For this, the God of nations sealed this land as sacred soil,
And thenceforth made it holy, with blood, and sweat, and toil.
For this, the lonely Mayflower spread her white wings to the breeze,
And bore the Pilgrim Fathers across the stormy seas.
For this, the blood of patriots baptized old Bunker Hill,
And Lexington and Concord made known the people’s will.
For this, both Saratoga and Yorktown’s fields were won,
And Fame’s unfading laurels wreathed the brow of Washington.
For this, your glorious Channing plead on the “weaker side,”
And Parker, brave and fearless, sought to stem Oppression’s tide.
For this, the lips of Phillips burned with Athenian fire,
Till every flaming sentence leapt forth in righteous ire.
And Garrison, the dauntless, declared, “I will be heard!”
O thou sturdy, war-worn veteran! well hast thou kept thy word!
Thou hast sent the foul Hyena howling fiercely to his den,
And thy battle-cry was “Freedom!” till the cannon said, “Amen!”
For this, like royal Cæsar, within the Senate Hall,
On the noble head of Sumner did the blows of Slavery fall;
For this, that band of heroes, with their Spartan chief, John Brown,
As a sacrifice to Freedom, their precious lives laid down.
And for this you bore and suffered, “till forbearance ceased to be
A virtue,” and High Heaven called on you to be free.
Then, once more, the blood of heroes leaped like fire within each vein,
And the long-slumbering Lion rose, and, wrathful, shook his mane.
O! the page of future history shall, with truthful record, tell
How you met the fearful issue, how bravely and how well;
How you gave uncounted treasure from out your toil-won hoard,
And how, as free as water, heroic blood was poured;—
How Grant, with stern persistence, smote the foe-*men day by day;
How Sheridan and Sherman urged their victorious way;
How Farragut and Porter swept triumphant o’er the sea,
And how the gallant Winslow won his glorious victory;—
And alas! how noble Ellsworth fell in his youthful pride,
And Winthrop, Baker, Lyon, for Freedom bled and died;
And true, brave hearts unnumbered, before the cannon’s breath,
On the wild, red sea of slaughter, swept down the tide of death;—
And how, amid the tumult, in every battle pause,
Was heard the cry for “Justice to the bondman and his cause.”
O! your fathers’ slumbering ashes cried, “Amen!” from out each grave,
When your grand old Constitution gave freedom to the slave.