Press enter after choosing selection

Carrier's New Year's Address

Carrier's New Year's Address image
Parent Issue
Day
5
Month
January
Year
1846
Copyright
Public Domain
Poem
OCR Text

While with thoughtful, grateful feeling, Now we hail the newborn year, Kindly words, kind thoughts revealing, Sweetly break on every ear. Cordially we tender greeting To the friends of Liberty; Hearts in unison are boating In the bosoms of the Free. Free in thought, in speech, and action, Fearlessly we combat wrong; While abuse and mean detraction, Are not weapons for the strong. " Truth we use, truth all victorious. On the help of Heaven we call- Since the issue will be glorious, Error soon, or late, must fall. Years of hopeless grief and anguish, Tardily have passed along O'er the captive, doomed to languish Victim of oppressive wrong. None to pity, none to heed him - Human hearts may turn to stone- Nurs'd upon the lap of Freedom Men alas! have monsters grown. Change of seasons have but told him That he nears the peaceful grave, Where no tyrant power shall hold him A despis'd, ignoble slave. He has pin'd away in sadness Through a long and cheerless night- Let us wake his heart to gladness, God has said, "Let there be light." Hope may yoet his breast inspire, gloom and darkness retire, When the brilliant orb of day Shall his cheering beams display; Beauteous harbringers appear Heralding his rising near. Clouds may veil his face awhile, Soon he bids all nature smile. Yes, the light of truth shall cheer Every nation, far and near, And the Prince of darkness, hurl'd From his throne, shall leave our world, When the Sun of Righteousness Shall his fair creation bless. Vice of every shape and name Then shall hide in conscious shame, And in every land the good Form one common brotherhood. Till the shadows flee away Let us labor, hope, and pray; And our Signal ever shine With a radiancy divine, On this moral vision shed Light, till every doubt has fled, And our northern freemen stand One united, hallow'd band, To retrieve our country's name ' From dishonor, guilt, and shame. Friends, again, we bid you cheer! We shall triumph, never fear! Every vote for Liberty Tells our land shall yet be free! When the mas begins to wake Tyranny is seen to quake, Now with vengeful ire he burns, On himself, his weapon turns, Strange foreboding pain he feels, And in wild confusion reels. when a Lovejoy's blood was spilt Freemen then the insult felt - Vengeance vow'd in sight of Heaven - To the winds their fears were given; And the impulse roll'd along, Rapid, constant, deep and strong, Patriots counsell'd, Poets sung, Tell with shouts the welkin rung, Freedom! freedom to the slave.' And for Tyranny, a grave! He may brand a Walker's hand, May our Torrey's life demand, Shut fair Lady in a cell, Doom poor Fairbanks there to dwell, Drive a Honr with scorn away, Furiously assault a Clay, Bid our country bend the knee At the shrine of Slavery, As she spreads her sheltering hand O'er the Texan's slave-trod land: While his missiles vile are hurl'd At a wondering, scorning world; All, but hasten on the doom That must overwhelm him soon- Onward - Brethren, onward still, We may conquer, when we will! Yes, we have the power to bind This tormentor of mankind. Inefficient means tried, To control his growing pride; But the secret of his strength We have sought, and found at length; To the Ballot-box repair, 'Tis like cutting Sampson's hair; When we meet him in the field, Weak, and feeble, he will yield. Where late roam'd the Indian, our lovely young villnge, . Looks forth from the woods, with her glittering spires; The red man has left his fair lands for our tillage, And kindles far distant, his bright council fires. The bow and the quiver Are buried forever. The tomahawk never Our terror shall be, Where Huron is gliding No savage is hiding, We wander confiding O'er hill and o'er len. Where darkness sat brooding, Religion is beaming, And hallows the spot with her heavenly light; While safe on her arm fair Science is leaning, And lgnorance spreads its dark pinions for flight. Where the war-whoop was sounded, Where the wild deer has bounded, Thy temples are founded, Sweetest home of West; Cities distant, and nigh thee, In numbers out vie thee, But who that are by thee But love thee the best. Here Freedom sits fearless- the haughty aggressor Ne'er looks for his runaway shelter'd in thee;. Thou own'st not a son who would aid the oppressor, Whatever his creed or his politics be. No deeds dark and gory Have tarnished they glory. The Signal sheds o'er thee, lts heart-cheering light; the fugative nears thee, He enters nor fears thee, With a rapture he hears thee, Bid speed to his flight. The Southerner boasts of his beautiful valley, Its verdant plantations, its fruits, and its flowers, But not his country his usages tally - His home is not peaceful, and happy as ours. His slaves may attend him, His pistol defend him, And luxury lend him Her aid, if he please; Here labor is pleasure, Contentment our treasure, Our comforts out measure His riches and ease. Our water-girt state, with its forests and prairies, Its lakes, and its rivers, its hills and its plains, Is dearer by far, with its climate that varies, Than the fair sunny region where slavery reigns. While bleak winds are blowing, Kind bosoms glowing, Sweet freedom bestowing Her favors around; The heart beateth rightly, The eye bearmeth brightly, The step boundeth lightly On Liberty ground.