Mary Torrans Lathrap (1838-1895) | American |
from The Poems and Written Addresses of Mary T Lathrap
| Detroit, Nov 04, 1862
'T is the morning of election ; O freemen, cool your brain ;
There 's a battle to be fought, and a victory to gain ;
If victory be defeated at the setting of the sun,
God knows if that misdoing can ever be undone.
'T is the morning of election; O freemen, stop an hour
To calm all idle passion, to calculate the power
Of the little white-winged ballot, whose yes or no shall be
The ring of blight or blessing in the counsels of the free.
'T is the morning of election ; O freemen, stop to pray ;
The maddest waves of passion break at your feet to-day ;
To-day God lays the future in your free, untrameled hand ;
To-morrow he may judge you if you fail to understand.
'T is the morning of election; O freemen, dare to say
You believe all men are equal in the sight of Heaven to-day ;
Fling off the chains of prejudice, and with your own right hand
Give justice and the glory of manhood unto man.
'Tis the morning of election ; dark faces look to you
Of men who did their duty when they wore their coats of blue;
God remembers all the valleys their blood and tears have wet,
And he shall judge you, freemen, if you shall dare forget.
'Tis the morning of election ; there is duty to be done,
And some shall do that duty, blind, staggering drunk with rum;
Mad hands will cast the ballot, when brain and soul are lost
In the power of this demon ; O freeman, count the cost.
Is it best to license rum ? Have not souls enough gone down ?
Enough of hapless women yet worn the martyr's crown ?
Enough of homes been blighted, enough of lone graves filled ?
The future's what you make it the past was as you willed.
'Tis the morning of election ; O freemen, cool your brain ;
There 's a battle to be fought and a victory to gain.
The crown of yew or laurel waits Michigan to night ;
Your hands shall crown her, freeman ; may God defend the right !