Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1889-05-09
THE vow OF WASHINGTON.
BY JOHN GREENLEAE WHITTIER.


Read in New York April 30 at the cen.
tennial celebration of the inauguration OF
George Washington as the first president OF
the United States.
The sword was sheatEed; in Aprils sun
Lay green the fields by Freedom won;
And several 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 salvos spoke;
The resonant bell-tCwer's vibrant stroke,
The voiceiul streets, the plaudit echoing
halls,
And prayer and hymn borne heavenwari
from st. Paul 5.
How felt the land in every part
The strong throb OF nations heart,
AS its great leader gave, with reverend awe,
his pledge FOR union, liberty and law!
That pledge the heavens above him heard
hat VOW the sleep of centuries stirred;
In world wide wonder listening peoples bent
Their gaze on Freedom 5 great experiment.
Could it succeedi OF honor sold
And hopes deceived ali history told.
Above the wrecks that strewed the mourn
tul past,
Was the long dream of ages true at last!
Thank God the peoples choice was
Just,
The young man equal to his trust
Wise beyond lore, and without weakness
good,
Calm in the strength of fiawless rectitude!
His rule of justice, order, peace,
Macs possible tine word release;
Taught prlnte anu serf that power is but Il
trust
And rule alone, which serves the ruled, is
just.
That Freedom generous is, but strong
In hate of fraud and selfish wrong,
Pretense thai turns Ler holy truth TO lies,
Anu Iawless license masking IN her guise.
Land of his love with one glad voice
Let thy great sisternOod reJolCe
a century suns er thee have risen and
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 mag wItn all ITS addeu stars
Unrent uy faction and unstained by wars
Lo where with patient toll he nursed
And tralneI the new set plant at nrst,
The widening branches OF "a stately tree
Stretching IRON tho sunrise TO the sunset
sea.
And in is broad and shelter ng shade,
Sitting with none 40 make AFRAID,
Were we now silent through each mighty
limb,
The winds of heaven would sing the praise
OF him.
Our first ard lest - his ashes lie
Beneath his own Virginian SKY.
Forgive, forget q true and Jus. and brave.
The storm tuat swept above thy sacrs+5
grave.
For, even in the awful strife
Ana dark hours of the nations life.
Through the fierce tumulJ pierced his
warning word.
Their 1ather voice his erring children
hearI
The change fer 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 ouy uuon bond;
We lit our hands TO heaven, and here and
now,
Take on our lips the old centennial VOW.
For ru' e and trust must reeds be ours;
ChONser and chosen both are powers
Equal in service as III ghts, the claim
Ofduty rests on each and all the same.
Thea Let the sovereign millions, where
Our banner float in sun and air,
From the warm PAIN lands 10 Alaska's
cold,
Repeat with us the pledge a century old
Oak Knoll, Danvers, Mass.