Year: 1862

Ine hcDcutOns


DAVID BAKER
There's law Of compensation,
And law Of retribution,
For each mortal and each nation,
And I've seen the plain solution.


n.
II there's truth in the evangei,
Then the old recording angel,
By that law of compensation,
And that law of retribution,
(For I've seen the whole solution,)
Has reckoning with this nation.


III.
have seen the primal entry
On the books beyond the sentry,
OF the sentry standing ever,
Gaunt aud grim beside the river,
At the bridge that passes over,
At the dark bridge with the cover.
On the midnight dark and dreary,
When my form was weak and weary,
Then my spirit left its dwelling,
Left it In another's keeping.
In the kind care of another,
OF loving angel brother,
Who had left his earth friends weeping,



But had found passage over
Found backward passage over,
Through the dark bridge with the cover,
And had made another entry
On the shore this side the sentry,
Of the sentry standing ever
Gaunt and grim beside the river.
At the bridge that passes over,
At the dark bridge with the cover.
As my spirit made its entry
On the shore beyond the sentry,
OF the sentry standing ever
Gaunt and grim beside the river,
At the bridge that passes over,
At the dark bridge with the cover;
There met the writing angel
With his records all before him,
And halo hanging o'er him,
With his books named in the evangel.
With an anxious, saddened feeling,
Through my inner spirit stealing,
Turned to the writing angel,
With his books named in the evangel;
just to learn the situation
OF our struggling, bleeding nation;
Just to learn this from the entry,
On the books beyond the sentry,
OF the sentry standing ever
Gaunt and grim beside the river,
At the bridge that passes over,
At the dark bridge with the cover.


VII.
With tear the angel said it:
"There's your debt and there's your 4edit-
Just inspect each primal entry
On the books this side the sentry,
OF the sentry standing ever
Gaunt and grim beside the river"


VIII.
Turned quick aside the cover,
And l glanced the pages over
And i found the primal entry
On the books beyond the sentry,
. OF the sentry standing ever
Gaunt and grim beside the river,
Was before the old embargo,
When the Dutch ship with her cargo,
PlOughed her keel across our waters
With her fettered sons and daughters,
Twas a charge for countless terrors"
And the middle passage horrors"


TX.
Then the next or second entry
On the books beyond the sentry,
OF the sentry standing ever
Gaunt and grim beside the river,
At the bridge that passes over,
At the dark bridge with the cover
w as Tor walls OF wives ana mOIleTS,
And for sisters, fathers, brothers,
When the auction hammer thundered
That all kindred ties were sundered."


X.
Then the next and final entry
On the books beyond the sentry,
OF the sentry standing ever,
Gaunt and grim beside the river,
At the bridge that passes over,
At the dark bridge with the cover,
Was for proceeds of the cargo,
Brought before the old embargo"
And found the angel had it,
With each mill of interest added
But we pass now to the credit
As the writing angel had it.


xI.
Turned then again the cover,
And | searched the pages over,
But found no credit entry
On the books beyond the sentry.
OF the sentry standing ever
Gaunt and grim beside the river
Then gave unto the angel
All his books named in the evangel,
When deeper, saddened feeling
Came across my spirit stealing;
But the angel sternly said it
"You shall have your honest credit.
XII.
"When your land is filed with terrors
Like the Middle Passage horrors,
All the horrors of each cargo
Since the Dutch keel ploughed your waite
With her sable sons and daughters,
Long before the slave embargo.
XIII.
"When your walls of wives and mothers,
OF your sisters, fathers, brothers,
Shall amount through all your slaughters
| To the walls of sons and daughters,
] OF the sable sons and daughters,
| Since the auction hammer thundered
That all human ties were sundered.
| XIV.


When the proceeds Of the cargo,
Brought before the old embargo
When the proceeds as you had it.
| With each mill of interest added,
Shall be squandered in your slaughters,
Mid your walls Of wives Sod daughters
You viii get your honest credit r.
Then he closed the opening cover,
i When again crossed the river
By the sentry standing ever
! Gaunt and grim beside the river;
Il Then NV sT1irit EOuJhf ifa dweliinO