^E Hiol ■ I ^ •.^r 'i. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. glci6l : — Chap.. .^Copyright No. ShelfAi...p..-j,cp^* UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. ^^^rM-\y '■vVv|> \t^ ^id Kf>»t^ pi .v ixxtxxtx xixxtxxVxjy ,X ODE TO P)\- S. I'kankt.in Parks. CL4AJ 9 Ue??erson Davis. 4 !l !l . . Price Cents . . i) Col.vii-lit.d hv tlic AiiUior. Ia fi^'^f:,}. _, .__,_ ._ . . . ._ i> • x|x Xf y Vjv x|x yjx xjv X jx Xf X y jx xjx xix XfX y^v ' y I'rFi^ Je?¥erson D ersorp uavis. Of oue resplendent ship that dared Adventurous the storm-racked wave, Of oue great pilot grand and brave, Who strove till hope despaired, And darkness shrouded all the sea, And wreck and ruin round him raved, Strove nobly, and all fortunes braved To bring her into lee. Of such inspired would I dare To wake my harp, and daring sing, And hope and pride's -defiance fling High as a clarion's blare. To touch the highest flight of song Were not too high to grace my theme ; Ennobling inspiration's dream. My wing thus bold and strong.. My spirit quick ed with the desire That nerved Jove's bird to his high flight. Soaring the imperial height That Gods wont to aspire. Not he who sung Aeneas' fate, And touched harmonious his shell, Aspiring in his high strains to tell The rise of Roman state. Nor yet Pharsalia's singer knew, Nor Salem's bard a nobler theme, Though deep they from the epic stream Their inspirations drew — Than mine, a nation born in flame, And swathed in blood and glory's glare ; Yet fell in honor's great despair. Crushed to unrighteous shame, (2) Crushed by o'er numbers, whose huge weight, (Not Valor's knightly sword and spear,) As a vast mountain wave's career. Reversed an empire's fate. And Faction won where Valor lost, And Hope died on his crimson shield, And Honor's cause was forced tp yield At such tremenduous cost ! So Hasting s groaned when Harold fell Before the wrong invasion dealt. And native cause and honor felt The ruin, heard the knell Ambition struck with thunder tone, And wrong and might ramped on the field, In mire-treading. the patriot's sheld, The patriot overthrown ! 'Of such great subject would I sing, A mighty and illustrious theme ; More worthy the transcendent dream Of Gracia's epic king. :But my w^eak arm shall dare the reach. Though reaching touch, and touching fail; Nor may my wistful soul prevail In its bar limit speech To give expression to the height And splendor of the scene whose scope. By evil fate warped to its slope. Sank back in ruin's night. O, Spirit thou, whose breath divine Kindles the sacred altar flame, Gilding the poet's wreath of fame, Inspire this lay of mine, That I may sing the bravest song That ever in this hesper spehre Awoke proud echoes to career Our native vales along. (3) Not for my pride and for my fame, But in the faith that never dies , Fixed as the tint of Southland skies, To grace our Chieftan's name. Two ships upon the boisterous seas, Bold in the old explosing days, With prows toward the hesper ra3'S, Their sails set to the breeze. Both from the same old noble land. The grand old Island of our race , The home of freedom's noblest grace. And aspirations grand. The one dark keeled and sombre hued, Far to the northward made its trend. Where arctic gales with summer blend, A land with frost imbued. A restless crew, fanatic bred, Of narrow mind and hooded view, Sailed in this ship, ascetic crew, Bigot and narrow read. The propagandists of a lore No broader than the limit reach Of the sectary's short arm stretch, So much, nor less, nor more. Too pure and holy to be good. Except to such of their own creed , On all beyond their limit screed, They sneered in bigot mood. On Plymouth's rock they took their stand, And from that ill propitious hour, Were sown the seeds of a dark power To over shade the land. A baneful tree that spread and grew With the increasing yeais, until It branched and shadowed far to fill The nation's life with grue. (4) That other ship which westward sailed, Bright keeled, high masted, staunch and brave ^ Wombed with high fate, careered the wave, And fair Virginia hailed. She bore a bold, adventurous crew, Such as ere' whiles the Argo bore To reach a legendary shore — But those for higher emprise drew The fated ballot from the urn On which fixed destiny had set- The unchaugable decree which yet In after years should glow and burn, When chivalry with plumed casque, And sword and buckler bright as flame, Should blazon war's illustrious fame. Valor's accepted task. Near James' shore their home they built, And from that nascent, pregnant hour They grandly grew and rose to power, With fame aad honor gilt^ And southward with the genial sun, Where other gallant peoples came , They spread and grew, one race, one name, In self same channels run. Liberal, chivalrous, in cheer Most hospital in home and hearth ; To all the world they proved their birth, The high plumed cavalier. No better hand e'er drew a sword, When duty and when honor called ; And tyrrany slunk back appalled. When forth his ranks in valor poured. Quick to resent insult and wrong. His knightly courage sought the foe Called to ascount, he dealt the blow, Prides* indignation, strong. (5) The saving pride of race and name Was ever his, and kept in ward ; His sword outflashing tu the guard, To challenge wrong and shame. Much of the nation's heritage, Of valor deeds and war's acclaim-^ Of eloquence and a proud fame. And a broad acreage^ Was by his arm and genious won, Nobly, unselfishly bestowed ; A patriot warrior he strode, Nor grudged what he had done. But when low envy's rude despite Traduced his honor and his fame. Indignant he at the base shame Arose to his full height^ When bigot hatred in all mood, A gilt philanthropy the plea, Surveyed hi^ state and feudal fee. Forth to the vile wrong stood; And in the name of higher law Called out the imps of wrong and fraud. Sending the howling hounds abroad. Forced him his sword to draw^-' His sword indignant, whose quick blade Had flashed upon a hundred fields. Glaring o'er broken spears and shields In honor's fame enrayed. And now undaunted from its sheath Flashed challtrnge and defiance high. With the old spirit and defy That struck old loes beneath ; And for his right and honor stood. For all things s icred soul may name^^ That from his elden sires came,^ In high defiant mood. (6) And never cause had better plea, And never sword had better cause In all the scenes that story draws, Or noble miustrelsee. Not Salamis or Runnymede, Or any other field divine ; Nor Sempach's hill, memorial shrine Of Arnold Winklereid. Not Fabius for land and home Had better cause or better creed^^ When he drew sword in his high need, When Carthage menaced Rome,— Nor Alfred when he led his train Of chiefs and yoeman to the field With home wrought spear and breasting shield Against the invading Dane , , Nor Harold, when all England rose And rallied to her king around His fated flag on Hastings' ground, T' oppose his Norman foes ; Than thou, O Southland, when the hour. Thee summoned to the deed supreme ; And Beauvior's Chieftain hailed the dream, Of thy imperial power. Then War's black vulture spread its wing, Then Valor rose and Honor called ; And Southland stood forth unappalled, And for her gage did fling. And lo ! a new born banner rose, A meteor upon the view, Star- rayed, that Valor loved and knew, To dare a world of foes. Proud chivalry's bright oriflamm.e, Of saltier, stars and bars agi*eam, Gilt with a rainbow hope abeam, Quicked with immortal flame. (7) But who was there in all the land To fitly grasp the sacred stave ; Great standard bearer, tall and brave. And by its fortune stand ? lyO, in the South a star was seen, Resplendent as the Southern cross, Above the clouds and billow toss Of wars' black front asheen. Out of the clouds of murk and night Arose that star of halo light ; The nation saw and hailed its beam, Raying a realm's respendent dream, The people hailed with loud acclaims, And to their call the Chieftain came. Great standard bearer in their name. A chief was he of h'gh degree, In council and in wisdom great. Whose hand had held the helm of state On strife's conflicting sea. And his illustrious falchion bared, Had o'er the waves of battle glared ; Confusing with e'rwhelming blow The valor of Ibeiean foe ; Carving his name with fateful blade On war's proud monument arrayed. A man of broad, enlightened scope, Politic skill and wisdom's rhyme, High on the front he stood sublime To prop a nation's hope. So Fabius and Cato stood, When Afra's waring legions fuarmed, He bold as they and unalarmed. As great and grand of mood In Richmond's citadel he sate, Viewing with calm prospective eye The nnghty scene in grandeur high, Forming tlie cast of fate. (8) Tall at his side a geuius stood, The goddess of the Southern sphere; Him grandly urged to his career Of patriot soldierhood. A trumpet in his hand she placed Of iron mouth and golden tips, Of blazon thunder to eclipse The loudest note that ever roused A people when their duty droused, Or fame had daring knighthood graced. Or honor or the patriot towered. When evil soul invasion • glowered. And such a mighty blast he blew. The knightliest that ever sprung ; Prouder defiance yet never rung The earth's broad borders through. Defiance of the noblest pride, The challenge of the noblest hop^lfj That e'er bade patriot's broadest sc6pe The chance of fate abide. A blast that shook the round head throne Far to its center, ireened it o'er ; Such threaled ruin ne'er before Had girded power known. It echoed all the north realms through, Round head startled and puritan ; With such a blast Charles never blew When for his throne and for his right His challenge through all England ran. And chivalry rose to its height. When demagogue and faction stood Bold on the front in alien mood, Or when great Kosciusco rose Illustrious 'gainst Muscove foes. The Southland's call to the great deed, The same as oft in olden tide, When right girt falcions at his side In his superior need, (9) Forth staiuliniij to confront the foe, In high defense of righteous cause In just defense of home and laws To give his arm's best blow. Proudly that blast did his soul raise; His call to arms was heard amain, Leaping from dingle^ hill and plain, Setting the land ablaze. And to that call came the response, An answer never yet more bold ; O'er all the Southland realm it rolled, Glorious and at once. The voice of honor in reply, The voice of home sure in the right, As sword and spear lept to the height Of ominous defy. Thl^i a great hope rose into birth, iiie noblest, most exalted known To mortal ear in hlazon tone, That ere has stirred the earth. Forth from Virginia's royal realm, From Florida ard Tennessee, Came the ilevoted yeomuury The invading foe to whelm. The Carolinas heard the call. And Georgia, Alabama sprang ; And all the mighty southwest rang To war's grand atabal., Uprousiug half a million men, And steeds more brave and men more bold The elden days ne'er did behold, Thau -Southland marshalled then. For one great principal they stood, The right to know and be their own. Upon their native altars throne Their own accepted good^ (10) Founding an empire of broad scope, Illustrious and daring scheme ! As e'er ennobled statesman's dream And quicked a hero's hope. The dream that Pride and Valor knew In noble blazonry its own; As fair a dream as ever drew The soul of hero till it grew To the high statue of the deed, Upon whose crest and fate alone The will of fortune had decreed The rise and fall of empires thrown Into the scale where the home sword Is weighed against th' invading horde. Thus Gracia in the balauce weighed Her destiny when Othman came , Emblazing her all righteous blade With high and honorable fame. War thundered through the mighty scene From East to v/here the sun declines, And famed Mauasses, Seven Pines, Still bloom in laurel green ; A hundred more superior fields, Memorial that never yields Its lustre to time's shadow screen, Hung on a hundred oaks their shields. High o'er the scene the Chieftain reared The bright plumed flag his people knew, And inspiration from it drew, It hallowed and fcevered ; Hope's harbinger that star-like shone In native beauty all its own ; T'hen proud the foot of cavalier. The puritan in scorn iul strife Stamped down, and frayed his narrow life In chivalry's career. (in And had the strife been equal weighed, lu balanced scales impartial set, The Southland's knightly hilted blade And forward spear which never yet Had drawn back from an equal foe ; But challenge such had ever met, Had turned the scales of fight and laid In dire defeat the round head low, And in high grace our Chief arrayed. Oh ! alien destiny, ill spleened, Oh ! evil fortunes ! woe the hour, When Southland's hope to ruin creened^ And round head rule arose to power, And better hope and better right, As oft ill destiny has* willed, Ere they thy luring hope had filled, Sank back in ruin's night ! But right imperial will rise, Though man}^ years miscast it roam The wilderness, to the emprise Breeding new strength again to come At rising tide to claim its own. Through four tremendous year the boom Of that titanic strife dread raged. Whiles mighty fates opposing gauged A nation's life and doom. Yet, still the Southland's Chief arose Undaunted to his height supreme ; Th' embodiment of that high dream, An empire in repose. When through the mufk and storm and war His country shoulfl liave won that goal. The golden Can an of his soul, Aluring as the star. That shone from out the nightly blue. The shepherds leading to their hope ; Not even less was his the scope Of premise to pursue. (12) His people leading to the shrine Of their attained desires, and place The wreath of triumph, well-won grace On Southland's brows divine. But Fate, whose will he had reversed, Long standing back at his command ; From his enforced enchantment burst, Raging as Ate through the land^ Calling on Force and Hate and Wrong, And howling Rage ; and all that throng Blared through the armies of the foe : And Kurope's hired myrmidons. Who for a pittance fought and bread, Starved hirelings, too gross and low To serve a principle, but shed Their vile blood in a cause unknown, Nor cared that right were overthrown So that they throve ; and round head gold Made them adventurous and bold ; And round head envy and hate's wrong Held carnival upon the field ; And Southland's hand was forced to yield To over power strong. So Poland fell before the might Of overforce that crushed amain, 111 starred, despairing to maintain 'Gainst odds the cause of right. O Appomattox ! ill the hour, When destiny's abalien pen Writ down thy uame, Thermopylae ! And Southland shorn of her high power. Cast back in mire and fen, Saw her high hope go down with thee ! There Valor fought and Honor strove As never yet on knightly field. And justice to the right appealed And with its falcion clove. (13) An avenue through hedging foes, Who like the locusts Egypt knew , From varied realms their cohorts drew A dragon ring in which to close And crush the dauntless few ! O, vaunting roundhead^puritan, Of masked religious front and mien. That hid behind politic screen, In name of law, fierce breathing ban — In freedom's name enforcing wrong-, And in the name of gilded right^ A counterfeit of your damned crew, Unholy sword of factions drew/ And right,bound to the throne of might, To over-force,not the emprise Of glory and of honor falls ; But justice in whose pathway lies The promised recompense that calls To deeds of glory and renown, To whom the patriot right belongs In righteous sway to right all wrongs, And frown down envy's frown. To whom pertains the recompense That Valor and that honor bring ; But which oblique oft forced to swing By tyrrany's offense ! *. Thus was thy cause, O Southland, turned By ill souled destiny aside ; To ashes gray thy censor burned. And all thy promise died ! And thy bright banner from thy hand, A meteor cast through the gloom ; Far blazing as the lightning's brand, Proclaimed thy empire's doom. Emblazing thy illustrious fall ; Thy jewelled sword to fragments crashed, Into illuming sparkles flashed A glory gleam o'er all. (14) As in thy red ordeal fame, Blazoned the valor of thy sons, That yet shall blaze while glory runs, Blaze with enduring fame. For right o'erthrown is sacred still, It never forfeits yet its own ; Enduring as th' immortal throne, Built on th' eternal hill. O, Southland, stand upon thy grade ! A splendid elegy is thine ; A song and memory div ne, Bright as the patriot's blade. t Oh ! be thyself what e'er the doom, 111 fate to thee has given. Thy meed Is but the measure of the screed Thy prestige shall assume. A vision fallen from its height. Yet hopefully to be replumed, By its inherent powders illumed, To its supernal flight Self resurrected. So arose The new^ born phoenix from the flame Of his redemption to the glows Of higher life and brighter fame, On broader wing and bolder plume Above the nether fens of gloom. And thy illustrious banner where ? A meteor lost in the pall Of war's black tempest, with thy fall It sank to hope's despair. O Rainbow Spirit of the skies, To what for covert hast thy flown ? Thy bright plumes shorn, thy crested crown In some low shadow lies. Bright dream of glory and of fame That lured our daring hopes on high ^ O grief! that thou shouldst fall and die,_ Quenching thy meteor flame ! (15) Art thou forever gone ? Yet throw Back to our sphere one shining plume To light the shadows of our gloom, Where our great dream lies low ! Sweet to his soul the voice of praise That greets the victor when he comes With blaring trump and rolling drums And peau shouts of martial lays, And crowning wreath of triumph bays, And thunder of the cannon's boom, And flaunt of flag and waving plume, And shouting peoples hail his name With mighty and a high acclaim ! But to the hero overborne. Reft of his patriot spear and shield, Facing the foeman's hate and scorn. The hero of a high fought field ; To him but only can pertain The spirit of Promethean strain, A lofty pride that scorns to yield To the ill fortune of the hour ; Self conscious of his cause and right, In noble self approval strong, Imperial in his soul's power, Scorning from his superior height The flings of rabaldry and wrong. Of such high doom be mine the dole To tell in honorable strain , Raising^Jmy plea and not in vain For that great noble soul, Whose fate,ill won and ill deserved* The cause ennobled which he served. Whose mighty aspirations died ; The grandest dream that ever raised An empire up until ablazed In glory, proudly died ! (16) Who unsubdued when alien fate The scepter struck forth from his hand^ In his illustrious fall more grand Thau in his power's estate, Rose from his fall in god-like mood, Too great, too noble, Roman-like, To kiss the hand that dared to strike^ He fallen, though unsubdued^ The hand that faction's fiiry nerved, 'The hand, a tool to party spleen ; Striking behind politic screen, A party purpose served. So "Wallace from his country torn, His country 'neath th' invader's power. Rose to the grandeur of the hour. Meeting the foeman's scorn. Great in defeat as once he stood The herald of his country's hope ; As great with adverse fate cope. Unconquerable mood ! Not otherwise our chosen rose From his illustrious fall ; O such a fall ! as with him fell An empire's hope, whose pean swell In ebbing echoes still o'erflows • The rounds of earth in all its realms. In low and murmurous recall Of banished hopes and broken dreams. Immortal aspirations plumed Of highest flight to be so doomed ! He wrought in faith all could be done. Opposing to prescriptive fate; And never more devoted son, More loyal and more dutiful. In filial faith more beautiful, Was ever yet more faithful won — In king or priest or chieftain seen, a?) To cause and people, cause and right ;- And when came fate's opprobious night, The night of destiny— not shame, The more resplendent shone his name, As stricken faith has ever shone, Bound captive to a tyrant's throne. So Israel's kingly chieftain seemed. When Babylon's fierce king him bound In captive chains and glooms profound By light of heaven unbeamed. Yon hostile fortress of rude stone To Southland's heart shall ever be Illustrious in high degree, O memory, thine own ! A memory of living fame, lUuminant by story's ray, Reflect from time's remotest day, Graced by his mighty name. No more illustrious captive fate^ Has ever bound in prison", j'oom, Around whose memory there bloom The wreathed chains of State. Not Regulus when bound in chains, Nor Richard in his Austrian cell ; Nor one of whom the ages tell, Nor harp of noblest strains, Who fell upon the sacred field With sword and buckler in his hand. Whose high defiance scorned to yield At girded tyranny's command. Or bound in captive shackles led To grace the circus of the foe. When might triumphed, and justice bled Beneath the weight of faction's blow. Not one of these, nor all of these, May boast a more illustrious fate, Or more unjustly felt the weight Of alien destinies, (18) When cowardice of faction howled. And party grue and party spleen, Assailed his honorhood serene ; And in black hatred scowled. Now when the fullness of the years That grandeur's scope had rounded up, In glory came, he drank the cup Dewed by his people's tears. A golden chalice in the hand Of honor held, enwreathed by fame, Engilded by a golden flame, By airs immortal fanned. As he had grandly lived — so died, In feigned submission never stooped. In that high hour his soul nee'r drooped, Nor bent his mighty pride. The image of his people high, Before all earth he held their fame. That they might never blush for sname, In the all critic eye. Then let his filial people rear, A duty gift to patriots dear, A monument to his high praise, Memorial that shall emblaze The honors of his great career, A keepsake to all after days. Deep set, enduring, broad and tall, None worthierf more nobly won. None meeter in all earth's broad scope. Where truth and right enshrine a hope For worthful deed in conscience done, In righteousness of just defence, That fame or heraldry may call, A just and honored recompense, But a poor recompense withall. (19) As earnest pilgrims to the shrine Of Mecca or Jerusalem ; Vernon, or Alfred's tomb divine, Where memory's immortal gem Is blazoned and will ever shine ; From times high walls a beacon light, I^et ours their yearly tribute pay A reverend and hallowed rite, Gracing his tomb in high array Of honor's wreath and proudly raise Fame's noblest anthem to his praise. My song is sung, O ! Muse divine, Forgive that I presume to sing, And to thy altar such gift bring As this poor rune of mine ; Which by thy breath inspiring grew. And by thy touch can only live, Accept the heart for the poor deed. The reach and compass of my screed ; As she into the casket threw The farthing precious to her view, The soulful earnest of her creed. m LIBRARY OF CONGRESS