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16
Czar and Serf.
There came out word from Muscovy,
To all the Christian lands—
That Kaiser Alexander
Had loosed his vassals' bands;
That the Czar of all the Russias,
By brave and wise commands,
Had riven the yoke from bondmen's necks,
The shackles from their hands.
Then all the wide world shouted—
Wherever Christians are—
“'Tis a noble deed this man hath done!
All hail! the Russian Czar!”
To all the Christian lands—
That Kaiser Alexander
Had loosed his vassals' bands;
That the Czar of all the Russias,
By brave and wise commands,
Had riven the yoke from bondmen's necks,
The shackles from their hands.
Then all the wide world shouted—
Wherever Christians are—
“'Tis a noble deed this man hath done!
All hail! the Russian Czar!”
O'er all the land of Muscovy
Was Slavery's leprous scurf—
Till Kaiser Alexander said:
“Emancipate the Serf!”
Till the Czar of all the Russias
To shapes of breathing turf
Gave thrice ten million freemen's souls—
A soul for every serf.
Then all the wide world shouted—
Wherever Christians are—
“'Tis a blessed deed this man hath done!
God keep the Russian Czar!”
Was Slavery's leprous scurf—
Till Kaiser Alexander said:
“Emancipate the Serf!”
Till the Czar of all the Russias
To shapes of breathing turf
Gave thrice ten million freemen's souls—
A soul for every serf.
Then all the wide world shouted—
Wherever Christians are—
“'Tis a blessed deed this man hath done!
God keep the Russian Czar!”
17
I think if he of Muscovy
Were Ruler here, this day,
And underneath Rebellion's foot
His bleeding country lay;
With twice three hundred thousand men
Behind him, fierce for fray,
He would not brook that Slavery
Should hold him long at bay;
With all the wide world gazing,
Wherever Christians are—
I am sure a DEED would soon be done
By Russia's valiant Czar!
Were Ruler here, this day,
And underneath Rebellion's foot
His bleeding country lay;
With twice three hundred thousand men
Behind him, fierce for fray,
He would not brook that Slavery
Should hold him long at bay;
With all the wide world gazing,
Wherever Christians are—
I am sure a DEED would soon be done
By Russia's valiant Czar!
God knows, THIS land, like Muscovy,
Was rank with Slavery's scurf;
God knows, it made the ruler oft
More leprous than the serf:
And yet, in sight of Bunker Hill,
In sight of Vernon's turf,
We shrink from Alexander's cry—
“Emancipate the Serf!”
With all the wide world gazing—
Wherever Christians are—
We are cowering still at Slavery's feet—
Rebuked by Russia's Czar!
Was rank with Slavery's scurf;
God knows, it made the ruler oft
More leprous than the serf:
And yet, in sight of Bunker Hill,
In sight of Vernon's turf,
We shrink from Alexander's cry—
“Emancipate the Serf!”
With all the wide world gazing—
Wherever Christians are—
We are cowering still at Slavery's feet—
Rebuked by Russia's Czar!
New York, December, 1861.
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