Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-03-17

"ThO Emerald Isle. -

Epithets and phrases of general signif-
canoe in human affairs and mere descrip-
ton become the commoa property OF the
people. They belong 70 the tongues rather
than to the books, and are used without
| quotation credit. ''The Emerald Isle. -
| descriptive OF ireland, Is such phrase. II
was first used by somebody-no one knows
| who-but the anonymous author was care
| ful to point out its first appearance IN a
poem OF his or hers. The poem is preserved
in vol. TX. Of the Belfast Monthly Maodzins,
| 1912, printed and published BY joseph
Smyth. 1t is introduced by 8 statement
that 1t was written aud first published in
l795, aud evidently the phrase soon came
| into general use. The author was anxious
| that its connection with the poem should
not be lost, and to preserve the emerald in
its original setting was the object of its re-
| publication in the magazine. The following
is the poem complete, and the sentiments
are those of the sons Of Erin to-day:
ERIN.
When Erin first rose from the dark swelling
God bless'd the green Island-He saw it was
good.
The em'rald of Europe; it sparkled. it shone
In the ring OF this world the most precious
stone.
In her sun, in her soil, in her station thrice
With back turned to Britain, her face TO the
West,
Erin stands, proudly insular. on her steep
shore,
And strikes her high harp to the oceans deep
roar.
But when its soft tones seem to mourn and to
weep,
The dark chain of silence is cast Ger the deep;
At the thought of the past tears gush from her
eyes,
And the pulse of the heart makes the white
bosom rise.
o sons of green Erin, lament DER the time
When religion was-war; and our country-a
crime!
When men. in Gods image, inverted His plan;
And moulded their god from the image of man.
When the interest of State wrought the general
The stranger-a friend; and the native-a foe;
While tbs mother rejoic'd DER her children
And claspd the invader more close to her
breast.
When with Pale for the body and Pale for the
Church and State join'd in compact to conquer
the whole;
And while Shannon ran red with Milesian blood,
Ey'd each other aSkance, and pronounc' d 1t
was good.
By the groans that ascend from your forefath
erS grave
For their country thus left to the brute and the
slave,
Drive the demon of bigotry home to his den,
And where Britain made brutes now let Erin
make men.
Let my sons, like the leaves of the shamrock.
unite;
A partition of sects from one footstalk of right;
Give each his full share of this earth and yon
sky.
die
Alas for poor Erin, that some still are seen
Who would dye the grass red in their hatred to
Yet oh when you're up and they down, let
Then yield them that mercy which they did not
give.
Arm of Erin, prove strong but be gentle as
brave:
And uplifted to strike, still be ready to save:
Nor one feeling of vengeance presume to defile
The cause, or the men of the Emerald Isle.
The cause it is good. and the men they are true
And the green shall outlive both the orange
and blue:
And the daughters of Erin her triumph shall
share,
With their full-swelling chest and the fair
flowing hair.
Their bosoms heave high for the worthy and
brave,
But no coward shall rest on that soft-swelling
wave;
Men of Erin, awake! and make haste to be
Rise, arch of the ocean Rise, queen Of the
West!