This eBook was produced by David Widger  widgercecometnet                           ANTISLAVERY POEMS                       SONGS OF LABOR AND REFORM                                   BY                        JOHN GREENLEAF WHITTIERCONTENTSTEXAS     VOICE OF NEW ENGLAND     TO FANEUIL HALL     TO MASSACHUSETTS     NEW HAMPSHIRE     THE PINETREETO A SOUTHERN STATESMANAT WASHINGTONTHE BRANDED HANDTHE FREED ISLANDSA LETTERLINES FROM A LETTER TO A YOUNG CLERICAL FRIENDDANIEL NEALLSONG OF SLAVES IN THE DESERTTo DELAWAREYORKTOWNRANDOLPH OF ROANOKETHE LOST STATESMANTHE SLAVES OF MARTINIQUETHE CURSE OF THE CHARTERBREAKERSPAEANTHE CRISISLINES ON THE PORTRAIT OF A CELEBRATED PUBLISHERTEXASVOICE OF NEW ENGLANDThe five poems immediately following indicate the intense feeling of thefriends of freedom in view of the annexation of Texas with its vastterritory sufficient as was boasted for six new slave StatesUp the hillside down the glenRouse the sleeping citizenSummon out the might of menLike a lion growling lowLike a nightstorm rising slowLike the tread of unseen foeIt is coming it is nighStand your homes and altars byOn your own free thresholds dieClang the bells in all your spiresOn the gray hills of your siresFling to heaven your signalfiresFrom Wachuset lone and bleakUnto Berkshires tallest peakLet the flametongued heralds speakOh for God and duty standHeart to heart and hand to handRound the old graves of the landWhoso shrinks or falters nowWhoso to the yoke would bowBrand the craven on his browFreedoms soil hath only placeFor a free and fearless raceNone for traitors false and basePerish party perish clanStrike together while ye canLike the arm of one strong manLike that angels voice sublimeHeard above a world of crimeCrying of the end of timeWith one heart and with one mouthLet the North unto the SouthSpeak the word befitting bothWhat though Issachar be strongYe may load his back with wrongOvermuch and over longPatience with her cup oerrunWith her weary thread outspunMurmurs that her work is doneMake our Unionbond a chainWeak as tow in Freedoms strainLink by link shall snap in twainVainly shall your sandwrought ropeBind the starry cluster upShattered over heavens blue copeGive us bright though broken raysRather than eternal hazeClouding oer the fullorbed blazeTake your land of sun and bloomOnly leave to Freedom roomFor her plough and forge and loomTake your slaveryblackened valesLeave us but our own free galesBlowing on our thousand sailsBoldly or with treacherous artStrike the bloodwrought chain apartBreak the Unions mighty heartWork the ruin if ye willPluck upon your heads an illWhich shall grow and deepen stillWith your bondmans right arm bareWith his heart of black despairStand alone if stand ye dareOnward with your fell designDig the gulf and draw the lineFire beneath your feet the mineDeeply when the wide abyssYawns between your land and thisShall ye feel your helplessnessBy the hearth and in the bedShaken by a look or treadYe shall own a guilty dreadAnd the curse of unpaid toilDownward through your generous soilLike a fire shall burn and spoilOur bleak hills shall bud and blowVines our rocks shall overgrowPlenty in our valleys flowAnd when vengeance clouds your skiesHither shall ye turn your eyesAs the lost on ParadiseWe but ask our rocky strandFreedoms true and brother bandFreedoms strong and honest handValleys by the slave untrodAnd the Pilgrims mountain sodBlessed of our fathers God1844TO FANEUIL HALLWritten in 1844 on reading a call by a Massachusetts Freeman for ameeting in Faneuil Hall of the citizens of Massachusetts withoutdistinction of party opposed to the annexation of Texas and theaggressions of South Carolina and in favor of decisive action againstslaveryMEN if manhood still ye claimIf the Northern pulse can thrillRoused by wrong or stung by shameFreely strongly stillLet the sounds of traffic dieShut the millgate leave the stallFling the axe and hammer byThrong to Faneuil HallWrongs which freemen never brookedDangers grim and fierce as theyWhich like couching lions lookedOn your fathers wayThese your instant zeal demandShaking with their earthquakecallEvery rood of Pilgrim landHo to Faneuil HallFrom your capes and sandy barsFrom your mountainridges coldThrough whose pines the westering starsStoop their crowns of goldCome and with your footsteps wakeEchoes from that holy wallOnce again for Freedoms sakeRock your fathers hallUp and tread beneath your feetEvery cord by party spunLet your hearts together beatAs the heart of oneBanks and tariffs stocks and tradeLet them rise or let them fallFreedom asks your common aidUp to Faneuil HallUp and let each voice that speaksRing from thence to Southern plainsSharply as the blow which breaksPrisonbolts and chainsSpeak as well becomes the freeDreaded more than steel or ballShall your calmest utterance beHeard from Faneuil HallHave they wronged us Let us thenRender back nor threats nor prayersHave they chained our freeborn menLet us unchain theirsUp your banner leads the vanBlazoned Liberty for allFinish what your sires beganUp to Faneuil HallTO MASSACHUSETTSWHAT though around thee blazesNo fiery rallying signFrom all thy own high placesGive heaven the light of thineWhat though unthrilled unmovingThe statesman stand apartAnd comes no warm approvingFrom Mammons crowded martStill let the land be shakenBy a summons of thine ownBy all save truth forsakenStand fast with that aloneShrink not from strife unequalWith the best is always hopeAnd ever in the sequelGod holds the right side upBut when with thine unitingCome voices long and loudAnd faroff hills are writingThy firewords on the cloudWhen from Penobscots fountainsA deep response is heardAnd across the Western mountainsRolls back thy rallying wordShall thy line of battle falterWith its allies just in viewOh by hearth and holy altarMy fatherland be trueFling