Tut-tut! give
back the flags — how can you care
You veterans and heroes?
Why should you at a kind intention swear
Like twenty Neroes?
Suppose the act
was not so overwise —
Suppose it was illegal —
Is ‘t well on such a question to arise
And pinch the Eagle?
Nay, let’s
economize his breath to scold
And terrify the alien
Who tackles him, as Hercules of old
The bird Stymphalian.
Among the rebels
when we made a breach
Was it to get their banners?
That was but incidental—’t was to teach
Them better manners.
They know the
lesson well enough to-day;
Now, let us try to show them
That we ‘re not only stronger far than they.
(How we did mow them!)
But more
magnanimous. You see, my lads,
’T was an uncommon
riot;
The warlike tribes of Europe fight for
“fads,”
We fought for
quiet.
If we were
victors, then we all must live
With the same flag above
us;
’Twas all in vain unless we now forgive
And make them love
us.
Let kings keep
trophies to display above
Their doors like any
savage;
The freeman’s trophy is the foeman’s love,
Despite war’s
ravage.
“Make treason
odious?” My friends, you’ll find
You can’t, in right and
reason,
While “Washington” and “treason” are combined
—
”Hugo” and
“treason.”
All human
governments must take the chance
And hazard of
sedition.
O, wretch! to pledge your manhood in advance
To blind
submission.
It may be wrong,
it may be right, to rise
In warlike
insurrection:
The loyalty that fools so dearly prize
May mean
subjection.
Be loyal to your
country, yes — but how
If tyrants hold dominion?
The South believed they did; can’t you allow
For that opinion?
He who will never
rise though rulers plods
His liberties despising
How is he manlier than the sans
culottes
Who’s always rising?
Give back the
foolish flags whose bearers fell
Too valiant to forsake them.
Is it presumptuous, this counsel? Well,
I helped to take them.