204

Fourth of July.

Send thy good Spirit from above,
And melt the oppressor's heart,
Send sweet deliverance to the slave,
And bid his woes depart.

With freedom's blessings crown his day—
O'erflow his heart with love,
Teach him that strait and narrow way,
Which leads to rest above.

Fourth of July.

CXI.

LYDIA H. SIGOURNEY.

We have a goodly clime,

Broad vales and streams we boast,
Our mountain frontiers frown sublime,
Old Ocean guards our coast;
Suns bless our harvest fair,

With fervid smile serene,

But a dark shade is gathering there—
What can its blackness mean?

Fourth of July.

We have a birth-right proud,
For our young sons to claim-
An eagle soaring o'er the cloud,
In freedom and in fame.
We have a scutcheon bright,
By our dead fathers bought :
A fearful blot disdains its white-
Who hath such evil wrought?

Our banner o'er the sea

Looks forth with starry eye, Emblazoned glorious, bold and free, A letter on the sky

What band with shameful stain

Hath marred its heavenly blue ?

The yoke, the fasces, and the chain,
Say, are these emblems true?

Fourth of July.

I gazed! and O 't was freedom's land,
Columbia's sunny shore,

With glorious struggle hand in hand,
Her noble sons, a patriot band,

For homes and altars took their stand,
Resolved to stoop no more.

Bright did the conquering banner wave,

On every mountain crest;

But while the civic armies gave

Their thrilling shout, Be free ye brave'

Again I marked the withering slave

At mammon's foot, oppressed!

205

206

Fourth of July.

This day doth music rare

Swell through our nation's bound, But Afric's wailing mingles there, And Heaven doth hear the sound: O God of power!—we turn

In penitence to thee,

Bid our loved land the lesson learn

To bid the slave be free.

Oh darkly, darkly from my ken,
Sunk all that proud array,

My soul with loathing viewed the men,
Her priests, her patriots; glorious then
As the free tiger in his den,
Unfettered on his prey!

Doff, doff, that crest of pride, ye clans,

In dust your honors hide!

The captive's tear has tracked your sands,
The print of blood is on your lands,

Doff, doff, that crest of pride.

Nay, wherefore at yon altar kneel?
Why lift to heaven your song?
Go, brother-for thy brother feel,
Go, and the broken-hearted heal;
Go, leave thy gift, and blushing steal,
To hear the captive's wrong.

Didst thou not breathe the glorious name,
That Christian hearts adore ?

Oh wash thee from thy mortal shame,
Yield to thy brother saint his claim,
Confess that from one blood ye came-
Then go and sin no more.

Christian Resolution.

CXII.

CAROLINE WESTON.

To Freedom's cause, the cause of truth,
With joy we dedicate our youth;
To Freedom's holy altar bring
Fortune and life as offering.

Temptations sore and deadly foes,
Our onward progress would oppose;
And conflict stern we still must wage
With bigot hate and tyrant rage.

With scorn the foes of God and man
Our number and our weakness scan,
Feeble and few and distant far,
"Tis ours to wage unequal war.

Yet are we strong, Oh God of might! Ours are thy words of truth and right; And armed with these, in vain thy foes Their thronging numbers may oppose.

208

Hymn for the Monthly Concert.

In vain with blood-stained hands they rear,
Their proud abodes of grief and fear!
Shaking their glories to the ground,
Thy trumpet blast of truth we sound!

In earnest hope we wait the hour,
Foretold us by prophetic power,
When all shall come to thee, and own
The glorious kingdom of thy son.

Hymn for the Monthly Concert.

CXIII.

GOD of love, that hearest prayer,
Kindly for thy people care :
Who on thee alone depend:

Love us, save us to the end.

Save us in the prosperous hour,
From the flattering tempter's power;

From his unsuspected wiles,

From the world's pernicious smiles.

Men of worldly low design,

Let not these thy people join,

Poison our simplicity,

Drag us from our trust in thee.