New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-05

@ ex President had to be escorted to the front
where she bowed her acknowlet
s. Clarence Bowen, son of II. c. Bowen,
Q editors of The Ne,o- York Independent. rea'
entitled "Our Country" written for I
ZION by John Greenleaf Whittier. The po'
rs follows:
We give thy natal day to hope,
o Country OF our love and prayert
Thy way Is down no fatal slope,
But up to freer sun and air
Il by furnace-hres. and yet
BY Gods grace only stronger made,
To meet new tasks before thee set
Thou shalt not lack the old-tme aid.
The fathers sleep; but men remain
Az wise, as true and brave as Jney
why count the loss and not the gain
The best IL that we have Today.
Whate'er of folly, shame, or crime
Within thy mighty bounds trant9ires,
with speed defylng space and timD
Comes 10 us on the, accusing wires;
While OF thy wealth Of noble deeds.
Thy homes OF peace thy votes unsold,
The love that pleads for human needs,
The wrong rcdressed, but half 10 told
Each poor wretch, In his prison cell
Or allows-noose, Is interviewed;
We know the single sinner wei,
And not the nine and ninety good.
Yet, II on daily scandals fed,
We seem at times TO doubt thy worth,
We know thee still, waen all ID SAID,
The best and dearest spot ON earth.
From the warm Mexic Gulf. or where
Belted with flowers, Los Angeles
Basks In tho sem-tropic air,
To where Katahdin's cedar trees
Are dwarfed and bent by Northern winds,
Thy plenty's horn Is yearly nlled;
Alone the rounding century nnds
Thy liberal soil by free hands titled.
A refuge for the wronged and poor,
Thy generous heart mas borne the blame
That with them, through thy open door,
The Old Worlds evil outcasts came.
But, with thy just and equal rule.
And labor's need and breadth OF !ands,
Free press aud rostrum. church and school,
Thy sure, II slow, Transforming hands
Shall mould even them to thy design.
Making a blessing Of the ban
And Freedoufs chemistry combine
The alien elemcnts OF man.
The power that broke their prison bar
And set the dusky millions free,
And welded In the fame OF war
TIE Union fast 70 Liberty,
Shall II not deal with other ills.
Redress the red mans grievance, break
The Circean cup which shames and Kills,
Aud Labor full requital make
Alone to such a. atly bear
Thy civic nonors bid them fall,
And call thy daughters forth 10 share
The rights and duties pledged 10 ALI
No lack was In thy primal stock.
No weakllng founders bullded here
Thine we're the men OF Plymouth Rock,
The HuGuenot and Cavalier.
And they whose firm endurance gained
The freedom Of the souls OF men,
Whose hands, uustained with blood, maintained
III cor I'M n
And thine shall BE- the power Of all
To do the work which duty bids,
And make the peoples eouncl hall
As lasting as the Pyrenidsl
Well have thy later years made good
Thy braye-said word a century back,
The pledge of human brotherhood.
The equal claim Of white and black
That word still echoes round the world,
And all who hear Il turn 10 thee,
And read upon thy flag unfurlsd
The prophecies OF destiny.
The great world-lesson all shail learn,
The nations in thy school shall sit,
Earth's farthest mount tain tops shall burn
With vstch.hrcs from thy own uplit
Great without seeking 10 be great
BY fraud or conquest rich IN gold,
But richer in tho large estate
or virtue which thy children hold,
with peace that comes OF purity.
And strength 10 simple Justice due:
30 runs our royal dream OF thee;
God OF our fathers make IL trusl
Land OF lands 10 thee We give
Our prayers. our hopes. our service free;
For thee thy sous shall nobly live.
And at thy need shall die for thee