35. Forward!
by Rev. John Pierpont.
God, to the human soul,And all the spheres that roll,
Wrapped by his spirit in their robes of light,
Hath said: “The primal plan
Of all the world, and man,
Is Forward! Progress is your law — your right.”
The despots of the earth,
Since Freedom had her birth,
Have to their subject nations said, “Stand still;”
So, from the Polar Bear,
Comes down the freezing air,
And stiffens all things with its deadly chill.
He who doth God resist--
God's old antagonist--
Would snap the chain that binds all things to him;
And in his godless pride,
All peoples would divide,
And scatter even the choirs of seraphim.
God, all the orbs that roll
Binds to one common goal--
One source of light and life — his radiant throne.
In one fraternal mind
All races would he bind,
Till every man in man a brother own.
Tyrants with tyrants league,
Corruption and intrigue
To strangle infant Liberty conspire.
Around her cradle, then,
Let self-devoted men
Gather, and keep unquenched her vital fire.
When Tyranny, grown bold,
To Freedom's host cries, “Hold!
Ye towards her temple at your peril march ;”
“Stop,” that great host-replies,
Raising to heaven its eyes,
“Stop, first, the host that moves across yon arch!”
When Tyranny commands,
“Hold thou my victim's hands,
While I more firmly rivet on his chains,
Or with my bowie-knife,
I'll take your craven life,
Or show my streets bespattered with your brains.”
Freedom, with forward tread,
Unblenching, turns her head,
And drawing from its sheath her flashing glave,
Calmly makes answer: ”Dare
Touch of my head one hair,
I'll cut the cord that holds your every slave!“
West-Medford, September, 1861.
