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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 
 
MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 BY 
 
 JOHN ESTAUGH REDMAN. 
 
 nrA'^ 
 
 PHILADELPHIA: 
 
 JOHN C. WINSTON & CO. 
 
 1895. 
 
 ~^. 
 

 Copyright, 1895. 
 By John Estaugh Redman. 
 
TO THE READER. 
 
 "pERHAPS I need offer no apology for introducing 
 these sayings of mine. If they have merit, it will 
 probably be discovered ; if not, that also will appear. 
 Permit me* to add, in the language of Cicero: '^ Non 
 numero hcec judicantur, sed pondere. ' ' 
 
 J. E. R. 
 Haddonfield, 2D Mo., 1895. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 ♦♦♦♦ 
 
 PAGE 
 
 A Prayer 7 
 
 Moses on Mt. Nebo 9 
 
 The Proclamation 13 
 
 Lines on the Discovery of America 15 
 
 The Christian's Warfare . 17 
 
 On the Death of Elizabeth Fry 20 
 
 To the Memory of a Friend 22 
 
 The Herald • .... 23 
 
 In Memoriam 25 
 
 The Old Mill 27 
 
 In Memoriam 31 
 
 Gathered 36 
 
 A Walk in the Autumn 38 
 
 No Monument is Reared 40 
 
 The Widow's Mite 42 
 
 The Triumph of Faith 44 
 
 5 
 
6 CONTENTS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 To THE Memory of E. S. ■ 46 
 
 Onward 48 
 
 Bereaved 55 
 
 Woman 55 
 
 Woman 58 
 
 Centennial 59 
 
 The Death Angel 61 
 
 Abraham Lincoln 6$ 
 
 Be Ready 64 
 
 Lines 67 
 
 Paul at Athens 72 
 
 Winter Sketches 75 
 
 Niagara 79 
 
 The Young Christian . « 83 
 
 The Bard's Burial , 8^ 
 
 Lines on the Death of Mary Scull 87 
 
 Remarks on the Landing of Penn 89 
 
A PRAYER. 
 
 ' ' God came from Teman, and the Holy One from mount Paran. 
 
 — Habakkuk. 
 
 r^ THOU, from Teman ! from the hoary 
 
 mount 
 Of ancient Paran ! walking in brightness ! 
 And at whose approach the darkness fleeth ! 
 It was thy pleasure to create a world, 
 And people it with beings, such as would 
 Thy majesty extol, and, in their minds, 
 Obey thy righteous law. In reverence. 
 And godly fear, we would before thee bow: 
 And, while our hearts feel grateful, with a sense 
 Of earthly favor, we must yet confess 
 
8 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 That all we have is thine ; and only lent 
 For a short time and for a proper use. 
 O great Creator! pity us and give 
 Unto thy poor and contrite ones that grace 
 Which will support through all life's varied 
 
 scenes ; 
 And, when our pilgrimage on earth shall close, 
 Grant an admittance to thy sacred courts 
 (Though all unworthy of such privilege), 
 There, in thy presence, ever to abide. 
 
MOSES ON MT. NEBO. 
 
 'T"*HE morn came silently; and Pisgah's top 
 Shone with unusual splendor, as the sun 
 Rode up in the clear sky. An aged man, 
 At the command of Him whom he long serv'd, 
 Slowly ascends the mountain. He was one 
 Who lived in troublous times ; and the 
 
 waves 
 That 'round his cradle beat sang a storm hymn, 
 And which foretold his future. In his life, 
 Which had been somewhat lengthen'd, he had 
 
 drank 
 Of Marah's bitter draughts, and now, the end 
 Of care and toil seem'd to be drawing nigh. 
 
 9 
 
lO MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 His prayer preserved a people — appeased 
 The wrath of the eternal King ! who declared 
 He would destroy them ! Earth's honors 
 
 shunn'd ! 
 Was not ambitious for his house ; and was, 
 Without doubt, the grandest of the Hebrews. 
 Rear'd in the land of Egypt ! when a boy, 
 With mark'd disdain, he trampled on the pride 
 Of a long line of kings,* and had refused 
 The son of Pharaoh's daughter to be call'd, 
 Choosing to suffer with the chosen seed. 
 His serving kindred, rather than enjoy 
 Sin's pleasure for a season. A shepherd ! 
 On the plains of Midian, he beheld 
 
 * The Diadem of Pharaoh. See Josephiis. 
 
MOSES ON MT. NEBO. I I 
 
 The unconsuming bush of flame, and saw 
 Wonders in Zoan's field, and miracles. 
 Now, his eye rests upon the goodly land, 
 Promised to Abraham's seed, as a reward 
 For a continuous faithful service ; a land 
 O'erflowing with earth's most precious gifts, 
 With corn and wine and oil ; a fertile glebe. 
 And rich in pasture for the herds that roam'd, 
 And thereon fed and fattened. Lebanon 
 Looms up in the far distance ; 'twas the hill 
 Which he so long'd to see : but forbidden 
 To inhale its odors ; and in wisdom, 
 Perhaps, prohibited : we cannot read. 
 At all times, the lesson of denial ; 
 And what we would desire might disturb. 
 He sees the full extent of Jericho, 
 
12 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 Famed for its wall'd defence — the seat 
 
 of kings — 
 The land of Naphtali — the land of Dan, 
 And far-off Bashan, with her oaks — the land 
 Of Judah, e'en to the utmost sea: 
 The Lord show'd his servant, who had been 
 In all his house faithful ; such are honored ! 
 " Thou shalt behold, but shalt not enter there,'* 
 Truly was spoken. He died in Moab, 
 And was buried by the eternal King, 
 O'er against Beth-peor, in the vale ; 
 But no man saw his sepulchre. 
 
THE PROCLAMATION. 
 /^UR chief has spoken by a bold proclaim ; 
 
 And bonds divide, and fetters rend in twain : 
 The Gordian knot is severed by a blow, 
 And traitors tremble, as their troubles grow. 
 Our fathers mourn'd their country's curse too 
 
 long,— 
 Fear'd to oppose, while they condemn'd the 
 
 wrong: 
 Which, in an evil — an ambitious hour — 
 By folly urged, sought an increase of power ; 
 And by presumption led, it periled all 
 In treason's cause ; who will lament its fall ? 
 Abe Lincoln, hail! Thy deed will bring thee 
 
 fame! 
 
 13 
 
14 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 E'en now, we hear approval by acclaim ; 
 With blessings breathed in gratitude to thee, 
 From a wronged race ; but now forever free ! 
 While freedom, flattered, musing o'er the hour 
 Feels the fresh triumph of prevailing power, 
 And truth still reigns, with justice by her side ; 
 And these combined, should be our country's 
 pride. 
 
LINES ON THE DISCOVERY OF 
 AMERICA. 
 
 \^HEN the exploring Genoese 
 
 Beheld aland he long had sought, 
 Could he its future then foresee, 
 
 And what the centuries have wrought? 
 
 A country stretching far and wide, 
 A home for millions yet to be ; 
 
 An ocean laves its either side — 
 The stormy and the calmer sea. 
 
 A land, whose rocks are veined with gold. 
 Whose streams have gems of beauty rare 
 
 Whose soil has treasure yet untold, 
 In which all industry may share. 
 
I 6 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 The dusky dwellers of the wood, 
 Have fled before a nobler race; 
 
 Who, like an o'erwhelming flood, 
 Of all the past leave not a trace. 
 
 Columbus, thou art honored now, 
 Tho' in thy life-time suffered wrong; 
 
 Justice, a tardy traveler thou ! 
 
 Yet truth is great, and right is strong. 
 
 Posterity reveres thy name. 
 
 And would repay what long was due, 
 With gratitude, an ardent flame ! 
 
 Offered from hearts devout and true. 
 
 Note. — The discovery of America by Columbus, was an 
 event in the world's history which should ever be held in re- 
 membrance by an appreciative people, with every manifestation 
 of regard. 
 
THE CHRISTIAN'S WARFARE. 
 
 /CHRISTIAN, thy warfare is not on that field, 
 Where the contending sons of valor meet; 
 With firm resolve to perish ere they yield, 
 The ground on which they press defiant feet. 
 
 Thy weapons are not those that tell of strife — 
 The trumpet's clangor and the cannon's sound, 
 
 Break not upon thy quiet walk through life — 
 The narrow path in which thy feet are found. 
 
 The heathen hero,* in his prayer for light, 
 Hop'd to discern the features of his foe ; 
 
 * Ajax, in his contest with Paris, exclaimed, " Light ! Light ! 
 Then may the enemy come." 
 
 2 17 
 
1 8 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 But he of Christian faith, by spirit sight, 
 Seeks to detect the author of his woe. 
 
 He who with cautious tread, when time was 
 young, 
 Sought our first parents in their bHssful 
 bower; 
 And by a specious subtilty of tongue, 
 
 Wrought all of woe and ruin from that hour. 
 
 But, thanks to Him, to whom all praise belong! 
 
 Who gives the victory o'er sin and death : 
 And, 'tho' our household enemies be strong, 
 
 His power can shield the being he gave breath. 
 
 Bind the arm'd man, and cast his goods aside ; 
 Create in truth a revolution there, 
 
THE CHRISTIAN'S WARFARE. 1 9 
 
 And, grant humility in place of pride, 
 
 To the chang'd child of faith and fervent 
 prayer. 
 
 Strongholds of sin where Satan sat supreme, 
 Fall into dust, and vanish from our view ; 
 
 And, former things seem but a passing dream, 
 When Christ, our King, createth all things 
 new. 
 
ON THE DEATH OF ELIZABETH FRY. 
 
 (An Extract.) 
 
 /^ THERE was joy, methinks, in realms 
 
 above, 
 When the glad seraph brought the Spirit dove : 
 And with low voice and sweetly uttered tone, 
 Rehears'd her deeds, — her virtues to the 
 
 Throne : 
 How oft the poor — the hungry she had fed, — 
 The needy clothed, and the afflicted led : 
 How oft in prison had the sinner sought, — 
 Pray'd for forgiveness ! of a Saviour taught ! 
 Spake of a Lord unto the thoughtless child : 
 And, like an Angel, on the infant smil'd. 
 
ON THE DEATH OF ELIZABETH FRY. 21 
 
 Thoug-h well connected, and to worth allied : 
 Her humble nature was unstained by pride : 
 Hers was the love — the sympathy of soul ; 
 Above all art — all powerful to control ! 
 Which sooth'd the convict in a dying hour, 
 And caus'd the lip to tell a Saviour's pow'r. 
 
TO THE MEMORY OF A FRIEND. 
 r^ALL'D from the field; while yet the battle 
 
 raged, 
 He laid his armor off: and, while his strength 
 Was scarcely tried, the bugle blew retreat. 
 No more thy voice for truth in earnest tones 
 Shall eloquently plead ; and, never more 
 Thy faithful Christian walk ; following Him 
 Who died on Calvary, shall louder speak. 
 To us a stranger ! yet, thy courage cheer'd 
 And had our sympathies, in thy attacks 
 On Satan's citadel ! True to thyself — 
 True to convictions ! none has ever thought 
 To call thee insincere ! and, o'er thy grave, 
 The wintry winds chanting a requiem. 
 Let not a word unkind be ever breathed. 
 
THE HERALD. 
 
 Immediately preceding the flood at Johnstown, a Herald, 
 viewing the situation, sprang on a noble steed and hastened to 
 the place ; in order to warn the inhabitants of impending 
 danger. 
 
 pLEE to the Hills ! the Herald cried ;— 
 Flee for your lives ! — In haste away ! 
 The floods sweep down the mountain side ! 
 There's danger in the least delay ! 
 
 The gallant steed his errand knew ; 
 
 And to his work he sprang in haste ; 
 And down the turnpike road they flew; 
 
 For time forbade a moment's waste. 
 
 Unheeded, was the warning heard ; 
 
 " Some madman he!' they lightly said ; 
 
 23 
 
24 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 Indifference their flight deterr'd : 
 And many numbered with the dead. 
 
 Rider and Horse were swept away ! 
 
 They came to save, but stayed too late 
 Mourn for the Herald and the Bay — 
 
 They both deserved a better fate. 
 
 This life has many mysteries : 
 Say not, to-morrow will be thine ! 
 
 And what may seem realities 
 
 Are the uncertain things of Time. 
 
IN MEMORIAM. 
 
 'nr WAS early in the Autumn, and the frost 
 
 Had sHghtly tinged the forest; a few leaves, 
 
 Withered and dry, had fallen to the ground. 
 
 The corn was in the shock, soon to reward 
 
 The patient husbandman, who waiteth long 
 
 For earth's returning bounty : earth who gives 
 
 So generously to those who labor. 
 
 'Twas at this fruitful season, when all things 
 
 Seem'd fair, that we were call'd to bid adieu 
 
 To one, who in life's prime became death's prey. 
 
 Of unobtrusive nature, she was one 
 
 Whose piety rarely disclos'd in v/ords ; 
 
 But, rather showed by a consistent walk, 
 
 25 
 
26 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 Retiring ever, to domestic life, 
 She gave her days ; and yet society 
 Had nothing lost, had inclination led 
 To a more public sphere. Gone forever ! 
 Gone, to enjoy a blest companionship, 
 And to realize that glorious rest. 
 Which thy pure spirit in its earthly house* 
 So often longed for ! In the Father's house, — 
 The heavenly home ! On the sea of glass. 
 With harp in hand, thy voice is ever tuned 
 To magnify the power that redeemed 
 Thy spirit from earth's stain, and crowns thee 
 now. 
 
 * " For we know," said Paul, " that if our earthly house of 
 this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an 
 house not made with hands eternal in the heavens." 
 
THE OLD MILL. 
 
 "p\OWN in yon wood where a streamlet Is 
 straying, 
 O'er pebbles worn smooth by continual flow : 
 There stood an Old Mill with its wheel slow 
 revolving, 
 
 In days that are past, and a long time ago. 
 
 27 
 
28 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 Though scarce now a vestige of all is remaining, 
 
 Save the pillars that held the rude beams of 
 
 the floor ; 
 
 And 'round them the alders are silently growing, 
 
 And soon will the forest leaves cover them 
 
 o'er. 
 
 Yet memory, happily, the picture retraces, 
 Reviving impressions time cannot destroy ; 
 
 And, true to its mission, each feature replaces, 
 Of scenes that gave pleasure when I was a 
 boy. 
 
 A meek-looking man, to the mill-work attended, 
 His hair wore the silvery aspect of age, 
 
 In his countenance peace and contentment were 
 blended. 
 And much his appearance resembled the sage. 
 
THE OLD MILL. 29 
 
 O, oft when the hunters were homeward re- 
 turning, 
 In this small busy mill would stop on their 
 way; 
 Would talk of their feats with an air that was 
 thrilling, 
 And show all the game they had taken that 
 day. 
 
 Here was frequently seen the sweet smile of 
 the maiden ; 
 Here the boys of the village their Sabbaths 
 would keep ; 
 And here the poor laborer returning was laden ; 
 And the vigilant night-bird here guarded its 
 sleep. 
 
30 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 The mill was surrounded on all sides by wood- 
 land, — 
 No noise of a household disturbed the lone 
 spot; 
 There were paths that diverged and led to the 
 clear land, — 
 Those paths, and the feet that trod in them 
 are not. 
 
 'Tis pleasant to visit this spot when world- 
 weary ; 
 When the duties of life have been cumbered 
 with care ; 
 And, although it is solitude, nothing seems 
 dreary, 
 'Mid the undisturbed quiet so prevalent there. 
 
IN MEMORIAM. 
 
 "And the Spring 
 Came forth its work of gladness to contrive ; 
 I turned from what she brought, to what she could not bring." 
 
 'T^HE vernal airs have breathed, and the dead 
 
 earth 
 Has now a resurrection ; the soft winds 
 Are coursing o'er nature's face, and forms 
 Of unremembered beauty spring to Hfe. 
 How all things mock at woe, the happy bird 
 Breathes a melodious lay to his fond mate : 
 And seems as careless and withal as free. 
 As the breeze that lifts his brilliant plumage. 
 My thoughts are of the past, the present has 
 For me no charm, — in vain the bird is gay — 
 
 3T 
 
32 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 In vain the gentle zephyrs kiss my cheek, 
 And fan my fevered brow with fond delight — 
 Striving to chase all care — to drown remem- 
 brance, 
 And to oblivion consign the past. 
 But memories of sorrow never die — 
 They have no sepulchre ! No tomb is rear'd 
 O'er their remains ! Time, the destroyer term'd, 
 For them erects a monument, which stands, 
 'Though all besides has crumbled to decay. 
 Fond memory paints a picture, and the form 
 Is breathing flesh; yet perfect in proportions; 
 The brow is calm and thoughtful, and the eye 
 Beams with a rare intelligence, and seems 
 So wondrous in its depth; like a deep well 
 Whose waters fail not, fed by Hying springs. 
 
IN MEMORIAM. 33 
 
 Her father's idol ! fairest of the fair; 
 And earliest born; and fond admirers 
 With offerings came, and bow'd as to shrine; 
 But won not her resolve, which she well kept. 
 
 The scene is chang'd, and in the calm cold sleep 
 
 Still beautiful in death; and scarce less fair 
 
 Than when in life; she lay a form of light; 
 
 With alabaster forehead pure and high, 
 
 That shone in contrast with her raven hair. 
 
 Her features finely chiseled; such as they, 
 
 A sculptor would have worship'd; and which 
 
 drew 
 
 Tears from all eyes to think that one so lov'd — 
 
 So gifted above others, should return 
 
 To that of which she seem'd no part — to dust. 
 3 
 
34 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 A full 
 
 Decade of years had passed ; and there was 
 
 laid 
 As by the side of her of whom we speak, 
 And in the narrow house for all that live, 
 One who had cared for her with pious love : 
 Her years were full ; and, like a shock of corn. 
 Was gathered in the heavenly garner. 
 Her walk in life was beautiful ; and hence 
 That peace was hers, which is the sure reward 
 Of strict obedience to the will of Him, 
 Who died that we might live- — not henceforth 
 
 live 
 Unto ourselves, but unto Him who died. 
 And rose again, and liveth evermore. 
 Matron and maid thus sleep ; and in the calm 
 
IN MEMORIAM. 35 
 
 Of pensive twilight, when all things are hushed, 
 The world and cumb'rous care is cast aside, 
 And fertile fancy has supreme domain. 
 We deem we hold communion with them ; 
 And count it privilege ; and come what may, 
 May nothing ever win from that regard. 
 
GATHERED. 
 
 Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age, hke as a shock of 
 corn Cometh in its season. — Job v, 26. 
 
 'T^HE corn was ripe for harvest, and the fields 
 Look'd sear from the late frosts, and on 
 the trees 
 There could be traced the feature of decay — 
 Though much concealed by beauty, I was one 
 Of a large company, that had convened 
 To pay the last sad tribute of respect 
 To the remains of her, whose daily walk 
 Was a bright lesson. She was a widow 
 Worthy of the name, whose life preached ser- 
 mons : 
 
 Unassuming, meek, not undiscerning. 
 36 
 
GATHERED. ^,7 
 
 A widow, poor indeed ; but rich in faith : 
 
 Her more than four-score years not idly spent — 
 
 Nor unto pleasure sold : but unto Him 
 
 Who died that she might live, she gave 
 
 The measure of her days ; — the morning 
 
 prime — 
 The bright meridian, and silently, 
 Though no less sweet, the peaceful eventide. 
 
A WALK IN THE AUTUMN. 
 
 T LOVE to wander at this sober time 
 
 And gaze on nature. To disturb, perhaps, 
 The crouching rabbit from his leafy bed, 
 Tho' his fleet footsteps bear him soon from 
 
 sight. 
 The wild ducks quit their haunts at the least 
 
 sound 
 Of man's approach ; and, to the buckwheat 
 
 glebe, 
 The timid partridge, to supply their wants. 
 Leads cautiously her young. The squirrel sits 
 Upon the chestnut bough, plucking the nuts 
 
 From the late bursted burr for winter use ; 
 
 38 
 
A WALK IN THE AUTUMN. 39 
 
 But hies away at the approach of man. 
 Wherefore this shyness ! Was there never love 
 Between creation's lower works, and man 
 The highest effort of creative skill ? 
 And what has come between them ? Were the 
 
 laws 
 Of nature outrag'd at that early time 
 When man became a fugitive, and lost 
 What was bestow'd in Paradise ? 
 
NO MONUMENT IS REARED. 
 
 IVrO monument is rear'd o'er their remains — 
 No record tells their deeds ; — they lived 
 and died : 
 They pass'd a brief existence here, and then 
 They yielded up their life, which was but lent 
 To Him who had been pleas'd to grant it. 
 For them the world had charms : " they bought, 
 
 they sold ; 
 They planted, and they builded." Some enjoyed 
 The good things of this life, and some, indeed, 
 Did know of evil things ; all drank . 
 Of the mix'd cup, which to their lips was 
 
 press'd ; 
 
 And, not a few did realize the truth, 
 40 
 
NO MONUMENT IS REARED. 4 1 
 
 That trouble was man's portion. They have 
 
 gone 
 Unto the spirit land, where earthly things 
 No more concern them — where there is no 
 
 change. 
 Some gave their hearts to God in early life ; 
 And some, we fear too many, lov'd the things 
 Of this world only ; — " serving divers lusts :" 
 God knows it all : for in his book 'tis writ ; 
 And at that final day it will be read 
 For, or against ; it will stand forever, 
 Saith my soul, might all the living heed it ; 
 That when they come to lay life's burden down 
 We might have a hope, and that well-grounded, 
 Though without confidence in aught of fiesh, 
 Of an admittance to a better world. 
 
THE WIDOW'S MITE. 
 
 '' MORE than they all!" the lips of truth 
 
 declared ; 
 
 When the poor widow to the temple came 
 
 With her two mites — her all of worldly goods, 
 
 And cast them in the treasury. The rich 
 
 Of their abundance gave ; and with a will : 
 
 But she, her living freely did bestow ; 
 
 And the world's wealth, was that at her dispose, 
 
 Would have been given to the cause espoused — 
 
 That cause so dear to her — as cheerfully. 
 
 The structure was adorned with goodly stones ; 
 
 And exquisite the finish. Art had tried. 
 
 And vainly, to excel the former house 
 
 Rear'd in the reign of David's royal son, 
 42 
 
THE WIDOWS MITE. 43 
 
 Beneath its dome of burnished gold, there 
 
 stood 
 An uncrowned King, "greater than Solomon;" 
 A lowly look was His ; and yet His brow 
 Bespoke a being of no common mould. 
 " More than they all ; " how strange unto the ear 
 Of those then gathered, seemed the Saviour's 
 
 words, 
 'Ere they discerned His meaning. He who sees 
 Not as man seeth, looketh to the heart, 
 And, by the motive, is the action weighed. 
 Her name we may not know ; or whence she 
 
 came, 
 Or whither she returned, no record tells ; 
 Or of her tribe, or of her family : 
 And yet, her memory will ever live. 
 
THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH. 
 
 \A7HEN Israel strove the promise to obtain, 
 
 All night he wrestled, and with labor vain; 
 And 'ere the morning came with vestment gray, 
 The angel anxious, wished to be away ; 
 But prayer prevailed : — the stranger stayed to 
 
 bless, 
 And his faith triumphed in his deep distress. 
 When he, the father of the faithful call'd ; 
 Resolved to do what others had appall'd : 
 He led his boy along a lonesome way — 
 Too sad to weep, and without heart to pray ; 
 And raised his arm to do, but still delayed, 
 And, when his will was slain, his son was saved. 
 
 44 
 
THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH. 45 
 
 A greater faith was His who died for all, 
 And thus restored what man lost in the fall ; — 
 Paid the great debt which mortals long had 
 
 owed, 
 And, in His sufferings, much forbearance 
 
 showed. 
 '' Father, forgive them ! " was His plaintive cry : — 
 "They know not what they do," His latest sigh. 
 He bore our sins on the unconscious tree ; 
 But, 'tis forgiveness sets the guilty free. 
 
TO THE MEMORY OF E. S. 
 
 T^HEY laid him with his kindred ; but his soul 
 Returned to God who gave it. He was 
 one 
 Of a persuasive speech : and was concern'd 
 That they who live should not live to them- 
 selves ; 
 But unto Him who bought them with His 
 
 blood, 
 And gave His life a ransom for the world. 
 His was a noble work ! To win to Christ 
 Was his employ. At duty's simplest call, 
 He meekly followed where it seemed to lead. 
 
 No matter what the service. We might say 
 46 
 
TO THE MEMORY OF E. S. 47 
 
 His life lean'd unto virtue's side ; and show'd 
 Consistency of purpose. A soldier 
 Who never turned his back unto the foe ! 
 Yet, never was defiant. In his walk 
 Through this world's wilderness, he ever bore 
 Allegiance to the Crucified ! " Well done, 
 Thou faithful servant ! " May such words as 
 
 these 
 Fall on thy ear ; and sweetly, at that day 
 When we must give account of all our deeds. 
 
ONWARD. 
 
 TT was rumor'd unto Pharaoh that the Israel- 
 ites had fled, 
 And revenge inflam'd the bosom of the spiritu- 
 ally dead ; 
 For his heart was turn'd against them, still 
 
 obdurate e'en in woe ; 
 " He knew not the Lord of Israel, nor would he 
 let the people go." 
 
 Not the Zoan field of wonder, not the lightning 
 and the hail: 
 
 Not the gloom of the thick darkness that con- 
 tinued to prevail ; 
 
 48 
 
ONWARD. 49 
 
 Not the loud lament of Egypt In the wail for 
 
 her first-born 
 Could incite his heart to pity, who had treated 
 
 all with scorn. 
 
 'Twas a day of wild commotion in the ancient 
 
 land of Ham — 
 Swiftly wheeled the warrior's chariots — fleet 
 
 the eager footman ran ! 
 Pharaoh, with his mighty army hastening to 
 
 divide the spoil ; 
 And to wreak his utmost vengeance on the 
 
 feeble sons of toil. 
 
 Never, since the world was peopled, did events 
 so mark the hour 
 
 4 
 
50 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 Or so plainly speak to mortals of a great, 
 
 o'erruling power : — 
 Not always to the swift the race, nor the battle 
 
 to the strong ! 
 The Lord of Hosts is mightier — to whom all 
 
 praise belong. 
 
 There was in the camp of Israel, one on whom 
 
 all eyes were bent ; 
 His appearance evinced meekness ; very 
 
 mark'd each lineament. 
 It was he who, when in Midian, as his flock fed 
 
 on the plain, 
 Saw that most mysterious burning of an uncon- 
 
 suming flame. 
 
 Favorite of Pharaoh's daughter ! heir pre- 
 sumptive to the throne ; 
 
ONWARD. 5 1 
 
 He had spurn'd the empty honor when to years 
 
 of manhood grown ; 
 Taught in all Egyptian learning, he had turn'd 
 
 to truth within. 
 Rather suffer with the suffering, than a while 
 
 indulge in sin. 
 
 With suppressed, yet deep emotion, he had 
 
 heard the impious cry ; 
 '* Better to have served in Egypt, than have 
 
 journeyed here to die ;•" 
 When, to silence the complaining, spake the 
 
 prophet voice of yore : 
 " The enemies you see this day, you shall see 
 
 them nevermore." 
 
 And the Lord spake unto Moses : " Wherefore 
 criest thou to me ? 
 
52 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 ** Let my people now go forward — stretch thy 
 
 hand out o'er the sea ; " 
 And he stretched his hand out o'er it, and the 
 
 sea rolled back its tide ; 
 And a pathway lay before them, as the list'ning 
 
 waves divide. 
 
BEREAVED. 
 
 OEREAVED, and O, this night, while the 
 
 bright stars, 
 Like sentinels, keep watch and guard her grave! 
 My all of woe, my sense of loneliness 
 Steals in my bosom, like a swelling tide. 
 Which o'erflows all barrier. My tears 
 Water my couch, incessant ; but my heart 
 Would not be comforted ; the very tie 
 Which binds to earth seems severed, and hence- 
 forth 
 For me no pleasure and no joy. These plants 
 Which her affection watered ; and which grew 
 
 In goodly liking by her constant care ; 
 
 53 
 
^4 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 Who now, so skill'd, shall teach them how to 
 
 shoot 
 In the fair morn of life ; how to receive 
 The rays of righteousness which alone 
 Can nourish, strengthen and support? Who 
 
 now 
 Shall lead them unto Thee, O Lord ; and plead 
 Fervently as she for their protection ? 
 Thou, Who regards the feeblest of the flock, 
 List to the bleating of these lambs, and be 
 Their shepherd ! Lead them to living water ; 
 And unto pastures ever fresh and new. 
 
WOMAN. 
 
 A LAY for dear woman, she merits a song ! 
 To her all the tribute of praises belong ; 
 Deserving all honor ; she came from above ; 
 And her visit to earth was a mission of love. 
 
 What could have induced her to stray down 
 
 below ? 
 Attractions, perhaps, which we never may know! 
 But mark well the hour when woman was won ; 
 What were earth without her ? Sky without 
 
 sun ! 
 
 Now go where it lists you ; in what distant land, 
 In hovel or palace, by mountain or strand ; 
 
 55 
 
56 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 And tell of her merit from what you have 
 
 known ; 
 'Though loath to confess it, her worth you must 
 
 own. 
 
 If far to the eastward your footsteps should 
 
 stray, 
 Speak lightly of woman, for this is their way ; 
 Where streams run rejoicing — the breeze freely 
 
 plays. 
 For man there she labors ; for scarcely man she 
 
 slaves. 
 
 Go not to the Forum, go not in the street ! 
 You'll not hear her voice there, nor here meet 
 
 her feet ; 
 Go not to the banquet to seek out the fair, 
 
WOMAN. 57 
 
 While the slaves of indulgence are revelling 
 there. 
 
 But go to the chamber where affliction hath 
 
 lain, 
 The friend or the parent in anguish and pain ; 
 List, her language of sympathy, soothing and 
 
 dear, — 
 A spirit of comfort from some other sphere ! 
 
 Nor less does she seem a partaker of this, 
 When 'round the hearth's circle, — the centre of 
 
 bliss, — 
 Like rays of soft sunshine, her influence shows, 
 And bounty and blessing are at her dispose. 
 
WOMAN. 
 
 n^HOU, who wast created for a purpose ; 
 
 And to be a comfort to the lonely ; 
 Man's earliest and still most precious gift ! i 
 We would revere the motive to regain 
 What thou didst lose in the primeval time, 
 When strong temptation tried thee ; when the 
 
 bait 
 (Before thee set by the arch-enemy) 
 Seem'd so inviting to thy outward sense. 
 
 58 
 
CENTENNIAL. 
 
 A CENTURY of years gone by, 
 
 Our fathers said It was consent,* 
 And that the only mystery 
 That constituted government. 
 
 Long was the problem puzzled o'er, 
 By scientist, as well as sage ; 
 
 But its solution fades before 
 
 The clear experience of the age. 
 
 Had Plato lived to see this day, 
 He had beheld his pure ideal, — 
 
 * Governments derive their just powers from the consent of 
 the governed. — Declaration of Independence. 
 
 59 
 
6o MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 His vague conceptions fade away 
 Before the splendor of the real. 
 
 The world does move ; but, ever slow 
 Ti'uth's progress shows ; and oft delayed ! 
 
 While follies flourishingly grow, 
 Nor fail to cast an Upas shade. 
 
 Would that our land might ever flee 
 
 The vices of the ages past : 
 That, while we claim to be the free, 
 
 Might not be the enslav'd at last. 
 
THE DEATH ANGEL. 
 
 Written during the prevalence of La Grippe. 
 
 T^HE Angel of Death has been viewing the 
 
 land ; 
 And his arrows he holds in his skeleton hand ; 
 They go on his errands, performing his will, 
 And seem so directed with consummate skill. 
 
 A Tyrant indeed, with a countenance grim ; 
 No pleasure is given by gazing on him ; 
 He heareth no pleading — he heedeth no cry; 
 He makes no distinction, and passeth none by. 
 
 In hovel or palace he sitteth as king ! 
 
 None question his right, — a self-evident thing! 
 
 6i 
 
62 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 His reign is supreme, and his realm will be sure, 
 While a vestige of life on the land shall endure. 
 
 He's often a blessing! is ever a friend, 
 
 To such as serve God and endure to the end ; 
 
 For our first parents' sin was this punishment 
 
 given. 
 And yet, by this road, we must travel to 
 
 heaven. 
 
 Note. — " Death is a path that must be trod, 
 If man would ever pass to God." 
 
ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 
 IVTATURE had cast him in no common mould; 
 And yet was of the people ! Had he lived 
 In ancient days, he had rank'd with Heroes ! 
 Men of renown and prowess ; and, whose deeds 
 Have been recorded ; and whose fame is fix'd : 
 Like the unchanging stars, which so adorn 
 The vaulted. sky. And yet withal, his heart 
 Was tender, and in truth, did sympathize 
 With suffering, and sorrow. He possessed 
 A dual nature ; and, when roused, he show'd 
 The Lion ! yet, ever a kindly spirit 
 Reign'd in his bosom : ready to forgive, 
 And not resent an insult. He has gone, 
 And still his memory doth live ; will live 
 As long as respect is to virtue paid : 
 When shall we look upon his like again ? 
 
 6,3 
 
BE READY. 
 
 " Be ye therefore ready also ; for the Son of Man cometh at 
 an hour when ye think not." 
 
 T3E ready and waiting the " Son of Man's " 
 
 call, 
 The injunction is urgent, and binding on all ; — 
 The warning is sounded aloud to the ear, 
 And the wise, they are they who obey when 
 they hear. 
 
 The summons is echoed in palace and cot ; 
 For the rich and the poor have but one com- 
 mon lot ; 
 And alike are the solemn monitions that come 
 
 To the matronly grave, or the beautiful young. 
 64 
 
BE READY. 65 
 
 Ah ! happy are they who in waiting are found, — 
 Who have finished their work, and with patience 
 
 abound ; 
 And have their affections all centered above, — 
 Expecting the bridegroom, — the soul's dearest 
 
 love. 
 
 As quick as the flash that leaps forth from the 
 
 sky; 
 Or the twinkling of stars in azure on high ; 
 So sudden the soul may be summoned away 
 From its temporal home, and its tenement clay. 
 
 Oh, then, let us work while as yet it is light, 
 
 For the day will soon close, and then cometh 
 
 the night, 
 5 
 
66 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 Wherein no labor can be purposed or done ; 
 For no knowledge there is or device in the 
 tomb. . 
 
 O ! why stand we idle through all our life's day ? 
 
 For they that will labor are worthy of pay ; 
 
 The terms are salvation, — the reward is ex- 
 pressed, 
 
 In the Lamb's sweetest whisper, ''enter into thy 
 rest:' 
 
 Twelfth month, 1849. 
 
LINES 
 
 Written at the Close of the Year i860. 
 
 'nriS past ! and with the hour departs the year 
 
 That clos'd at midnight's calm, a brief 
 
 career : 
 
 And, like a bark that braved the storm sublime, 
 
 Lies wreck'd at last, amid the sands of time. 
 
 Fill'd with event, we purpose to portray 
 
 What gave importance to its short-liv'd day : 
 
 We pause to read the record of the past, 
 
 And, from each page instruction gain at last; 
 
 And tho' the future may have less to cheer, 
 
 Yet fondly welcome in the new-born year. 
 
 But who will dare in this degenerate time 
 
 67 
 
68 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 To pen a page of really honest rhyme ? 
 
 Who will for honor still presume to plead, 
 
 When banks suspend and federate States secede; 
 
 When patriots sell their country for a toy, 
 
 And rulers fear coercion to employ. 
 
 Ah! well we know, with such as read these 
 lays, 
 
 That we have fallen on disastrous days ! 
 
 The times are not which our forefathers knew. 
 
 When men were loyal and when States were 
 true, 
 
 When none suppos'd they were not honor- 
 bound : 
 
 But, felt a stain as they would feel a wound. 
 Indignities inflame the public mind ! 
 
 Injustice rules, with violence combined : 
 
LINES. 69 
 
 Men now are scourg'd should they complani of 
 
 wrong ; 
 And they, the weak, are preyed on by the strong. 
 
 A time there was when citizens of Rome 
 Exiled or wandering from their native home ; 
 Did they announce the place from whence they 
 
 came 
 Found just protection in that honored name ! 
 But this more favor'd land and still more free, 
 Gives to her children no such guarantee ; 
 Freedom yet burns, but 'tis a smould'ring fire. 
 And in her home her spirit would expire. 
 
 From scenes of strife we turn to those of peace, 
 Whose glorious reign we hop'd might never 
 
 cease ; 
 And o'er the Western wave we cast our eye 
 
70 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 On a bright land beneath a softer sky : 
 Where, by the murmurs of a calmer sea, 
 Dwells the Ingenious, jealous, Japanee. 
 
 For ages commerce, lur'd by greed for gain, 
 Sought the rich isles that gem the distant main ; 
 Exhausted means and call'd in every aid, 
 With vain endeavor to engage in trade. 
 
 But her fond wish with her desire is o'er : 
 Restraint has fled, suspicion is no more ! 
 The shy Mongolian seeks a foreign land, 
 Bestows his presents with a liberal hand : — 
 The showy Embassy attracts all eyes ; 
 And deat'ning plaudits from dense crowds arise. 
 
 But late, a prince and heir to Britain's throne, 
 Through our fair land was wisely sent to roam. 
 With manners suited to the festive hall — 
 
LINES. 71 
 
 The brilliant company ! — the splendid ball ! 
 Where fashion's votaries lead the mazy round ; 
 Where peace- is never, pleasure seldom found ! 
 His noble birth assured attention there ; 
 In truth, he seem'd a favorite with the fair. 
 Our country ! unto thee again we turn : 
 But grow more anxious from the things we 
 
 learn ; 
 Though potent foes thy welfare may assail, 
 Truth still is mighty and it must prevail ! 
 Will triumph yet o'er anarchy and wrong, 
 And its authority grow doubly strong. 
 
PAUL AT ATHENS. 
 U" IS soul was stirr'd within him when he saw 
 
 The many altars, and the worshippers 
 In their blind idolatrous devotion, 
 Kneeling before them. In the market-place 
 And in the grave assembly, he discoursed 
 Of Him the only true and living God : 
 Who made the world and all that is therein : 
 Who alone was worthy to be worshipped ! 
 Dwelling not in temples made with hands, 
 Nor to be compared to any image. 
 There stood the Parthenon: the quarried wealth 
 Of fam'd Pentelicus ; and much adorned ! 
 And she the Goddess* exquisitely wrought ! 
 
 ^' Minerva. 
 72 
 
PAUL AT ATHENS. "J 2) 
 
 Which so displayed the skill of Phidias. 
 The Greek ador'd the cultured ; and he saw 
 No beauty in the truth as preach'd by Paul : 
 His ear enjoyed the novel, and tho' heard, 
 Inclined not to the teaching of the man, 
 By some esteem'd a "babbler"; and but few 
 Were the converted to a higher life. 
 Error is ever blind, and slow to hear 
 The voice of truth : which tho' it can't refute, 
 Seeks to repel by rudeness. Some mocked, 
 And some, by persuasion mov'd, willing were 
 To hear (perhaps denied) Paul speak again. 
 But, where is that mythology which show'd, 
 So grand in its conception, and which held 
 Such sway o'er mind ? gone where error goeth ! 
 Deserted now is Delphi's sacred shrine : — 
 
74 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 The Gods have all forsaken Thessaly : — 
 The " Unknown " God of Athens He alone 
 Remains unchanged ; and unto Him be praise 
 Offered continually from all hearts. 
 
WINTER SKETCHES. 
 ''X'lS now the tide when boreal blasts arise, 
 
 And polar spirits sweep the sullen skies ; 
 The wither'd glebe grows desolate and bare, 
 And chilling winds go coursing constant there ; 
 While barren branches bend to every breeze, 
 Whose wailing voice sighs through the leafless 
 
 trees ; 
 And solemn dirges, chanted low but clear, 
 Breathe 'round the buried beauty of the year. 
 
 The maid no longer roams a sweet parterre ; 
 Gone are the summer flowers which bloom'd so 
 
 fair ; 
 The beauteous rose which heard the voice of 
 
 love, 
 
 75 
 
76 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 Fell, but its fragrance was exhal'd above ; 
 And oft at twilight's calm yet pensive hour 
 Will mutely muse o'er her deserted bower : 
 And, as remembrance would the past recall, 
 Sighs over scenes, which had a charm for all. 
 
 The winter bird its wonted food to gain, 
 Comes daily, pecking at the parlor pane ; 
 A faithful friend its pressing want supplies. 
 Then plumes its wings and to the covert flies. 
 
 But, 'mid the gen'ral gloom which shrouds 
 the scene. 
 Is there no charm the picture to redeem ? 
 No verdant spot the desert wild to cheer ; 
 Where sweet content can all of care endear. 
 
 Observe the household, they have taken tea ; 
 The son is seated on his father's knee ; 
 
WINTER SKETCHES. "^^ 
 
 The sire, intent with the important news, 
 Reads the fresh page, but prefaces his views ; 
 While his fond spouse, whose bosom thrills with 
 
 joy, 
 
 Lends all her ear, but looks upon her boy. 
 
 The watch-dog sleeps unconscious of the 
 blasts ; 
 The child is cradled, all its care is past ! 
 Around the room where works of art suspend, 
 Familiar show the features of each friend ; 
 Whose every look remembrances recall, 
 And still the absent grace the parlor wall ; 
 Where fond affection lovingly presides, 
 Whose reign is bliss, whose realm no pow'r 
 divides. 
 
 Picture of peace ! O, might no other be ! 
 
78 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 Go where you may, what wretchedness we see ! 
 Silent and sad, the mother sits alone. 
 Her absent lord knows not the charms of home : 
 " Why don't he come ? " the burden of her sigh ; 
 "Why don't he come?" the wailing winds 
 
 reply ; 
 The snow falls fast, her hands unlatch the door ; 
 She thinks she hears his feet, oft heard before ! 
 But yet he comes not — sorrowful delay ! 
 She turns to weep, and then returns to pray : 
 And, bending o'er her babe — her angel guest, 
 Sighs for some better world, where both might 
 
 rest. 
 
NIAGARA. 
 HTHERE may be spots made brighter by the 
 
 sun, 
 Lovelier by beauty, and more glad by mirth ; 
 And holier hours perhaps have leave to run 
 In some blest place — the silentest of Earth ! 
 But of this ? and what is all their worth 
 Compar'd to thee — thou monument of time ! 
 Where the remember'd ages trace the birth. 
 And unremember'd here, with sculptured line, 
 Bespeak thy early age, by chronicle sublime. 
 
 Grandeur's enthron'd supremely on thy brow, 
 The rainbow circles o'er thy sunlit height; 
 Terror is mirror'd in thy depth — yet thou 
 Sublimely fearless in superior might, 
 
 79 
 
8o MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 As leapeth gladly forth thy waters bright, 
 'Mid angry surges and perpetual foam ; 
 Where hour by hour we gaze with new delight, 
 As flows thy flood majestically on, 
 Whose roar as oceans roar when troubled with 
 a storm. 
 
 Thy voice hath hushed to sleep the eagle's 
 
 young ; 
 Thy voice the startled deer hath heard afar ; 
 Thy voice, methinks, unearthly hymns have 
 
 sung 
 Unto the Pleiades, and every star 
 Rolling in Northern Hemisphere its car. 
 We know thou breathest on earth thy strains 
 
 divine, 
 And, sweet to mortal ear such murmurs are ; 
 
NIAGARA. 8 1 
 
 Still, eager pilgrims journey to thy shrine — 
 
 Another Mecca thou, or holier, Palestine. 
 
 From the remotest bounds of Earth they come, 
 
 Worn with the distance they have travel'd o'er; 
 
 And, when the pilgrimage at length is done, 
 
 They feel a joy which was unfelt before ; 
 
 And, linger long, to silently adore 
 
 The hand Divine that pour'd thy matchless flood, 
 
 And taught thy voice to echo back the roar 
 
 Of the vast sea, in language understood — 
 
 Deep calling unto deep, proclaim their Maker 
 
 good. 
 
 When first the savage, trembling, gaz'd on thee. 
 
 Whose slow approach bore evidence of fear ; 
 
 Awe and devotion strove for mastery ; 
 
 Yet, neither in their turn produc'd a tear 
 6 
 
82 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 From tearless eyes — a stoic even here ! 
 And, with a yell of joy which wildly rang 
 Amid thy thunder hymn, distinct and clear, 
 In unharmonious strains the bard began ; 
 Whose unrecorded lay of the Great Spirit sang. 
 
 Thou art of Earth, yet seem'st unearthly fair, 
 'Mid the deep, channel'd rocks which wall thy 
 
 home ; 
 And viewless spirits doubtless linger there. 
 To list the melodies of thy deep tone — 
 As breathes the harp of ages in that moan. 
 Majestic emblem, thou of endless power, 
 Which fram'd all things invisible or known, 
 Which will alone survive thee and the hour, 
 When worlds shall be dissolved . . . 
 
THE YOUNG CHRISTIAN. 
 
 CHE, tho' her years scarce number'd a decade, 
 
 ' Was in experience old ; and truly wise 
 Above earth's wisdom. In the school of Christ 
 She had instruction ; and therein had learn'd 
 To overcome all self, which is indeed 
 High knowledge ; seldom taught, but of much 
 
 worth. 
 To other minds, in condescending love, 
 She sacrificed superior judgment ; 
 And, unto those she better far might teach 
 Would patient listen. She has gone from earth ; 
 Her daily ministrations closed to those 
 
 With whom she had companionship. No more 
 
 83 
 
84 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 Her voice instructively shall speak ; no more 
 Her bright example ! In another world 
 She breathes a purer ether, and her lips 
 Now sing hosannas unto Him who holds 
 The key of Heaven's gate; who has declar'd 
 Except ye be converted, and become 
 Like children — teachable, obedient — 
 Ye shall in no wise therein enter. 
 
THE BARD'S BURIAL. 
 
 "nrWAS early in the autumn, when a bard 
 
 Was laid at rest beneath New England's 
 
 soil — 
 
 The land of which he sang and lov'd so well. 
 
 Time had dealt kindly with him ; for his years 
 
 Outnumber'd four-score. He had many friends 
 
 And fond admirers ; although he sought not 
 
 The applause of man ; but dwelt retired ; 
 
 And from society kept much aloof; 
 
 And yet his sympathies went out to all. 
 
 Under the weight of a most cruel wrong, 
 
 He raised his voice for freedom; and when truth 
 
 Seemed crush'd to earth, and the slave, 
 
 Oppress'd with manacles, performed his task. 
 
 85 
 
S6 MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 He lived to see his fond desire fulfill'd, 
 And slavery extinguished. He was one 
 Who favored milder measures ; well he knew 
 That truth was powerful and would prevail. 
 A master of the lyre ; and yet so plain 
 And simple in his manners, and so void 
 Of all pretense, that few would be appris'd 
 By casual intercourse, that in him 
 There dwelt a power which could raise the mind 
 Above the grovelling things of time and sense, 
 To a conception of the beautiful. 
 
LINES ON THE DEATH OF MARY 
 SCULL. 
 
 (My first poem.) 
 
 T^RULY, 'tis no wish of mine, 
 
 To lift the plastic hand of time — 
 To ope the wounds that partly close, 
 And give to hearts again their woes. 
 
 No lovelier flower than thee might bloom, 
 Or spread around such sweet perfume ; 
 No bird upon the bough could bring 
 A more entrancing offering. 
 
 Yet, Mary, thou wast naught to me, 
 
 Nor was I anything to thee ; 
 
 But, when I saw thee, was Impressed, 
 
 And so admired with the rest. 
 
 87 
 
SS MISCELLANEOUS POEMS. 
 
 Heaven delights to pluck the flower, 
 And leaves the weeds, the culling hour ; 
 Why wonder, then, when this is so. 
 That earth a wilderness should grow ? 
 
REMARKS ON THE LANDING OF 
 PENN. 
 
 The following remarks on the Bi-Centennial Anniversary of 
 the Landing of Penn, appeared in a Public print at the time of 
 the occurrence. They are now reprinted in a more permanent 
 form. — The Author, 
 
 TT is proper that a considerate people should 
 cherish the memories of those who have 
 been their benefactors, and also that they de- 
 vise means, and make some personal sacrifice 
 in order to perpetuate their deeds. The event 
 which we celebrate was an experiment, the 
 result of which was then unforeseen, but which 
 time has clearly established. We now behold 
 what its illustrious founder, or the most fertile 
 
 fancy, could scarcely have imagined — a city 
 
 89 
 
90 REMARKS ON THE 
 
 Stretching far beyond its natural boundaries, as 
 compact and more populous than the metropo- 
 lis of civilization at that day, and deservedly 
 celebrated for its medical and charitable insti- 
 tutions. Its early rapid growth was mainly 
 owing to the liberal inducements held out by 
 its founder, affording, as it did, a home for all, 
 and especially to those who were persecuted 
 on account of religious belief. The intolerance 
 that existed in the mother country at this pe- 
 riod had become so oppressive that men of 
 enlightened minds everywhere hailed with joy 
 what promised a deliverance from its thraldom, 
 and thousands who had suffered therefrom had 
 turned their minds towards the New World. 
 It has been said ** oppression planted America." 
 
LANDING OF PENN. 9 1 
 
 Fortunately on this soil it produced other 
 seeds than those of its kind, and scattered them 
 far and wide on the highways of improvement. 
 Nor did the oppressed in turn, as some other set- 
 tlers, become oppressors, when the power to do 
 so was placed in their hands ; but accorded the 
 fullest liberty of conscience to all who differed 
 from them in religious belief; hence the settle- 
 ment of Penn was not promoted by the Quaker 
 element alone, but such as did not join them in 
 religious profession, and those who made no 
 profession at all found an asylum here. His- 
 tory seldom records a colony established upon 
 such liberal principles. Penn had himself suf- 
 fered so much from the trammels of tyranny, 
 and the bigotry of prelates, that he seemed 
 
92 REMARKS ON THE 
 
 determined that one community at least should 
 be preserved from all such influences. No 
 wonder the settlement prospered : it could 
 scarcely have done otherwise. In a few years 
 it contained thousands of inhabitants ; while 
 many other colonists, who sought to establish 
 themselves upon American soil, were swept 
 away by the native savages who had suffered 
 much from the hands of the white man. Like 
 begets like ; the power of persuasion is supe- 
 rior to brute force ; the law of kindness and 
 conciliation triumphs when other measures 
 fail. Evil is overcome with good. The Quaker 
 taught a pure Democracy ; and while he be- 
 lieved in the sovereignty of the people, he no- 
 where admitted that the voice of the people 
 
LANDING OF PENN. 93 
 
 was the voice of God. He contended that no 
 authority could rightfully exist to coerce the 
 conscience, as that was a matter beyond human 
 control, and rested solely between man and his 
 Maker. In preparing a constitution for the 
 colony, Penn was much assisted by that coura- 
 geous defender of right, Algernon Sidney, 
 whose liberal views cost him his life. It is very 
 remarkable that a descendant of such aristo- 
 cratic ancestry should have possessed Republi- 
 can proclivities, and still most astonishing, that 
 his bosom friend should have been a self-deny- 
 ing Quaker. In the preparation of the in- 
 strument, it is difficult to assign to each their 
 particular part, but there is no doubt they both 
 endeavored to make it as liberal as possible to 
 
94 REMARKS ON THE 
 
 be of any value at all. Sidney's views of gov- 
 ernment were much in advance of his time, and 
 Penn's were embodied in that declaration of 
 truth : '' Love thy neighbor as thyself." In his 
 intercourse with the aborigines, he seemed to 
 have been imbued with the law of love and 
 kindness, not allowing himself, nor permitting 
 others, to take any advantage of them, but on 
 all occasions treating them as equals. We are 
 told by Clarkson it was stipulated no man 
 should, by any ways or means, in word or deed, 
 affront or wrong any Indian, but he should 
 incur the same penalty of the law as if he had 
 committed it against his fellow planter, and 
 that all differences between planters and Indi- 
 ans should be ended by twelve men — that is, 
 
LANDING OF PENN. 95 
 
 by six planters and six Indians — so they might 
 live friendly together, and as much as in them 
 lay, prevent all occasions for heart burning and 
 mischief. 
 
 What a subject for a painter, worthy of the 
 genius of West ! Beneath the Shackamaxon 
 elm stand a few sedate-looking but resolute 
 adventurers. The central figure of that com- 
 pany is a man of far more pretentious appear- 
 ance — the companion of kings and noblemen 
 — a man of culture and parts — one who would 
 be likely to command respect in any place. 
 He has purchased the land whereon he treads 
 from the British crown, who claimed it by the 
 right of discovery ; he disdains to occupy it 
 
96 REMARKS ON THE 
 
 without consulting those who held it by a 
 higher right — the right of inheritance. Groups 
 of red men, gaily adorned, are gazing intently 
 upon the scene which seems so strangely in 
 contrast with the surroundings, who are willing 
 to barter their land for what appears to them a 
 sufficient consideration ; and thus, he not only 
 secures what he desires, their territory, but 
 what at that time was of equal importance to 
 him — their friendship. 
 
 Two centuries have rolled away since Wil- 
 liam Penn set foot on this soil, and could he 
 now return to visit the land he loved, he would 
 be surprised to find so few professing his faith 
 — a mere handful I may say, compared with the 
 
LANDING OF PENN. 97 
 
 vast population of the city he founded, — nor 
 could he fail to be impressed with the liveliest 
 sorrow, in witnessing, on the part of some of 
 these, a disregard of the principles and prac- 
 tices of his sect, in the support of w^hich he, in 
 common with others, suffered so much both in 
 person and estate. ''And thou, Philadelphia, 
 the virgin settlement of the province, named 
 before thou wast born, what love, what care, 
 what service, and what travail has there been 
 to bring thee forth and preserve thee from such 
 as would abase and defile thee ! My soul prays 
 to God for thee, that thou mayest stand in the 
 day of trial, that thy children may be blessed of 
 the Lord, and thy people saved by His power." 
 
 Such was the prayer of its founder. Would 
 
 7 
 
98 REMARKS ON THE 
 
 that it had preserved from all wickedness and 
 folly, from all that strikes at its best life or 
 highest welfare. The landing of the Pilgrim 
 Fathers on the "storm-washed" rock of Ply- 
 mouth has been a theme for the orator and 
 poet; yet we presume the arrival of the ship 
 " Welcome," with its friendly emigrants, in the 
 calmer waters of the Delaware, is entitled to at 
 least a respectful consideration. We may re- 
 member that during the six weeks' voyage 
 across the Atlantic a fearful malady carried off 
 nearly a third of their number, and it is a won- 
 der they did not all die ; nothing but a miracle 
 could have preserved them. The vessel 
 reached its destination, with its afflicted and 
 much reduced company, who, no doubt, could 
 
LANDING OF PENN. 99 
 
 exclaim with one of former time, though under 
 different circumstances, " hitherto hath the 
 Lord helped."' 
 
 A bark is battling with the waves 
 
 Upon a dark and stormy sea ; 
 Sleep, mariner; the power that saves 
 
 Is not thy strength nor yet of thee. 
 
 Our fathers were a noble band ; 
 And settling in this goodly land, 
 Design'd to make it ever free 
 From every form of tyranny. 
 
 They labored long, tho' not in vain ; 
 They sowed the seed, we reap the grain ; 
 We reap, and reverently bless 
 Their every form of faithfulness. 
 
 Patient, peculiar, self-sacrificing people ; your 
 perils, your privations, your efforts to establish 
 
lOO REMARKS ON THE 
 
 religious toleration have not been in vain. The 
 seed by you sown has produced its legitimate 
 fruit — has taken root in almost every soil. 
 The down-trodden of other lands have been 
 animated by your example — by your heroism 
 and your hopes ; nobler men, more deserving 
 posthumous honor perhaps never lived, and 
 while they sought no praise from man, their 
 deeds will be remembered as long as respect is 
 paid to virtue. Pericles said, substantially, in 
 his oration over the slain at Marathon, " the 
 whole earth is a monument to illustrious men." 
 How significant is this sentiment when applied 
 to a greater hero who conquered by love, who 
 disarmed by kindness. The commonwealth 
 which he created, the government which he 
 
LANDING OF PENN. lOI 
 
 instituted, the city which he founded, are all of 
 them monuments to his wisdom and benefi- 
 cence, and will keep his memory fragrant for 
 centuries to come. 
 
 " Nam vitiis nemo sine nascitur,'' says Horace. 
 That William Penn had some imperfections of 
 character it is but rational to conclude ; but 
 what he did as a legislator in this land, what he 
 did for religious liberty in the land of his birth, 
 what he did for humanity, an appreciative peo- 
 ple will not willingly consign to oblivion. 
 
 JOHN E. REDMAN. 
 
 Tenth Month 21st, 1882. 
 
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