 | Terrible tractoration, and other poems |  |
193
AN ODE.
Ye sons of Columbia, unite in the cause
Of liberty, justice, religion, and laws;
Should foes then invade us, to battle we'll hie,
For the God OF OUR FATHERS will be our ally!
Let Frenchmen advance,
And all Europe join France,
Designing our conquest and plunder;
United and free
For ever we'll be,
And our cannon shall tell them in thunder,
That foes to our freedom we'll ever defy,
Till the continent sinks, and the ocean is dry!
Of liberty, justice, religion, and laws;
Should foes then invade us, to battle we'll hie,
For the God OF OUR FATHERS will be our ally!
Let Frenchmen advance,
And all Europe join France,
Designing our conquest and plunder;
United and free
For ever we'll be,
And our cannon shall tell them in thunder,
That foes to our freedom we'll ever defy,
Till the continent sinks, and the ocean is dry!
When Britain assail'd us, undaunted we stood,
Defended the land we had purchased with blood,
Our liberty won, and it shall be our boast,
If the old world united should menace our coast:—
Should millions invade,
In terror array'd,
Our liberties bid us surrender,
Our country they 'd find
With bayonets lined,
And Washington here to defend her,
For foes to our freedom we'll ever defy
Till the continent sinks, and the ocean is dry!
Defended the land we had purchased with blood,
194
If the old world united should menace our coast:—
Should millions invade,
In terror array'd,
Our liberties bid us surrender,
Our country they 'd find
With bayonets lined,
And Washington here to defend her,
For foes to our freedom we'll ever defy
Till the continent sinks, and the ocean is dry!
Should Buonapart' come with his sans culotte band,
And a new sort of freedom we do n't understand,
And make us an offer to give us as much
As France has bestow'd on the Swiss and the Dutch,
His fraud and his force
Will be futile of course;
We wish for no Frenchified freedom:
If folks beyond sea
Are to bid us be free,
We'll send for them when we shall need 'em.
But sans culotte Frenchmen we'll ever defy,
Till the continent sinks, and the ocean is dry!
And a new sort of freedom we do n't understand,
And make us an offer to give us as much
As France has bestow'd on the Swiss and the Dutch,
His fraud and his force
Will be futile of course;
We wish for no Frenchified freedom:
If folks beyond sea
Are to bid us be free,
We'll send for them when we shall need 'em.
But sans culotte Frenchmen we'll ever defy,
Till the continent sinks, and the ocean is dry!
We 're anxious that Peace may continue her reign,
We cherish the virtues which sport in her train;
Our hearts ever melt, when the fatherless sigh,
And we shiver at Horror's funereal cry;
But still, though we prize
That child of the skies,
We'll never like slaves be accosted.
In a war of defence
Our means are immense,
And we'll fight till our all is exhausted:
For foes to our freedom we'll ever defy,
Till the continent sinks, and the ocean is dry!
We cherish the virtues which sport in her train;
Our hearts ever melt, when the fatherless sigh,
And we shiver at Horror's funereal cry;
195
That child of the skies,
We'll never like slaves be accosted.
In a war of defence
Our means are immense,
And we'll fight till our all is exhausted:
For foes to our freedom we'll ever defy,
Till the continent sinks, and the ocean is dry!
The EAGLE of FREEDOM with rapture behold!
Overshadow our land with his plumage of gold!
The flood-gates of glory are open on high,
And Warren and Mercer descend from the sky!
They come from above
With a message of love,
To bid us be firm and decided;
“At liberty's call,
Unite one and all,
For you conquer, unless you 're divided.
Unite, and the foes to your freedom defy,
Till the continent sinks, and the ocean is dry!”
Overshadow our land with his plumage of gold!
The flood-gates of glory are open on high,
And Warren and Mercer descend from the sky!
They come from above
With a message of love,
To bid us be firm and decided;
“At liberty's call,
Unite one and all,
For you conquer, unless you 're divided.
Unite, and the foes to your freedom defy,
Till the continent sinks, and the ocean is dry!”
“Americans, seek no occasion for war;
The rude deeds of rapine still ever abhor;
But if in defence of your rights you should arm,
Let toils ne'er discourage, nor dangers alarm.
For foes to your peace
Will ever increase,
If freedom and fame you should barter,
Let those rights be yours,
While nature endures,
For Omnipotence gave you the charter!”
Then foes to our freedom we'll ever defy,
Till the continent sinks, and the ocean is dry!
The rude deeds of rapine still ever abhor;
But if in defence of your rights you should arm,
Let toils ne'er discourage, nor dangers alarm.
For foes to your peace
Will ever increase,
196
Let those rights be yours,
While nature endures,
For Omnipotence gave you the charter!”
Then foes to our freedom we'll ever defy,
Till the continent sinks, and the ocean is dry!
The above ode was written, set to music, and sung on a public occasion in Rutland, Vermont, July, 1798. At that time the armament, which afterwards sailed to Egypt, under Buonaparte, lay at Toulon: its destination was not known in America, but many supposed that it was intended to waft the blessings of French liberty to the United States.
| Terrible tractoration, and other poems | |