You can never win them back—
Never! never!
Though they perish on the track
Of your endeavor;
Though their corses strew the earth,
That SMILED upon their birth,
And blood pollutes each hearth-
Stone forever!
They have risen to a man,
Stern and fearless;
Of your curses and your ban
They are careless.
Every hand is on its knife,
Every gun is primed for strife,
Every PALM contains a life,
High and peerless!
You have no such blood as theirs
For the shedding:
In the veins of cavaliers
Was its heading:
You have no such stately men
In your “abolition den,”
To march through foe and fen,
Nothing dreading!
They may fall before the fire
Of your legions,
Paid with gold for murderous hire—
Bought allegiance;
But for every drop you shed,
You shall have a mound of dead,
So that vultures may be fed
In our regions!
But the battle to the strong
Is not given,
When the Judge of Right and Wrong
Sits in heaven;
And the God of David still
Guides the pebble with His will;
There are giants yet to kill—
Wrongs unshriven!

“NIL DESPERANDUM.”

Inscribed to our Soldier-boys,

BY ADA ROSE.

The Yankee hosts are coming,
With their glittering rows of steel,
And sharp, from many a skirmish,
Comes the rifle’s ringing peal,
Warning you how very near
The Northern “Hessians” are,
With their overwhelming forces;
But ne’er must you despair.
For though they come on, surging
Like a mighty rolling sea,
They’re hired by their master, “Abe”—
You fight for Liberty.
So bravely you must meet them,
And face the cannon’s blare;
Your watchword, “Victory or Death,”
And never you despair.
True, the cloud is dark and lowering,
But behind a cheerful ray,
And the night is always darkest
Just before the break of day.
Have faith; the cloud will soon disperse,
For the light is surely there;
The day will soon be dawning,
So never you despair.
Go, emulate brave Washington,
Who led a little band,
To drive the proud oppressors
From off their happy land.
The enemy outnumbered,
By far, the “rebels” there;
But bravely they encountered them,
Nor yielded to despair.
’Tis said that “rebel” chieftain,
Ere they sought the battle’s fray,
Would ask our Heavenly Father
To be their shield and stay;
And then they’d march with confidence,
Well knowing He’d be there;
And that must be the reason why
They never did despair.

Likewise, if you will ask Him,
He’ll meet you on the field,
To be a guard about you,
And your support and shield;
The foe shall fly before you,
As you shout your victory there;
Then don’t forget to plead with Him,
And never to despair.
Pine Bluff, Ark.

ADDRESS OF THE WOMEN TO THE SOUTHERN TROOPS.

BY MRS. J. T. H. CROSS.