179. the hempen cravat.
by R. H. Stoddard.
The Southern costume — have you heard of it, sirs?--Is a single shirt-collar, and a big pair of spurs;
'Tis airy for summer, there's no doubt of that,
But not half so neat as a hempen cravat.
To begin with the collar: suppose a long march
In the hot, broiling sun, what becomes of the starch?
Why, it wilts down with sweat,--a nasty thing, that,
Which is never the case with the hempen cravat!
Their spurs may be good till a battle begins,
But won't they be likely to scratch their own shins
When they come to retreat? for they may come to that,
But they cannot retreat with the hempen cravat!
Oh, the hempen cravat is an elegant thing!
For, once on your neck, it gives you full swing;
These hot Southern gentlemen ought to like that,
For they all want to swing — in the hempen cravat!
'Tis as cheap as 'tis useful,--a blessing, to-day,
When the South, owing millions, has nothing to pay;
So, to show our good will, (they've but little of that,)
We'll furnish them, gratis, the hempen cravat!
We try it on Pat, when he snatches a knife,
And slithers the wind-pipe of mother, or wife;
He was crazy with whiskey,--no matter for that;
He must die like a dog in the hempen cravat!
What is Pat's little frolic, to what they have done?
'Tis tile foulest conspiracy under. the sun:
The treason of Arnold was nothing to that,
Yet he richly deserved the hempen cravat!
They plotted, like him, with no wrongs to repay;
How could they.be wronged, when they had their own way?
They bullied the North,--we submitted to that,
And, once in a while, to the hempen cravat!
They wasted our treasure, by putting in Cobb
To shell it out freely,--in other words, rob;
When the country was bankrupt — he brought us to that--
He resigned, and ran off from the hempen cravat!
We had a few arsenals, so they employed
A traitor to empty them--Brigadier Floyd;
He sent our arms South, for this and for that,
And stripped us of all — but the hempen cravat!
Our gold in their pockets, our guns in their hands,
Of course we must listen to all their demands:
They will break up the Union--what say ye to that?
My answer, brave boys, is, the hempen cravat!
By the blood of our sires, that on Bunker's old hill
Was poured out like water, (it flows in us still!)
We will crush them or perish, (no danger of that!)
With sword, and with shot, and the hempen cravat!
Should we happen to meet with these bold pirateers,
They'll find a queer slip-knot tied under their ears,
And swift at the yard-arm — a gallus place, that!--
They'll dance a gay jig in the hempen cravat!
[143] Then work all your rope-walks, and working them, sing,
“Oh, the hempen cravat is a wonderful thing!”
Who can mention a better, may take my old hat,
But till then I go in for the Hempen Cravat!
