Classic Poem

The soldiers of the Union,
The flag of freedom bore,
On many a field of carnage,
'Mid smoke and battle roar;
Thro' all the burning south-land,
From mountain to the sea,
It waved o'er patriot heroes,
Who fought for liberty.
The gleaming of that banner,
Proclaimed the light of day,
And slav'ry's night of horror
Forever passed away;
Oppression's pow'r is broken,
The fettered limbs are free,
And breathes the sons of bondage,
The air of liberty.
But vict'ry mightier, nobler,
For right must yet be won,
Before the task is finished,
By freedom's host begun;
In vain are shackles broken,
A bondman still is he
Whose mind is still in bondage,
Whose spirit is not free.
Beneath the gospel banner,
The army grand and true
Of Christian educators
Invades the south anew!
They come, from chains of error,
To set the bondman free,
And bring the soul in darkness,
True light and liberty.
They come to help the helpless,
And where their banner flies,
The Christian cohorts rally,
And schools and churches rise;
Their youths and maidens eager
To walk in wisdom's way,
Are trained for truth and freedom,
Ten thousand ev'ry day.
Then hail the star-lit banner,
The flag ... of liberty, ...
That broke ... the master's cruel power,
And set ... the bondman free. . .
Then hail ... the gospel banner,
That drives the night away, ...
That trains ... for God and liberty,
Ten thousand ev'ry day. . . .
Then hail, all hail the star-lit banner,
Hail the flag of liberty,
That broke the master's cruel power,
And proudly set the bondman free.
Then hail, all hail the gospel banner,
Flag that drives the night away,
That trains for God and liberty,
And trains ten thousand ev'ry day.