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33. Southern treason.

by Martin Farquhar Tupper.
Like Jezebel's face at her casement,
     Strangely dismayed and perplexed,
The world looks forth in amazement,
     Marvelling what's to come next.

[29] The world looks round her in wonder
     For beauty and strength destroyed
For brotherhoods broken in sunder,
     And statecraft quite made void!

Alas! for America's glory!
     Ichabod — vanished outright;
And all her magnificent story
     Told as a dream of the night!
Alas! for the heroes and sages,
     Saddened in Hades to know
That what they had built for all ages,
     Melts like a palace of snow!

And woe for the shame and the pity,
     That, all for no cause, to no end,
City should fight against city,
     And brother with brother contend!
Alas! what a libel on freedom--
     Patriots — gone to the bad,
Citizens — Arabs of Edom,
     Slave-drivers — liberty-mad!

How sadly, through sons so degraded,
     Pigmies, ill-sprung from great men,
Even your glories look faded,
     Washington, Franklin, and Penn!
Popular government slandered
     'Mid the deep scorn of the world--
Liberty's star-crowded standard
     Fouled by black treason and furled!

Southerner! shame on such treason!
     Woe for your folly and guilt,
Woe for this war of unreason,
     Woe for the brothers' blood spilt!
Curse on such monsters unfilial,
     Tearing their mother to shreds--
Curse on those children of Belial--
     Curse on their parricide heads!

Albury, September 23, 1861.

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