University of Virginia Library

The tartarean scheme of vengeance fell
Was well matured for ruthless execution;
The massive chain of treason bound the hearts
Of soul-exulting myriads, who were galled
By a sad interminable bondage,
And tortured into madness unheeding
Innocence, or worth, or virtue's weal,
By the gory lash of despotism mean;
Yet not a link was broken; rolling years,
In wide accumulating flow, had brought
An iron mass of fearless desperadoes,
A dauntless phalanx of auxiliaries,
With frames of steel, and souls of vivid flame,
And hearts impenetrable to the shriek
Of defloration, or the dying groan
Of honour fair; still no unguarded hour,
In inadvertent jest, developed guile,
Brooding beneath a placid brow—a smile
Of toil obsequious, a massacre
Unfeeling, undistinguishing, unseen.
A lonely shed, amid the marsh afar,
Impervious to the approaching tread
Of eagle-eyed Detection, had become
The dome of eloquence incendiary,
And Vesey there inflamed the palled soul
Of slavery debasing with his flood
Of lava passion—the fires of freedom
Intensely glowed within the waking breast
Of thousand auditors, who grouped around,
And though no shrill huzza sublimely rung,
In lengthening echoes, through the deep pine wood,
Each thrilling fibre, in responsive tone,
Impelled the arm to action terrible.
Anon the hut arose a capitol!
And legislation, by the vulgar mass
Of sable sages cultured, smiled around
Upon the scene fantastic; fancy saw
The plains prolific own their brutal slaves
Lords legitimate by blood and rapine,
And wisdom sanctioned all the happy tale.
Yet sure they reasoned on the point not ill;
Track trophied Victory around the globe,
Mark the wide progress of revolution,
And of freedom; all—all are bought with blood
Fierce spirits ever dominate the mob.
From the congregated throng arose
A deep magician, versed in subtle spell,
And incantation, and enchantment wild.
His sea-shell rosary was the amulet,
That held dominion over Destiny,
A glossy cane was waved his magic wand,
And his broad cincturing girdle, graven
With figures rude, uncouth, illegible,
Was viewed by Superstition's glazed eye
As pregnant more with power invulnerable
Than the wrought mail, and panoply of war.
The doom of fated Carolina in that cell
Of midnight counsel dread was fixed, fore'er
Irrevocable—Death indiscriminate
To man—the soulless tyrant—to woman—
The dark domains of fiends diabolic
Ne'er teemed with thought so foul, contaminate,
Debasing! her breast was open to the steel,
But not to—. Indulging horrid systems
Of vengeance unrelenting, and intense,
They seek their distant cots in joyful mirth,
And frame their idol Liberty. Mean-while
Smiling on lords they soon will tombless lay.
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The night was dark, and scarce a wandering star
Was flashing along the bright spheres of June,
No meteor-blaze, an omen dread, arrayed
The concave in a momentary glare,
The loud volcano voice of terror,
And alarm, was heard not—a spirit mild
Noiseless had descended, on the wings
Of gentle ruth, and warned the slumbering clime
Of wrath impending; through the moonless gloom
The thundering dragoons fly, and the sound
Of steely sabre sheath, and iron hoof
Along the street, and the shrill parting voice
Of love connubial, or paternal,
And the hollow-pealing drum, that awakes
The soldier from repose—artillery
Anon in distant thunders shaking earth,
And intonating knells the alarum
Sounding in dirge-like tones, all blend,
And rush upon the open, aching ear.
Trembling affright, and quivering terror pale
Swayed thousand victims, and impressed the soul
With agony—and the brain with phantoms dire,
And shades menacing death,—they wielded round,
The sabre ruthless, and incarnadine,
Or pierced with cruel spike the bosom deep.
It was, alas! a scene of wo—an hour
Of suspense terrific—for the high mind
Impels the sense, recoiling from the voice
That divests the tale of ignorance sweet
Of all its fairy decorations thrown
By causeless hope around it, to knowledge
Of all, that dread, or joy conspires to shroud
In mystery; and oft the mind serene
Will bear the full developement of death
Inevitable, while the hour of wild
Suspense uncertain sheds a chilling blight,
And fearful phrenzy through the throbbing breast
Ye fair! what thoughts within your bosoms burned?
What writhing horrors on your senses prest?
The ideal view of massacre and death,
Pillage, and all the scenes attendant on
The victory unrepressed, is fraught with dread
To potent minds and masculine; but when
A tempest and a whelming hurricane,
Winged by fell human passion, fling around
A pestilence worse than quick destruction,
And the soft, delicate form is fated
To endure corroding pangs—a living death—
Imagination cannot paint the scene.

Vindictive Justice bared her gory arm,—
Then fell her wrath upon the myrmidons;
And all their gilded scenes of freedom,
And bright emancipation, and the reign
Of their immortal Vesey, withered—died.
Immured within a darkling cell, the thoughts
Of hempen exaltation, and a sway
Sublime and airy, o'er their senses came,
And brought a scene befitting base-born minds.
The toiling Law in even balance weighed
Their virtues and their crimes—and drew a line
Between bland innocence, and iron guilt;
O'er some there came a chill when the award
Of Death rung solemn on the startled ear—
Unfeeling apathy, or reckless mirth
All other swayed;—their dreadful doomsday came.
And 'mid thronged myriads, who were fiercely doomed
To death promiscuous, they yielded life
On earth for—what their Judge omnipotent
Did award them—e'en the magician died!