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Poetry: Democracy

Poetry: Democracy image
Parent Issue
Day
7
Month
November
Year
1842
Copyright
Public Domain
Poem
OCR Text

Our friend Whittier, on the day of the election in thia state, and after giving his vote for univursnl liberty, has in the frilowing lines, vindicated the democratie principies, and endcavored to preeent it in its original and native purity and beauty - as a Christian principie, having its origin in the precept of "Him who spako as never man apake." From the Democratie Review. DEMOCRACY. BV JOHN G. WHITTIBR. "All things whatsoever yo would that men ehould do to you, do yo even so to them." - Mattheto vii, 12. Spirit of Truth, and Love, and Lis;htl The foe of wrong, and Hate, and Fraudt Oí all which paine the holy sigbt, Or wounds the geneious ear of God. Beautiful yet thy temples rise, Though therc profaning gifts aro thrown: And fires unkindied of theskies Areglaring round thy altar-stone. Slill sacred- through thy name bo breathed By those whose heirts thy truth deride; And gnrlands. plucked from thee, are wreothed Around the haughty brows of pride. O, idol of my boyhood's time! The faith in which my father stood, Even when the sons of Lust and Crime Had stained thy peaceful coijrta with blood.Still to those courts my footsteps turn, For through the mists which darkcn théfre, l ece the flime of fretdoni burn - The Kelia ui iiie iJruriOTSrprayeri The generous feeling, pure and warm, Which owns the right oí all divine - The pitying lieart - the helping arm - The prompt self-sacrifice are thine. Benealh thy broad, impartial eye, How fade the cords of caste and birthl How equal in their sufiering lie The groaning multitudes cf earthl Still to a stricken brother true, Whatever clime hath nurtured him; As etoopcd to heal the wounded Jew The worahippers on Gerizim. By misery unrepelled, unawed By pomp or power, thou see'st a Man In prince or peasant - slave or lord - Palé priest or swarthy anisan. Through all disguise, fiorn place, or name, Bencath the flnunrng robes of sin, Through poverty and squalid sharne, Thou lookest on the man within. On man, as man. retaining yet, Howe'er dobased, and soiled, and dim, The cruwn upon h6 forehead set - The immortal gitt of God to him. And there is reverence ín thy look; For ihat frail form which mortals wear The Spirit of the Mol est took, And veiled his perfect brightnesa there. Not from tke cold and shallow founi Ofvain philo8ophy thou art; He who of old on Syria's mount Thrilled, warmed by turnB, the listener'a heart, In holy words which cannot die, In thoughts which angels leaned to know, Froclanned the message from on high - Thy mÍ6sion to a world of wo. That Voice's echo hath not diod! Fr om the blue lakeof Galilee, And Tabor's lonely mountainside, lt calis a struggling world to thee. Thy name and watchword o'er this land I hear in every breeze that etira, And round a thousand altars stand Thy banded party worshippers. Not to these altars of a day. At party's cali, my gift I bring; But on thy olden shrine I lay A freoman's dearest offering:- The voiceless utterance ol his will - His'pledge to Freedom and to Truth, That manhood's heart remembers still The homage of his generous youth. Amesbury, Mass. 8th 11 tk mo., 1S41.