Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-09-05
TheaSouth.


The following beautiful poem. was written
by A. F. Alexander, Esq., of this citysfor the
use Of Cspt..F. b. Ledbetter. s;blnd veteran
soldier, at the. rs-uni0n. Thosgh Mr.. Alex
snder, from feeling of modesty, did not de!
sire that his name should be connected with
the poem, it became known that he had writ
ten It, and In printing it. last week, Hs . part
of the Reunion proceedlhgs we attached his
name without consulting him. The extra
work occasioned BY the reunion prevented
the editor from reading the proof, and in COM
sequence two eKecrable typographical errors
occurred In the poem, entirely marring its
sense. It is too creditable production to I'd
thus disfgured. 30 at the trouble of setting
it, we publish it again. -. ....,:..,-l 81
Land Of the Patriots hope. the statesman's 8
dream, .... .s-.'- -..-.. ..-...
Land where the genial influence of the
cline
Sheds beauteous softness DER each lovely
And purples DER each mountain height
sublime; rr o., t....;....-.
Where fields Of corn and wheat alternate
Like emeralds chased in gold. Land in all
The abode Of freedom-l loving saxOns. and the
How I have, have loved thy rivers, plains' and
Sweet. Sunny South. throughout thy vast
domain,
From broad Potomac to the Rio Grand.
The sounds of peace are heard, and blythe
the swain - ...-i,.. ..-. j.. -.. =
Leads forth his flock to Craze his pasture
land:
~
No riiepits are digged about the strand !;
The stock dove murmnrs ON the leafy spray
Where erst the bursting shell has cleft its
way.
The plow, the reaper. and the drivers goad
Are now thine arms. Where bristline
etrthworks frOwned
And rude ststis blocked the approaching
road,
The fruitful vineya hide each grassy
mound,
And orchards bend beneath their ripening
load:
Deep fields Of clover blossom DER the
.y. ground; .-..,,.i.,..t
The peaceful heifer sirays along the wood
Where the stout skirmlsh liue 30 bravely
stood.
A sounds was heard above the cexseless
Of waves on Norris Island. where the
8 sand
Was beaped IN gun pierced rsmparts. Then
the crash
OF loud artillery shook the pslmy strand
Then all WA. hushed. The flames were
seen tO fash
From burning casemstes on the low. dal
Where Snmter's bastions frowned zone thrill
Ing yell
Then pierced the skies, as that grim fortress
fell.
That sound awakened millions. First they
Ali nu,e ~ 10th to credit news 10 dire:
Then through their Saxon veins the ruby
Hood
As sudden seemedto run with liquid fire.
They rose by thousands, prompt for blows s
From the gay stripping to the aged sire;
The news Of war. then actually begun,
At once made warriors of both sire and son.
Then there was marshaling fn arms; the
drum 81. = =
Pulsed on the rosy morn, nor ceased at
night
The bugle's warning note. the incessant
Of cars importing arms. The dswniug
light - -. .-.
Flashed on strange bands of horsemen new
ly come, ...,s.. -
AuC uOuuIolu uOWllZeI, Lue 62Uer DrlH0t.
The gaudy sash, the knightly plume. For sli
Her noble sons responded to the call.
They sought no chart their freeborn rights
to know; ...:
The ensigns which coercive bonds fore,how
The tramp of hostile armies vexed the
heath.
The hand of beauty waived them on tie
foe.
To seek q triumph or a noble death;
The rights their sires bequeathed they scorn-
ed to yield,
But rushed indignant to the bloody field.
How well they fought, how nObly many fell,
In loflier strains the future bard will say.
A hundred fields have heard the fearful
OF their wild shout, when rushing to the
fray;
And the slern Northern warriors knew too
well
That fatal slogan on the battle dsy,
As the deep, dreadful, herald-like appeal
OF blood, by foemen ''worthy Of their Steel"
What n EATERS 1t, although the cause WAS
lost,
The warlike record will outlive all time,
More glorious than the proudest nation 5
More brilliant than the Homerie age sub.
lime;
Well WAS 1t worthy OF the blood 1t cost:
Unsullied by ambitious odious crime,
No letters marked its fall, no cOnquerur's car
Was driven in vengeance for successless war.
The llghtning's crash which wrecks the
summer skies,
A fresher verdure on each plant bestows:
The hardy oak the tempest stock defies,
Tried, when q sapling, by each blast that
blows;
From daily toll which youth severely tries,
The stronger, healthier type Of manhood
grows;
And thus the energy derived from war
Has made the southern people what they are
Where weeds deformed the streets and
public grounds,
Where ill-clad deliZens would idly roam
The busy burst of commerce now resounds
The hum Of mills and whir of spindles
come
With deafening force; substantial wealth
abounds
In every tenement and thrifty home;
The factories throb In one continuous round,
And ceaseless trains Of cars convulse the
ground.
%The report Of the signal gun at Cummings
Point, announcing the appearance of the Fed
eral neet for the relief Of Fort Sumter.