Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Poetry and Incidents., Volume 3.
Frank Moore, Ed.

15. John bright.

by Pamelia S. Vining.

I honor you, John Bright!
     With your head up in the light,
In your honest English might
     Standing forth for Truth and Right;
You're a man!
     And that's a good deal said,
In these days of strife and dread--
     Days of manliness stark dead,
Or stark mad.

I hear across the deep,
     Noble, earnest accents sweep--
Words that make me laugh and weep
     Both at once,
In a burst of joy, John Bright!
     That one man, on Truth's fair height,
With the two extremes in sight
     Of man's blessing and man's blight--
Mortal weal and mortal woe,

Hath a soul to speak out clear
     To the Old and New World's ear,
So that every man may hear
     And understand
Freedom's utterance, bold and strong,
     Human right 'gainst human wrong,
Right of Weakness to be strong--
     Deathless right!

And the tears are in my eyes,
     When I think you sympathize
With my country, rent and torn
     By Dissension's cruel thorn;
Bleeding fast,
     God alone can tell how fast,
Possibly her best and last
     Patriot blood. O God! I bless,
In this hour of our distress,
     Our confusion, loss and strain,
Shuddering hopes and throbbing pain--
     Thee I bless, that o'er the main
Comes one honest human tone,
     Freedom's, Truth's, Religion's own,
Us to cheer!

Thus across the troubled water,
     I, America's sad daughter,
From our fields of death and slaughter
     Stretch my hand
Gratefully to you, John Bright!
     Honest champion of Right,
Standing up in Heaven's pure light--
     Up, on such a goodly height
That both hemispheres may see
     How you look, John Bright!
With God's sunshine on your head,
     Like a heavenly halo shed,
From the empyrean height.