Evening star., 1899-03-18
COLUMBIA REVIEWS THF
CENTURY.
By Col. Archibald uonkins


she stands as the years pass by her and views the
grand parade, '
As it sweeps Eesisttess, onward through sunshine
Clad in The springs fresh veriure alight with the
Bedecked with autumn's fru1tare white with tho
winters snCw.
First 1850 enters with slow and stately trcoa
To waIine martial diryes, foz Washington is dead:
And all along the highways at shops and mills ani
His veterans are gathered with crepe upon :heir
The nations stand uncovered. ard all the people
For the father. and the chieftaIn who had all their
burdens borne
Right on the column marches, with never halt or
With mighty swinging cadence that makes the old
Naught checks its steady progress, none dares to
And Jefferson annexes empire in day
Anon win streaming banners, with ffes and throb
Grim Jackson heads the legions where 1914 comes:
The people tEroug about him to welcome and to
The sturdy Indian fighters, rough sailors from the
The leathern-clnd backwoodsmen, the hardy pio-
Stout matrons in their homespun join in the roaring
And on. uustayed unfearins, till all the land be
They press with ak and rifle toward the setting Of
the sun:
With group of cabins a rude log school house
The c"untry.s surest bulwark, the dread of Free
Swift years pass by and vanish the seas grow white
with SAILS
Great cltes line the harbors, fair hamIets dot the
Mines sink along the hnlsides. great factories rise
The furnace fires are lighted the land is all astir;
The AZ sounds in the woodland, the rifle rings out
Vast forests Yield tlase. the red men disappear
Town: city, village, hamlet with strong newcomers
And marching with the vanguard is the mighty con-
qGerur steam:
It bridges rushing rivers cuts through the forests
gloom,
1t carries every burden. moves wheel anil lathe and
On auI lake and inlet the steamboat whistle
sh=tu
Awake, the sleeping echoes from rock and wood and
Full thirty years have passed her. and again Co
The rattIng, rolling drum beat that fills her eyes
And doughty Scott and Taylor salute as they CO.
Crowned with the deathless laurels of far-on Mex
Again there comes expansion; understanding fair
DOMAINS
Great mountains stored with riches, vnst fertile
Bring stars To deck the banner and DER their
EIteDis our Saxon justice, prevails our Saxon
And California opens, and rours forth golden
Enrehing, stimulating beyond all hopes or dreams:
Spires; hospitals, fair colleges, great legislative
Spring up II by magic; the land grows full of
Art. science. or,tory. the skin to nurse and heal
The law. the stage. the pulpit, care for the poor
Philosophy and literature. the bank. the mart the
press
Tie teachers desk the platform. all glow with
high success:
Morse flashes Ger the wires. Behold what God
hath wrought
And trains the captive lightning to carry human
And patient high eDdeavor and dauntless courage
At last their weeath of victory, to crown heroic
Field:
Tie thoughts Of wslened. time almost is no
When underneath the ocean, from shore to listening
shore.
Is borne the healing message writ down by ancient
peu-
peace, peace on earth is coming good Will. good
will to mem
But the years have grown despOndent. reluctant.
haitins,. slow.
For the skies full OF portent OF coming strife
and woe;
Columbia stands grief-strieken with halfaverted
gaze.
As CT comes forward With civil war ablaze
And the land Is rent and shaken while four long
bloody years
Drag past with Of battle. with agony and tears
But peace at last emerGes. the Constitution stands
And, 10, there march the black men all with un-
shackled hands.
And then with deep lamenting the nation once more
wecps,
coin sleeps;
Just IN tie hour Of victory his gentle spirit fed
The greatest, wtses. noblest, OF all the martyred
dead.
Columbia beams triumphant. conscious Of new
birth,
While ths mishtisst army passes that srod the
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