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Poetry: The Branded Hand

Poetry: The Branded Hand image
Parent Issue
Day
15
Month
September
Year
1845
Copyright
Public Domain
Poem
OCR Text

QT Our readers nic nlrcady nware of the case of Capt. Jonathan Wai.xkk. who was brando cl in tlift ri ijli t hand willi the letters. S. S. for asf istitiL ponic slivcs. wlio had w.orked fr liim in thftir niter!!]it tó ('.capí?. Tliis bnrbnrous iiiinish ninnl for n Cli'ritinn net wns inflicted by ihc United Sirites' Marcial in Florida, nd cnlled fofj"li tlic foflowing innnly jirceling frotn the Quaker poet of Lilxmy. Wliittier. THE BRAKDED HAND. BY JOHN IJ. IVlIITTrKR. Welcome home np-nin, brnve somnn! with tliv tlinurr'itlïil brpw nnfl ffoy. And tlie o!d heroic spirit o Cour carlior, beticr day . , Wilh th.-U front at oainv emlurunce, on yu isí tjtcady iK-rvn, n va in, Pressed the iron of tlic pi'ioon, smolt llie fiery öhnfla of pain! Í3 the tyrant's brnfnl npon thee! Dal ihe bruta! " cruvens nim To mako Gorl'n truth thy fulveliood, Hiü liö'.i ■ ' est wiirk tliy sh'itnc? Whcn si! blo(Hl qicnclied, from the lortu;e ihe iron was wítJídtawUj How langlied thcirevil ann;el thc'baiilcd foo! tü seorn! Thty chanpe to wrnng the du!y whicli God writien out On the {jreat lieatt of htimanily too legible for doubt! TKj, the lonthsome mornl lepere, blotchcd foot-8ole uf) to crown, Gire tü stiame what God liath given unto !ion or and' ren;;vn!Wliy, tint brand is highest honor! - than its traces never yet 1 Upon old ormorial hatchincnts wns a proud'MbJnaon set ; nd thy unborn generations as they crowd otir rocky slrnnd, Shall teil wilh pride tho story of iheir fnllicr :; büandkü hand! As the templar home was welcomcd, beaVing back from Synan w:rs Tlie scara of Antb lnn e?, and of Pynim fccimetars,. The paliur of the prison and the sháckle'fi cnuiion span, So we meel tiiee, so we preet thee, truesl friend of God and man!He ed for the ra som of the dei r Re deemer's graver Tliou for liis living presence in-tlie bound nnd bleedirjij elave;. H'e for a soil no lunger by !he feet of angels trod, Thou for the truo Shcchinah, the present home of God! For, wln'le tlio jurist silting wiih the slave whip o(!r him svvun-, From the tortured trmhsef freedom tlio lie of slavery wrung, And the eolemn priest to Moloch, on each God-deserted shrine, Broke the heart for bre:id, pourcd die boiHiman'tj Wood for wine Whilè the multitude i blindness to a fnr off Savjonr knelt, And spurned, the while, the temple where n prt'.ent Saviour dweil; Thou behcld'&t him in the task field, in the priaon shadows dim, And ihy mercy to the bondman, it was mercy unto Him! " In thy lone nnd night 6ky above and wave bclow, Thou didVt Jearn a liigher wisdom than the babbljpg sclio 1 men know; God's siars oüd silence taujjlu thee as his angels ouly can, That, ibeonc, sacred thing bencath the cope of heiven, is man! That, he wlio treads profanely on the scrolls of law and creed In the depth of Go l'a great goodness may iiiid tncrcy n his necd; But woeto himwho crushes the SOUL wjth chain and rod. And herds. wiih lower natures the awful form of God! ' ■ . Then lift th'at mmly right hand, bold plough man of the vvavei lts branded polm e"all prophecy "Salvatios TO TllE jSfattVfc!? Hold up its fire-wro'jght langnage, that whoso ren ds may feel1 His heart swell strong withinhira; bis sjnewe cbange to stoeltHold i up befbre our sünshine, up again-t onr norllicrn tir- Ho! men of Mnssnchix-etts, for the love of God look tliere! Tnkcit liencefortli fpr yoiirslondard- likc the Bince's hcurl of vore, In the daik 6tn'c closing round ye, let thnt hand be seen bcfi.r! Aw] the tyrantsof tho elave land hall tremole nt thöt Hijrn, Wlien t pojiitfl iis fineer soiilbword olong the Puritnn line: Woti ín the State's gorged. leeches, and the Clnirch's loenst band, When lliey look froru slovery's ramparts on the coming of'that liqfSdl