The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-07
OUR COUNTRY.
by JOHN eREENLEAF WHITTIER.


.Rsad at Ro.oand Park: Woodstock. Conn, July
We give thy nataftay TO hope.
. country of our love and prayerl
Thy wRy IA down no fatal slOue,
But up to freer sun and atrs
Tried as by furnace-fires. and vet
By Gods grace enly stronger made,
To meet new tasks before thee set
Thou shalt not lack tine Old-tlme aid.
The fathers sleep; but men remain
Az wise, as true and brave as they
Why count the lOss and not the gainf
The best Is that We have to-day.
Whate'er of folly shame, or crime
Within thy mighty bounds transpires,
With speed defytng space and time
Comes to us on the accusing wires;
While OF thy wealth of noble deeds,
Thy homes of peace, thy votes nHsold,
The love that pleads Tor human needs,
The wrong redressed, but half is t0ldl
Each poor wretch. in his prison cell
Or gallows-noose is interviewed;
We know the single sinner well.
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, when all is sad,
The best aud dearest spot on earth.
From the warm Mexio Gulf, or where,
Brltod with flowers, Los Angeles
Basks IN the seni-tropio air,
To where RstaBdin's cedar trees
Ara AWARDED and hent by Northern winds,
Thy pleAty's horn is yearly filed;
Alone, the rounding century finds
Thy liberal soil by free hands tfllod.
A refuge for tina wronged and poor,
T4y generous heart has borne the blame
That, with them, through tiny open door.
Tire old worlds evil Outcasts came.
But. with thy just and equal rule,
Aud Lob hpa.s r2ff urrfla nA
Free press and rOstrun. church and SohOol,
TAy sure, if slow, Transforming hands
shall mold even them to thy design,
Making a blessing of the ban:
And freedoms chemistry combine
The ahen elements OF man.
The power that broke their prison bar
And set the dusky millions free,
And welded In the flame of war
The Union fast to Liberty,
Shall 1t not deal with other ills,
Redress the red mans grievance. break
The Cireeau cup which shames aud kills,
And Labor full requital makei
Alone to such as fitly hear
Thy civic houOrs bid Them fall
And cali thy daughters forth TO share
The rights and duties pledged TO ALI
No lack was in thy primal stock,
No weakling founders buided here;
Thine were the men OF Plymouth Rock,
The Huguenot and Cavalier,
And they whose firm endurance gained
The freedom Of the souls of men,
Whose hands, unstained with blood, maintained
The swUrdless commonwealth of Penn.
And thine shall DO the power OF all
To do the work which duty bids.
And make the peoples council hall
As lasting as the Pyramids!
Well have thy later years made good
Thy brave-safd word 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 to thee,
Ana read upon THY flag unfurled
The prophecies Of destiny.
The great world-lesson all shall learn,
The nations in thy school shall sit,
Earths farthest noun tain tops shall burn
With watoh-ares from thy own upit.
Great without seeking to be great
By fraud OF conquest, rich i'll gold,
But richer in the large estate
OF virtue which thy children hold,-
With peace that comes of purity.
And strength to simple justice due:
So iuRs our loyal dream of thee;
God OF our fathersi-make it true!
o Land of lands! to thee we give
Our prayers, our hopes, our service free;
For thee thy sons shall nobly live,
And at thy need shall die for thee!