
RuIcra of Commonwealth, empges, states,
Loycioy, Hale aud Old Ben Wade
FlHnEud 10y The rest Of the mighty brig
ade,
Greeley and Garrison. Brncy and Brown,
Names which the ages can never lea down,
Seated by ;hcsr lives INTO earthly renowu.
THIS Is u roster no age can es.lel,
these arc the giants who fought and fell,
still in the realms OF this upper air,
Worthy each fallen mantle 10 wear,
Able and willing each burden To bear,
Walk in our midst with gallant tread
Captains bywhom we are Vaiantly lead
Peers o.! the mighty, illusrou, dead
Here on hi, platform shah stand o.day
Champions Of nberly, worthy us they
Men Of ,hc people well trained to serve,
Strong OF heart and steady OF nerve,
Fearing alone to lie or swcrye,-
Foes Of laIschood and friends of truth,
Born uuto fame aud immortal youth -
Burrows Of Michigan, Williams of Rock,
Scions Of sound Republican stock,
Brilliant defenders OF human rights,
Dreadng no traitor and stunning no fights,
Garfield welding the laws keen blade,
Seeming the tricks Of denagogue' I,
trade,
Swift to cat every Gordan knot made
Chandler. who never has turned his back
Mighticsl hunter on jed Davis track,
nItteycst foe of the whole rebel pack,
Nichigan's chief ian, the warrior Old Zach
Matched by these in the halls ailr.
Coukiu@ and Blaine and Carpenter are,
Each a fixed Republican star.
Triune gods at the Senate's bar,
MaslertUl trinity of partisan war;
Logan and Cameron, Window and Hoar,
Edmuuds and Foster and dozens more
ilaWiey and Howe and the Nashburn's
AL,
Ready to rol the Republican ball,
Ready 10 leap at their countfy's call
Hayes in the White House with veto in
hand,
Battling ikc traitors thSt threaten The land ;
Syarts aud >ehUrZ with mastery skill
COmseling, gGIdlng and covering still
Sherman with many a coin crammed vault
Paying the debt without default
Thompson and Dcycus, McCrary and