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 | The Poetical Works of James Madison Bell |  |
There is no right a freeman has
So purely sacred as his choice.
How e'er bereft he'll cling to this,
And in its potency rejoice:
So purely sacred as his choice.
How e'er bereft he'll cling to this,
And in its potency rejoice:
For in its exercise he stands
The peer of titled wealth and state,
How e'er possessed of spreading lands,
Or gifted they in high debate—
The peer of titled wealth and state,
How e'er possessed of spreading lands,
Or gifted they in high debate—
He is their peer, however grand,
Or much upon themselves they dote,
For there's no station in our land
Which ranks a man above his vote.
Or much upon themselves they dote,
For there's no station in our land
Which ranks a man above his vote.
The right to exercise a right;
The right to choose 'twixt man and man;
The right to battle for the right,
And in the right do what we can,
The right to choose 'twixt man and man;
The right to battle for the right,
And in the right do what we can,
Is manhood clothed with liberty—
The just, inherent right of all,
Regardless of ability,
Or age, or sex, or great or small!
The just, inherent right of all,
Regardless of ability,
Or age, or sex, or great or small!
That right today the black man wields
With gratitude, though long denied,
For deep within his heart he feels
A sacredness of joy and pride.
With gratitude, though long denied,
For deep within his heart he feels
A sacredness of joy and pride.
147
Nobly the war has done its work,
And nobly the Republicans,
With no apparent wish to shirk,
Have canceled Freedom's high demands.
And nobly the Republicans,
With no apparent wish to shirk,
Have canceled Freedom's high demands.
They took the fetters in their hand,
And wrenched them from the bleeding limb;
Then took the slave 'neath their command,
And nurtured and disciplined him.
And wrenched them from the bleeding limb;
Then took the slave 'neath their command,
And nurtured and disciplined him.
They gave subsistence to his wife,
And to his little ones gave bread,
And thus amid the scenes of strife
Were countless thousands clothed and fed.
And to his little ones gave bread,
And thus amid the scenes of strife
Were countless thousands clothed and fed.
They formed the Freedmen's Bureau Bill,
Which placed the letter in his hand,
And gave him schools, despite the will
Of him, the tyrant, in command.
Which placed the letter in his hand,
And gave him schools, despite the will
Of him, the tyrant, in command.
They framed the Bill of Civil Rights,
By which his living was secured
Against those vile malevolent whites
Whose souls to treason were inured.
By which his living was secured
Against those vile malevolent whites
Whose souls to treason were inured.
Then toward our fundamental laws
They bent their hearts in zealous toil,
And thereunto affixed a clause
Which banished slavery from our soil.
They bent their hearts in zealous toil,
And thereunto affixed a clause
Which banished slavery from our soil.
This nobly done, they still propose
Our charter further to amend,
By making citizens of those
The law had proffered to defend.
Our charter further to amend,
By making citizens of those
The law had proffered to defend.
148
Though 'twas a grave step in the right,
The party claimed it none the less,
And girding well their loins with might,
They fought the issue to success.
The party claimed it none the less,
And girding well their loins with might,
They fought the issue to success.
This contest, proudly fought and won,
Left one just claim uncanceled yet,
Before the world-wide shout, well done!
Would ring from freedom's minaret.
Left one just claim uncanceled yet,
Before the world-wide shout, well done!
Would ring from freedom's minaret.
To council this, the final claim,
And merit freedom's grand applause,
And win a fadeless wreath of fame,
Through noble deeds in manhood's cause;
They concentrated all their might,
Which great Ulysses deigned to lead?
And claimed the Franchise as a right,
And just investment of the freed.
And merit freedom's grand applause,
And win a fadeless wreath of fame,
Through noble deeds in manhood's cause;
They concentrated all their might,
Which great Ulysses deigned to lead?
And claimed the Franchise as a right,
And just investment of the freed.
To every State went forth the claim,
How e'er convenient or remote,
And everywhere, in freedom's name,
They pressed the freedman's right to vote.
How e'er convenient or remote,
And everywhere, in freedom's name,
They pressed the freedman's right to vote.
State after State endorsed the fact,
Which lent new ardor to their zeal—
A zeal which no incentive lacked
To strengthen or enforce appeal.
Which lent new ardor to their zeal—
A zeal which no incentive lacked
To strengthen or enforce appeal.
Full thirty States at length filed out,
And proudly stood on manhood's side;
And Freedom raised the joyous shout,
“Well done! All hail! All satisfied!”
And proudly stood on manhood's side;
And Freedom raised the joyous shout,
“Well done! All hail! All satisfied!”
149
This was the crowning act of all;
And placed upon one common base,
Of all this mighty rolling ball
A specimen of every race.
And placed upon one common base,
Of all this mighty rolling ball
A specimen of every race.
Freedom's proud temple's now complete,
Crowned with the long-rejected stone;
And we are here to hail and greet
The master minds by which 'twas done.
Crowned with the long-rejected stone;
And we are here to hail and greet
The master minds by which 'twas done.
Hail! Master Workmen, noble band!
And hail the key-stone, and the arch,
The pride and glory of our land!
And hail, to manhood's onward march!
And hail the key-stone, and the arch,
The pride and glory of our land!
And hail, to manhood's onward march!
The night of gloom, the night of sorrow,
The night of wrong, the night of chains,
At length has passed, and lo! the morrow
Of joy has dawned, and Freedom reigns.
The night of wrong, the night of chains,
At length has passed, and lo! the morrow
Of joy has dawned, and Freedom reigns.
For, in our nation's Senate Hall,
A Negro has his seat today,
Where, e'en in memory's brief recall,
Sat Calhoun, Webster, Cass and Clay.
A Negro has his seat today,
Where, e'en in memory's brief recall,
Sat Calhoun, Webster, Cass and Clay.
Rejoice, O land, bought by the sword,
Redeemed and by the sword set free!
Let all thy sons, with one accord,
Be jubilant o'er thy victory.
Redeemed and by the sword set free!
Let all thy sons, with one accord,
Be jubilant o'er thy victory.
That we should have a member, where
One decade back, 'twere worth the head
Of such as he, to even dare
Within those sacred halls to tread,
One decade back, 'twere worth the head
Of such as he, to even dare
Within those sacred halls to tread,
150
Proves that the world doth surely move,
And proves that men of worth may rise
From low estate, and soar above
Their former selves in nature's guise.
And proves that men of worth may rise
From low estate, and soar above
Their former selves in nature's guise.
How wondrous the coincident,
That from the Great Arch Rebel's home,
His erring State to represent,
Our first Black Senator should come,
A seat of office to complete,
Made vacant through Jeff's recreancy.
O, for the privilege to greet
That Negro in that Rebel's seat!
'Twere worth the distance and expense.
That from the Great Arch Rebel's home,
His erring State to represent,
Our first Black Senator should come,
A seat of office to complete,
Made vacant through Jeff's recreancy.
O, for the privilege to greet
That Negro in that Rebel's seat!
'Twere worth the distance and expense.
But this is not the only post
By Negroes filled, deserving boast:
We have a Judge upon the seat,
And Ministers in foreign lands,
At home, a Governor, to greet,
And Legislators e'en in bands.
By Negroes filled, deserving boast:
We have a Judge upon the seat,
And Ministers in foreign lands,
At home, a Governor, to greet,
And Legislators e'en in bands.
The prayed-for time has come at last—
The time of which we used to sing,
The good time talked of in the past,
Is here today upon its wing—
The ballot's in the black man's hand;
Promotion waits him at his door,
And peace and plenty crown our land,
And freedom reigns from shore to shore.
The time of which we used to sing,
The good time talked of in the past,
Is here today upon its wing—
The ballot's in the black man's hand;
Promotion waits him at his door,
And peace and plenty crown our land,
And freedom reigns from shore to shore.
Strike all your bells, ye lofty spires!
Wave all your banners, freedom wave!
Loose your tongues, ye tell-tale wires,
And you, ye thundering cannons rave!
Wave all your banners, freedom wave!
Loose your tongues, ye tell-tale wires,
And you, ye thundering cannons rave!
151
America, the land of science,
The land of every nation's love,
Has formed with Freedom an alliance
So pure, 'tis registered above!
The land of every nation's love,
Has formed with Freedom an alliance
So pure, 'tis registered above!
Lift up your heads, ye lofty mountains!
Clap your glad hands, ye mighty seas!
Leap for joy, ye crystal fountains,
And odors waft sweet balmy breeze!
The crowning work is now accomplished,
The builders have received the stone!
Dark Slavery's fame has been demolished.
And all his Dagon gods o'erthrown!
Clap your glad hands, ye mighty seas!
Leap for joy, ye crystal fountains,
And odors waft sweet balmy breeze!
The crowning work is now accomplished,
The builders have received the stone!
Dark Slavery's fame has been demolished.
And all his Dagon gods o'erthrown!
And on its base a mighty temple,
Gorgeous, grand, sublime and free!
O'er whose proud dome and lofty steeple
Presides eternal Liberty!
Gorgeous, grand, sublime and free!
O'er whose proud dome and lofty steeple
Presides eternal Liberty!
Stand proudly up, aged sire!
Be filled with hope, elastic boy;
Bring forth the lute and tune the lyre,
And let us have a feast of joy!
Be filled with hope, elastic boy;
Bring forth the lute and tune the lyre,
And let us have a feast of joy!
For lo! the hand that held the musket,
And strangled treason in the fight,
Has laid aside the war-worn corselet,
And taken the ballot as a right!
And strangled treason in the fight,
Has laid aside the war-worn corselet,
And taken the ballot as a right!
And the right at his discretion
To wield it as his faith may guide
Responsible for each digression,
To God, his country, and his pride!
To wield it as his faith may guide
Responsible for each digression,
To God, his country, and his pride!
152
And now, in conclusion, accept a brief line
Inscribed to our country, thy country and mine.
Inscribed to our country, thy country and mine.
Hail! hail mighty Land with thy proud destiny!
Enduring as time, all chainless and free!
Hail! hail to thy mountains majestic and high,
Reclining their heads against the blue curtained sky.
Enduring as time, all chainless and free!
Hail! hail to thy mountains majestic and high,
Reclining their heads against the blue curtained sky.
And hail to thy valleys so fragrant and fair,
With wild flowers blooming and scenting the air,
And hail to thy prairies, outspreading and wide,
Resembling the Ocean's broad billowless tide.
With wild flowers blooming and scenting the air,
And hail to thy prairies, outspreading and wide,
Resembling the Ocean's broad billowless tide.
And hail to thy Streamlets, all wending their way
Adown to their Rivers, more mighty than they;
And hail to thy Rivers as onward they sweep
Through th' low valley lands to their home in the deep;
Adown to their Rivers, more mighty than they;
And hail to thy Rivers as onward they sweep
Through th' low valley lands to their home in the deep;
And hail to thy Oceans, all dotted with sails,
Their white wings extended, inviting the gales;
And hail to thy Commerce, the pride of the world.
And hail to thy Standard so proudly unfurled;
Their white wings extended, inviting the gales;
And hail to thy Commerce, the pride of the world.
And hail to thy Standard so proudly unfurled;
And hail to thy Cities all teaming with life,
Where the interest of all is the center of strife.
And hail to thy Railroads and steam-driven trains,
That sweep through thy mountains and dash o'er thy plains;
Where the interest of all is the center of strife.
And hail to thy Railroads and steam-driven trains,
That sweep through thy mountains and dash o'er thy plains;
And hail to thy Telegraph, thy glory and prime,
Defying all distance, and outstripping Time,
Extending its arms through the heart of the sea
And binding all Realms to the Land of the Free;
Defying all distance, and outstripping Time,
Extending its arms through the heart of the sea
And binding all Realms to the Land of the Free;
153
And hail to thy Magistrates, Judges and Courts,
And Armies and Navies, thy strength and supports.
And Armies and Navies, thy strength and supports.
And hail to thy Congress, where thy statesmen are met,
Where thy wisdom for ages in Counsel have sat.
And hail to thy Chief, the Bright Crown of thy State,
The gallant Ulysses, all glorious and great;
Where thy wisdom for ages in Counsel have sat.
And hail to thy Chief, the Bright Crown of thy State,
The gallant Ulysses, all glorious and great;
And hail, once again, thy glory and pride,
Bright Banner of Freedom, out-spreading and wide.
Bright Banner of Freedom, out-spreading and wide.
There's not a dark spot on thy features today,
As pure as the heavens, and radiant as they;
Thus, ever proud Banner, exultingly wave,
Thou glory and pride of the unfettered slave.
As pure as the heavens, and radiant as they;
Thus, ever proud Banner, exultingly wave,
Thou glory and pride of the unfettered slave.
| The Poetical Works of James Madison Bell | |