Ballads for the Times (Now first collected,) Geraldine, A Modern Pyramid, Bartenus, A Thousand Lines, and other poems. By Martin F. Tupper. A new Edition, enlarged and revised |
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Britain, to Columbia.
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 | Ballads for the Times |  |
Britain, to Columbia.
A Message of Peace.
Sister Empress, daughter dear,
Throned on yonder hemisphere,
With a grand career to run
Glorious as thy western sun,
Sister, Daughter—we are one!
Throned on yonder hemisphere,
With a grand career to run
Glorious as thy western sun,
Sister, Daughter—we are one!
11
One, in stories of the past,
One, in glories, still to last,
One in speech, and one in face,
One in honest pride of race,
One in faith, and hope, and grace!
One, in glories, still to last,
One in speech, and one in face,
One in honest pride of race,
One in faith, and hope, and grace!
Sister, we have sinn'd of old,
Both of us, through lust of gold;
We, for centuries, you, for years,
Undismay'd by judgment fears,
Throve on—human woes and tears!
Both of us, through lust of gold;
We, for centuries, you, for years,
Undismay'd by judgment fears,
Throve on—human woes and tears!
Verily, our brothers' blood
Whelm'd us in its crimson flood!
Yet, at last we turn'd, and gave,
As a ransom from the grave,
Royal freedom to the slave!
Whelm'd us in its crimson flood!
Yet, at last we turn'd, and gave,
As a ransom from the grave,
Royal freedom to the slave!
Britain's penitential zeal
Let it work Columbia's weal;
Wisely hasten, as thou wilt,
Soon to wash away this guilt—
Man in chains, and life-blood spilt!
Let it work Columbia's weal;
Wisely hasten, as thou wilt,
Soon to wash away this guilt—
Man in chains, and life-blood spilt!
We are mute,—we may not chide;
Only pray thee, put aside
That which must be bane to thee,
If, as Christian, Strong, and Free,
Thou endure it still to be.
Only pray thee, put aside
That which must be bane to thee,
If, as Christian, Strong, and Free,
Thou endure it still to be.
Yet, in frankness, we confess
We made too much haste to bless;
Not at once, be well assured,
But with gradual health allured,
Can this chronic plague be cured.
We made too much haste to bless;
Not at once, be well assured,
But with gradual health allured,
Can this chronic plague be cured.
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Through the wisdom of to-day
We have learnt a better way;
Sister,—it is thine own plan!
Take the poor degraded man,
Teach him kindly all you can,—
We have learnt a better way;
Sister,—it is thine own plan!
Take the poor degraded man,
Teach him kindly all you can,—
Then, with liberal hand restore
To his own Liberian shore
This poor son of wrong and night,
Newly blest with hope and light,
And the patriot freeman's Right!
To his own Liberian shore
This poor son of wrong and night,
Newly blest with hope and light,
And the patriot freeman's Right!
So shall Africa blockade
Bloodlessly that dreadful trade:
And Liberia's “open door,”
School, and Church, and merchant-store,
Bless her children evermore.
Bloodlessly that dreadful trade:
And Liberia's “open door,”
School, and Church, and merchant-store,
Bless her children evermore.
| Ballads for the Times | |