The record-union., 1897-06-17
For the "Record-Union.
DAWN AT LEXINGTON,

Freedom and liberty. those noble words
Or dreams the words imply-have been
and are
The hope and solace of mankind; yet
beasts and birds
Are born to both, and do not war
For Natures general bequeSt to all.
but man alone, of wide creations host,
Must peer above his fellows and enthral
His weaker kinsmen, who; if they have
lost.
All else, must pawn their souls TO pay
the final cost.
Freedom and liberty! of every race
That has aspred above the savage state
Have been the boast for time too long to
Or cen to read of. But, of late
Say since the old republic in its glory
Writ Senatus populusque Romani' =
They We been the themes for pride and
And many times the slogan and the cry
OF rebels, tyrants and ambitious smaller
fry.
Freedom and liberty! their banners lorn
HAD waved above embatt'd hosts so
Their glories waned; so often stained and
So oft subverted by the wrong.
me magic inspiration of their charms
A last heroic summons called ITO arms;
To arms; We dauntless patriots of a
shore
Where freedom must prevail or perish
eVermOre!
The minute men of Lexington obey!
Ha. what feeble few to guard the free!
Some, three score villagers, at break OF
day
To make the stand for liberty!
In awkward files, half-form'd upon the
green,
Those, cot-bred boys, those gray and
toil-bent sires,
While on. with steady tread and martial
In all the naughty pride their power in
spires,
Marchd England's grenadiers to quench
the patriot fires,
They stood there, in the early April dawn.
The champions of a nation yet unborn,
1hey STOOD upon their sleeping village
To consecrate the fateful morn
VI IFeedom's last, most desperate field of
Undaunted, tho perchance each pa
triot's breath
Came quicker with the quickened throbs
of life.
Undaunted still, each one defed the
That now menaced them all upon their
little health
The British rank, like some grim threat
of fate
Approached in all it's pride and stern
array!
The awkward squad could only watch and
wait
Heroic task to stand at bay.
Inc straggling file, the few-the fated
Too, weak to hope but not to bravely
darei
Defiant, firm; though every hero knew
a rebels fate and peril faced him there.
He scornd despotic power and breath d
enchanted air.
''Disperse .ye rebels! OFF, lay down your
armSi''
Was the shrin challenge in a tyrant's
name.
"Disperse, We villains, Fire., The red
blood warns
The dew-cold sod as muskets flame,
Sending IMMORTAL souls to God, to man
me summons TO prepare for chains or
Ay, thus it was the fated strife began
For this the village heroes nobly stood
For this was steerd a British Majors
Sordid mood!
The martyr files were thinn'd and in dis
may!
The few survivors saw their brothers
slain,
Or si res their sons or aged fathers gray
From their old breasts and patriotic
hearts
Redeemed the homespun garb and glazed
Bedimmed with age before! The panic
Not sprung from fear but horror and
surprise.
While bleeding. patriots die, and free
doms signal flies.
The panic started on that village green
Was doubt dissolv'd in hastv resolIttion
The act of slaughter and the bloody scene
FIXED and confirmed the Revolution,
SANCTIONED rebellion and the holy right
or arm d resistance to a tyrant's rule
Evok,d the natural law that men must
fight
For preservation; showed the world a
fool
Nurtured by England in her ancient,
royal school!
The Continental Congress, Heaven defend
That name from dead oblivion and the
years.
Those august syllables should aye tran
scend
As long. as men have hopes and fears!
Hurrah! for Faneuil Hall and liberty.
Hurrah! for ragged Continentals, tool
Hurrah! for backwoods statesmen-for
Fol-. all who strove or fought for what
Was human mar, justice-for the red, white
They nailed their colors to the mast.
Ana struck despots down,
While Heaven itself with clouds o'ercast
Darkend the despots frown
They nailed their colors to the mast,
me banner caught the breezei
While Freedom blew a western blast
That sounded DER the seas
They nail'd their colors to the mast.
W hen all was dark and drear-
A banner pleas'd the skies at last
ha11 u