Ay, let them rail, those haughty ones, While safe thou dwellest with thy sons. They do not know how loved thou art, How many a fond and fearless heart Would rise to throw Its life between thee and the foe. They know not, in their hate and pride, Spring, like thine oaks, by hill and glen ; What cordial welcomes greet the guest And where the ocean border foams. There's freedom at thy gates, and rest Stops, and calls back his baffled hounds. O fair young mother! on thy brow And, as they fleet, Thine eye, with every coming hour, Upon their lips the taunt shall die. WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT. COLUMBIA. COLUMBIA, Columbia, to glory arise, The queen of the world, and child of the skies! To conquest and slaughter let Europe aspire ; A world is thy realm; for a world be thy laws, Fair Science her gates to thy sons shall unbar, And light up a smile on the aspect of woe. Thy fleets to all regions thy power shall display, As the dayspring unbounded thy splendor shall flow, And earth's little kingdoms before thee shall bow, While the ensigns of union, in triumph unfurled, Hush the tumult of war, and give peace to the world. Thus, as down a lone valley, with cedars o'erspread, From war's dread confusion, I pensively strayed,| The gloom from the face of fair heaven retired; The winds ceased to murmur, the thunders expired; Perfumes, as of Eden, flowed sweetly along, TIMOTHY DWIGHT. SONG OF MARION'S MEN. OUR band is few, but true and tried, As seamen know the sea; Swept the strong battle-breakers o'er the green sodded acres Of the plain; And louder, louder, louder, cracked the black gunpowder, Cracking amain ! Now like smiths at their forges Worked the red St. George's Cannoneers; And the "villanous saltpetre" Rung a fierce, discordant metre Round their ears; As the swift Storm-drift, With hot sweeping anger, came the horseguards' clangor On our flanks. Then higher, higher, higher, burned the old-fash ioned fire Through the ranks ! Then the old-fashioned colonel Galloped through the white infernal Powder-cloud; And his broad sword was swinging, And his brazen throat was ringing Trumpet loud. Then the blue Bullets flew, And the trooper-jackets redden at the touch of the leaden Rifle-breath; And rounder, rounder, rounder, roared the iron six-pounder, Hurling death! GUY HUMPHREY MCMASTER. THE AMERICAN FLAG. WHEN Freedom, from her mountain height, And set the stars of glory there! Majestic monarch of the cloud ! Who rear'st aloft thy regal form, To hear the tempest-trumpings loud, And see the lightning lances driven, When strive the warriors of the storm, To guard the banner of the free, Flag of the brave! thy folds shall fly, And cowering foes shall shrink beneath Flag of the seas! on ocean wave And all thy hues were born in heaven. Where breathes the foe but falls before us, With Freedom's soil beneath our feet, And Freedom's banner streaming o'er us? JOSEPH RODMAN DRAKE. THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER. O SAY, can you see by the dawn's early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming? Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight, O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming! And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there; O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave? On that shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep, Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes, What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep, As it fitfully blows, now conceals, now discloses ? Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam, In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream; 'Tis the star-spangled banner! O, long may it wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! And where is that band who so vauntingly swore That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion . A home and a country should leave us no more? Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution. No refuge could save the hireling and slave From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave; And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand Between their loved homes and the war's desolation! Blest with victory and peace, may the heavenrescued land Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation. Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just, And this be our motto, "In God is our trust" And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave! FRANCIS SCOTT KEY. BARBARA FRIETCHIE. Ur from the meadows rich with corn, Clear in the cool September morn, She leaned far out on the window-sill, "Shoot, if you must, this old gray head, The nobler nature within him stirred To life at that woman's deed and word: "Who touches a hair of yon gray head Dies like a dog! March on!" he said. All day long through Frederick street Sounded the tread of marching feet; All day long that free flag tost On the loyal winds that loved it well; And through the hill-gaps sunset light Shone over it with a warm good-night. Barbara Frietchie's work is o'er, And the rebel rides on his raids no more. Honor to her! and let a tear Fall, for her sake, on Stonewall's bier. Over Barbara Frietchie's grave, Peace and order and beauty draw And ever the stars above look down THE BLACK REGIMENT. DARK as the clouds of even, Down the long dusky line "Now," the flag-sergeant cried, "Though death and hell betide, Let the whole nation see If we are fit to be Free in this land; or bound Down, like the whining hound, Bound with red stripes of pain In our cold chains again !" O, what a shout there went From the black regiment! "Charge!" Trump and drum awoke ; "Freedom!" their battle-cry, GEORGE HENRY BOKER. SHERIDAN'S RIDE. Up from the South at break of day, |