Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-05-08
THE VOW OF WASHINGTON.

BY JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIER.
[Read In New York, April 80, 1889. at the Centen
George Washington as the first
President of the United
States
The sword was sheathed in Aprils SUN
Lay green the fields by Freedom won;
And severed sections, weary OF debates,
Joined hands al 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 mani
One thought the cannon salvos spoke;
The resonant bell towers vibrant stroke,
The voicetul streets. the plaudit-eehoing halls.
And prayer aud hymn borne h~eavenward from
St. Pauls!
How felt the land il. every part
The strong thrOb OF a na.ton's heart,
AS its great leader gave, with reverent awe,
His pledge to Union, Liberty and aw!
That pledge the heavens above him heard,
That VOW the sleep of centuries stirred;
In world wide wonder listening peoples bent
Their gaze on freedoms great experiment.
Could it succeed ? Of honor 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,
Il DcyOlo OIC Ii WltuOut WOdkuCbS GOOQs
Calia in the strength of fawless rect1tudeI
His rule OF justice, order, peace,
Made possible the worlds release;
Taught prince and sert that power Is but a trust,
And rule, alone, which serves tfe ruled, Is just;
That freedom generous is but strong
In hate of fraud and sehish wrong,
Pretense that turns her holy truths to lies,
And lawless license masking in her guise.
Land of his love! with one glad voice
Let thy great sisterhood rejoice:
A century's 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 warsl
Lol where with patient toll he nursed
And trained the new-set plant at first,
The widening branches of a stately trte
Stretch from the sunrise to the sunset sea.
And in its broad and sheltering shade,
Sitting with none to make afraid,
Were we now silent. through each mighty limb,
The winds of heaven would sing the praise of
Our first and best!-his ashes lie
Beneath his own Virginia sky.
Forgive, forget. o true and just and brave,
The storm that swept above thy sacred gravel
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
pinei
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 aud chosen both are powers
Equal in service as in rights; the claim
Or 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 Alaskd's cold.
Repeat with us the pledge a century old!
OAK KNOLL, DANVERS, MASS.