Jonathan and his Sons: A BALLAD FOR THE TIMES (June, 1861)
He swore, as well he might, Sirs,
That, rather than be ruled by
Old Britain, he would fight, Sirs,
And, though a rebel son he was,
Young Jonathan was right, Sirs.
Jonathan a rebel was,
Jonathan when young, Sirs,
Every Tory in the land
Vowed he would be hung, Sirs,
Yet Jonathan the battle won,
For all they said and sung, Sirs.
Is not the man of yore, Sirs,
His great success, prosperity,
His pride and love of power, Sirs,
Have turned him from his principles:-
He's Tory to the core! Sirs.
About the rights of man, Sirs,
Went first against his mother he
Upraised an armed hand Sirs,
He, now, ingloriously ignores,
Or will not understand, Sirs.
True offspring of their Sire, Sirs
Avowed their independency,
High rose is tory ire, Sirs,
He would baptize them all in blood,
And scourge with sword and fire, Sirs.
He maketh an oration
About his high authority,
Their proper rank and station;
How he had made himself and them
A great and mighty nation.
His law -the constitution;
The right of Government to keep
Its parts from dissolution.
His rebel sons made answer in
“The right of revolution!”
To justify your claim, Sirs,-
I am the judge, not you. Disperse!
Go home and hide your shame, Sirs,
And know, that should we come to blows,
With you must lie the blame, Sirs.”
That judgment rests. And you, Sir,
In seventeen hundred seventy-six,
Past seventy years ago, sir,
Was then the judge, in your own case,
As will the records show, Sir.”
Else, would the sword we draw? Sir,
“To suffer what is sufferable
Mankind are apt,” your saw, Sir.
Our brothers, those adverse to us,
Have made there will your law, Sir.”
And by your own command, Sir,
We have been driven from the new,
Uncultivated land, Sir,
And, when we ask you for our right,
You smite us with the hand, Sir.”
No more -have to a man, Sir,
departed from those principles
___________________________, Sirs,
For in their negro-longing, now
They rob us when they can, Sir.”
That we have suffered sore? Sir-
A numerous catalogue -which you
Have heard and known before, Sir.
Enough? The world shall judge us when
A few years have passed o’er, Sir.”
Prescribed: -but vain each word, Sir!
Tis not our purpose here. We now
Demand, with one accord, Sir,
Your free acknowledgment of this
On which we draw the sword, Sir.”
What you yourself have done, Sir -
The right to form new government!
We abrogate your own, Sir ,”
Thus, to the rebel father, spake
Each goodly rebel son, Sir.
And swore in terms of uncivil,
Regardless of the consequence
Of words and deeds of evil,
That, “by the great Eternal,” he
Would hang each rebel devil.
With theft and breach of faith, Sirs.
Look to yourselves and your own acts!”
He answered, high in wrath, Sirs,
“My castles in the gulf! my chests!
My money bags! who hath? Sirs.”
Unwisely you made bold, Sirs,
Go, wash your rebel hands! which these,
My castles, and my gold, Sirs,
Feloniously have seized upon,
Feloniously withhold, Sirs.”
Great law of life commands, Sir,
Self-preservation, and all acts
Necessity demands, Sir,
For our defense. We took the means
That fortune placed at hand, Sir.
And hold, now and forever,
They are invaluable to us;
To you not worth a feather:
They must of right become our own,
To be surrendered never.”
On settlement, we will, Sir,
Allow you, what is fair and just,
Nor cavil at your bill, Sir:
The money that we hold of yours
Your purse again shall fill, Sir.
Proclivities of age, Sirs.
Had maddened and all the Old Man’s heart;
And, rising in his rage, Sirs,
“To arms! to arms!” he cried, “-my boys,
These rebel dogs engage, Sir.”
My strength shall know and feel, Sirs,
Bring me my arms! and cloth my limbs
In panoply of steel! Sirs,
Then let us forth! the castles storm!
We take them well! wo or weal, Sirs.
And do what duty tells, Sirs,
Then might we, brothers, part in peace,
Apart, in peace might dwell, Sirs.
‘Gainst wars that cannot come to good
HUMANITY rebels, Sirs
Honolulu, June, 1861 W.S. HUGHSON.
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