Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-05-01
THE VOW OF WASHINGTON.
Centennial Poem Written by th
American Poet Whittier

American Poet Whittier.
After the invocation by Rev. Dr. Richard s.
StorIs, the following, written by John Greenleat
Whittier, was read:
THE VOW OF WASHINGTON.
The sword was sheathed In April's sun
Lay green the fields by freedom won;
And severed sections, weary of debates,
Joined hands at last and were United States.
o city sitting by the sea
How proud the day that dawned on thee
When the new era, long desired, began,
And, IN its need, the hour had found the man
One thought the cannon salyos spoke;
The resonant bell towers vibrant stroke
The voiceful streets, the plaudit-echoing halls
And prayer and hymn borne heayenward from
st. Paufs!
How felt the land in every part
The strong throb of a nations heart,
As its great leader gave, with reverent awe,
HIS pledge to Union, Liberty and Law
That pledge the heavens above him heard,
That vow the sleep of centuries stirred:
In worldwide wonder listening peoples bent
Their gaze on freedoms great experiment.
Could it succeed? ofhonor sold
And hopes deceived all history told.
Above the wrecks that strewed the mournful
past,
Was the long dream of ages true at last?
Thank God the peoples choice was Just,
The one man equal TO his trust
Wise beyond lore, and without weakness good
Calm in the strength of hawless rectitude
His rule of justice, order. peace,
Made possible the world release:
Taught prince and serf that power is but a trust
And rule, alone, which serves the ruled, is just;
That Freedom generous is, but strong
IN hate of fraud and selfish wrong,
Pretense that turns her holy truths 10 lies,
AND laWless license masking in her guise
Land of his loyel with one glad voice
Let thy great sis,erhood rejoice;
century suns DER thee have risen and set
And, God be praised, we are one nation yet.
And still, we trust, the years to be
Shall prove his hope was destiny,
Leaving our flag with all its added stars
Unrent by faction and unstained by wars
Lo. where with patient toll he nursed
And trained the new-set plant at first.
The widening branches of q stately tree
Stretch from the sunrise 70 the sunset sea.
And in its broad and sheltering shade,
Sitting with none to make afraid,
We're we now silent, through each mighty limb,
The winds Of heaven would sing the praise of
him.
Our first and best his ashes lie
Beneath his own Virginian sky
Forgive, forget, o true and Just and brave
The storm that swept above thy sacred grave
For, ever in the awful strife
And dark hours of the nations life
Through the fierce tumult pierced his warning
word,
Their fathers voice his erring children heard !
The change for which he prayed and sought
In that sharp agony was wrought;
No partial interest draws its alien line
Twixt North and South, the cypress and the
pine
One people now, all doubt beyond,
His name shall be our Union bond.
We lit our hands to Heaven and here and now
Take on our lips the old Centennial vow
For rule and trust must needs be ours:
Chooser and chosen both are powers
Equal in service as in rights the claim
OF Duty rests on each and all the same.
Then let the sovereign millions where
Our banner floats in sun and air,
From the warm palm-lands to Alaska's cold.
Repeat with us the pledge century old,