“Fourth of July Reflections.” from the July 9, 1880 Weekly Expositor. Independent
[Written for the Expositor.]
Fourth of July Reflections.
To day is the Fourth; the glorious Fourth
Again has dawned on us—the favored of earth,
And again we are glad for our national birth
And our wide spreading land and numerical growth.
One hundred and four are the years that have sped
Since our nation had being, and Liberty said:
Here, in the new world, my table I’ll spread,
And the downtrod of earth shall taste of my bread.
But Liberty’s foes, with old Satan to lead,
Have ever been zealous to root out the seed
That here was then planted, oppressed ones to feed;
And to put down those foes has caused stout hearts to bleed.
First, kingcraft essayed to stamp out the flame;
To put out the light of sweet Liberty’s name,
But her sons were alert and struck hard for her fame,
And kingcraft, defeated, returned with shame.
Then slavery, arrogant, purseproud, and vain,
Became very grasping and claimed right to reign.
Assaulted our flag in the vain hone to gain
The right to rule ever by lash and by chain.
But Liberty’s lovers, by thousands, sad nay,
And eagerly sprang to arms and the fray,
And blood flowed like water for many a day,
And slavery left; with its friends in dismay.
Bright hopes had we then, that our trials were done:
That the peace would endure that so dearly was won;
That no cloud would o’er-shadow prosperity’s sun,
And the nation gave thanks to the Bountiful One.
But our foes were not dead, as we fondly had thought;
They had just changed the mode by which they had wrought,
Very foolishly thinking the people distraught;
But their plans are discovered—in their schemes they are caught.
Their plan is now plunder; their weakness their chains.
’Tis to capture our money—by it, all our gains—;
Through hellish false teachings to muddle the brains
Of the honest producers, who likes not to change.
Arouse! then, ye freeman, beware what you do!
The foe’s on your track, and to, ruin pursue;
For your rights you must watch, and the battle renew,
Or those rights will soon fade and depart from your view.
“Tis sophistry now, and deception they try
To control all our money—they the greenback decry,
And say it’s false money, and in that, sure, they lie,
For we know ‘twas our saviour in days now gone by.
Old Satan, In Eden, his object to win,
Resorted to falsehood, to tend into sin,
And he’s still at his work, and his friends are with him,
And are zealous and earnest and make din.
They talk about honesty, virtue, and truth;
They quote names—that of England for sooth;
They mildly use ridicule to show you unkouth,
And if that does not answer, they plead for your Ruth.
But we fear not to tell them their plans all we hate;
Their deception’s transparent, and their trap is too late;
“Whom the Gods have made mad” they may see now their fate,
For Liberty’s sons are on guard at the gate.
They control both the parties who of old held the sway,
By enlisting the leaders to work in their pay,
But the people are stirring, and will have their say,
And they’ll show what this means—“Every dog has his day.”
We will not be fooled by the English idea,
As we’ve looked for its fruits and have seen them quite clear.
’Tis not good for the people, though it is for the pure,
And it must be crushed out or man’s rights find a bier.
Then hurrah for the cause of the laborers hold!
For the rights of the toiler against that of gold;
We will worship no more false idols of old,
And the rights of the people shall never be sold!
Then arouse! every freeman! and arm for the strife;
The plans are all laid to take Liberty’s life!
No quarter our motto, but war to the knife!
Press onward! and ever remember Lot’s wife?
God gave us mid trials—the Greenback of old,
That saved our existence when deserted by gold;
And our love for that money shall never grow gold,
And our right to its issue shall never be sold.
The banker complacent from Uncle Sam’s loan,
Dictates to the people how much they shall own,
By fixing all prices which weigh like a stone
About industry’s neck, and have cut to the bone.
No interest he pays, but exacts it from you,
And you must be gentle, or his favors are few;
He’s a vampire on business, to take what is due
From the men who the wealth of the world still renew.
Then away with the bonds! and the National Banks!
The people are sovereign (for this we give thanks),
We’ll have a new deal, and raise men from the ranks;
Wipe out the old parties, and all their vile pranks.
M.
FISH CREEK, July 5th, 1880.
Courtesy of the Door County Library Newspaper Archive
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