Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1889-05-02
"THE VOW OF wAsHINGToS.r


Greenieaf whittier.
The following is the poem that was
roHu ior the venerable poet, John Green
leaf Whittier:
Ihe sword was shenthed!in April's sun
Lay green the fields by Freedom won;
Ana severed sections, weary of debates
joined hands at lust and were United
statcs.
o City sitting by the Seat
Nliow proud the day that duWned on
When the new era, long desired, began.
Ana, In It's need, the hour had found the
man!
Ono thought the cannon snlvos spoke,
Tbs resonant boll-tuwer's vibrant
stroke,
The yoiceful streets, the plaudit-echoing
halls,
And prayer and hymn borne heaven,
ward from st. Puulsl
How felt the land IN every part
The strong throb OF nations heart,
AS IT'S great leader gave, with rcverCnt
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 expert
ment.
Gould 1t succecd9 Ofhonor sold
And hopes deceived all history told.
Above the wrecks that sire wed the
mournful past,
Was the long dream of ages true ut last?
Thank God! the peoples choice was
Just,
Tho one man equal to his trust,
Wise beyond lore, and without weakness
Calm in the strength Of flawless recti-
tudel
His rule OF justice, order, peace,
Made possible the world, s release;
Taught prince ana 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.
Pretcnse TINT turns her holy truths to
lies,
And iawless license masking in her
gutsc.
Land of his love! with one glad voice
Let thygreat sisterhood rejoice;
A ccntury's suns Ger thee have risen
and set,
And, God be praised, we are ono nation
yet
And still, we trust, the years to be
Shall prove his hope was destiny,
| Leaving our flag with all its added stars
| Unrcnt by faction and unstaihed by
warsl
I.oi where with patient toll he nurscd
| And trained the new-5et plant nt.tlrst
The widening branches of IL stately trot
Stretch from the sunrise to the sunset
sea.
And in its broad and sheltcring shade
| sitting with none to make afraid,
| We're we now silent, through eacl
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 socrct
| grave!
For, ever in the awful strife
And dark hours of the nations life,
Through the fierce tumult pierced hi
Their fathers voice his erring children
hcardl
The change for which lie prayed an
|
In that sharp agony was wrought;
No partial interest draws its alien line
'Twixt North and south, the cypress AN
the pine!
One people now, NIL doubt beyond,
| His name shall lie our Union-bund;
We lift our hands to Heaven, ana hCi
and now,
Take on our lips the old Centennial voS
For rule and trust must needs be our
/ Chuoser and chosen both are powers
/ Equal in service rs in rights: the claim
OF Duty rests on each and all the same.
Then let the sovereign millions, wlel
| Our banner floats in sun and air,
From the warm pHln-lands To Alaska
cold,
Repeat with MS the pledge century olt
OAK KNOLL, Danvers, Mass,
At the conclusion Of the reading tn
nssembluge gave Mr. Whittier throl
cheers and tiger.
|