Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1881-07-27

Displaying a taI-law Just passed in his state.
The bard wove gossaner plea for the muse,
And claimed that his rhymes served practical use
Bound language and thonSht with the soldenest link
But the people said spns sasut victuAls or drink
Well suited for bridal or dirge DER he dead,
But no sort OF use in struggle for bread
The poets, they argued, from Homer III then.
Had been the most wretched aud shiftless OF men,
And they who had sung with all sweetness and grace
Had been but bill of expense to the race:
While living they borrowed and paid in blank verse;
And diei without owning the hire of hearse
The painter was sileuced before he got through,
With statements that nature held, gratis, to view
More pictures. and better than man ever drew,
Adornin< his chamber by day and by night
With all that IL best of the shadow aud light:
From any back door in the Green Mountain state,
Tints fairer seen than canvass or plate,
And beauty, SURPRISING the wonders of Rome
Looked in through the windows Of every mans home
Vermont, they averred. had live saints at her plows
And pure-souled Madonnas sat milking her COWS;
While heroes noble ever were born
Went telling her forests and hoeinx her corn
The soldier appeared, with his banner displayed
His plume tossing proudly, aud grandly arrayed
In scarlet and sold on his forehead the scars
or sabre strokes taken in merciless wars.
Right brayely he claimed of the people renown:
They honored and loved him, but gave him no crown
Wars victories soon and forever would cease,
But rich and eternal the triumphs of peace.
disciple Of sculpture pleaded her cause:
The crowd heard him kindly, and gave him applause
But man couldn't use, and the Lord wouldn't own,
His naked mmortals of marble and stone;
or helpless men, living. the world had its stock,
Without having dead ones cut out from rock
And who could revere his great graudfsther's bust
The while the original mouderet in dust =?
memory they said of immaculate worth,
Was better than all the white marble on earth;
Aud love had exceeded the beauth OF art,
In forms she had wrought for the halls of the heart
Then IN much abused, much honored, appeared.
Some gave him groan and some Justify cheered.
His mssion-to fight, single handed, alone
The sins of the people as we'll as his own.
In the drama of time, with the high born and low Al
Some part he had acted for veal or for woe,-
Now gracing the scene with sweet budding rod,
Then serving calf, made of gold, as a god;
Rebukns one moment, tyrant's desires,
Then forging his shackes and lighting his fires
The powers of sin laying low In the dust,
Then staining his robes with the blood OF the Just
But his glory greatly exceeded his shame
That few were more worthy the honors of fame
He wore Calvns shoes they were narrow, but stout,
Elected, predestined, to-never wear out!
His title to Heaven no mortal could lose
Who once set his feet In these marvellous shoes
His coat was Arminiau. Free-W loose sack,
Which might any moment slip off from his back;--
Not meant for an ecclesiastical show,
But to do lowly work in-sh 1ut glory. and grow
For water he had an Unsuitable thirst,
And felt all the better the more he immersed
His hat was broad brimmed AMI it shaded a face
Which glowed with the lustre of Heavenly grace
Az he spoke of the cross upon which Jesus hung
Ineffabe sweetness flowed forth from his tongue,
And out OF mems souls such melody made
As flows from the harp that is skillfuly played
He told of tn Boo of all Books God had given
How 1t purified earth, and guided to Heaven:
OF millions below, and Of millions above,
Who had learned its sweet truths of God and His love
Till many lips said Thine the chapet of fameln
But, taking the stand, one disputed his claim
He was born late in time but Just where nd Just when
None knoweth,-a child OF the slow moving pen,
Yet agile as thought with a tongue for all speech
And strange omnipresence, destined to reach,
The children of men in earth's loneliest nook,
And teach them the wisdom of God in book;
Each day for the million in letters to trace
miniature copy of yesterdays face.
And give every morning, at dawning OF light,
The echo Of voices that died with the night
wonderful child with mission sublime
second apostle born out of due time
Possessing for knowledge the same ardant thirst
May God give him. also. the grace of the first!
His vision Of glory his sanctiied brains
And all that he knew, but the prisons and chains!
A HDOd OF ecchttnOeS rOSe.np TO his waist,
In his right hand the shears in his left han the pase
His shirt bosom looked like f0rna badty pied
He wore big hat, with patent outside
His beard and short stood like tVe off ts feet
He looked brave and wise, but he didn't look neat
His collar, unbuttoned, hung loosely about;
The sleeves of his coat needed more Leddia0 out
His head seemed to those in phrenolosy skilled
long standin0 galley with HUe matter filled.
Though deUtt in youth, he had changed that now
Few marks of the old life appeared on his brow
His eyes had the power to look should he choose,
Delinquent subscribers straight out of their shoes
food of spring cerses let loose through the mail
Had stricken, and left him dyspeptic and pale
He laid for moment, behind his right ear,
That sword which the bravest of wicked men fear;
While all the assembly pressedi forward:to see,
And hear the strange creature that calls himself We
Der the forms OF his foes he hastily drew
The searching I've brush of q caustic review,
Laid them up on the stone OF critical skill,
Unlocked them and danDened them dorm, with will
Then drew his opposers, each into his place.
As If but distributing tVpe at the case
He tfted the speeches of sta atesmen, divine,
Showed the outs they had made ouer.ran every line,
Scorned to spring on the crowd orstorical traps,
But spoke in italics, and thought in SMALL CARS;
Pited leads OF logic showed doubles were thick
column of rhetoric cut doWn TO a stick
Nor measured his right to the honors OF fame
BY what he had published, but rested his claim
He had suffered and doomed to unbroken repose
In the ,Odste paper basket, resting place meet,
For personal spite, and for brainless conceit
Then closed out the copy, and locked up the chase.
As he grew out of sorts, and eB1ptied his case,
Indifferent, If fame placed the wreath on his head
Or his column rules turned to show he was deadIl
Set stere0tvDed face to the crowd, and its votes
Laid his book on his knee and began taking notes.
Then fame stood in wonder, knew which to bless
For some cried, the pulpit ~ and some cried, "th
press I"
The pulpit, victor, one moment was hailed.
Then a shout for the PRESS up. an prevailed.
As armies contend for the standards they bear,
The cries of the multitude strovs in mid air;
The tumult increased the crowds swayed to and frC
The sea of white faces grew whittier than snow
Fame sounded the trumpet she at her side;
The tumult sank into q whisper, and died;
Both pulpit and press to her will sweetly bowed,
And stood face to face, with hands casped, and tn
crowd
Baheld, with approval, the triumph Of fame.
Pressed forward to listen, and heard her proclsm:
zone cha plet wove: only one may be crowned;
Two claim the high hon 1r; both worthy are found
One stands by the altar stan DIS by the wheel
Yet both stand for God tongue OF esh tongue OF steel
One heard through the silence of Sabbahs; one speak
In silence, amidst the uproar of the weeks
Their mission 8 one; one, the heart they address,
One spirit should animate pulpit aud press;
God is one truth is one, the universe Ger;
Truth. printed or spoken, is truth, evermore
Proclaimed at the altar, or sold on the street.
At so much per annum, or 80 much per sheet,
Wrought ont at the desk in the type-room composed
Found in leader, or column, however disclosed,
Still, truth is the same, and her ministers one,
Be they mitred, or aproned with ORDERS or none
Ordair ed at the desk, unordained at the case,
Both are priests unto God each serveth his race
Both stand in the true apostolica line,
And the calling OF each lisa calling divine.
The preacher needs to know what should be said
IT needs just as much to know what should be read
But few will receive the Lords truth In the pews.
While thousands will take 1t mixed up with the news
1t pure must the priest at the altar be-less
Men cannot allow in the priest of the press.
His parish ia boundless; he forces his way
Where preacher hath never yet ventured to pray:
For an audience, greater than pulpit can show,
He gathers, each day, all the gospel they know.
Should he publish the story of Christ and the Jews
How many would know 1t from yesterdays news7