Address Delivered at an Exhibition of a Joint Delegation of Pupils from the Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and New York Institutions for the Blind, An
DELIVERED AT AN EXHIBITION OF A JOINT DELEGATION OF PUPILS FROM THE MASSACHUSETTS, PENNSYLVANIA, AND NEW YORK INSTITUTIONS FOR THE BLIND, BEFORE CONGRESS, APRIL 29TH 1846.
Land of our patriot sires, Columbia, hail!
On thy green shores blooms the immortal tree
By them once planted, and from North to South,
From East to West its lofty branches spread,
And to its top the daring eagle soars.
O Land of Liberty, blest be thy name!
Here sleep the mighty dead, thy heroes brave,
Who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their all,
The glorious cause of Freedom to defend.
Lo, high in air thy banner proudly floats,
Thy peerless deeds by distant nations sung, —
What tyrant power shall dare thy rights invade?
While in our Union's Capital we stand,
That bears the Father of our Country's name, —
A name where each ennobling virtue blends, —
Well may each breast the flame heroic fire.
Hail! Freemen, hail! ye rulers of our land,
Assembled here in one united band,
From every State you come; — where granite cliffs
Majestic frown along New England's shore, —
Where Victory perched on Saratoga's height, —
Where Susquehanna cheers her smiling vales
And where, like billows on old Ocean's breast,
The rolling prairie in the night-breeze waves; —
And valor sends her offspring from the South.
This evening in your presence we appear,
To prove benevolence not vain, which bid
A ray of knowledge on our minds to shine,
And ask of you to lend some brighter rays.
Oh! turn not from this sightless group away,
Whose eyes in vain are lifted to your own,
One glance to meet; but all to us is dark.
Yon orb majestic, whose effulgent ray
All nature cheers — alas! we cannot see;
Nor tree, nor flower, nor the meand'ring stream,
Which gently murmurs through the rural dale; —
We but the fragrance breathe, the murmurs hear.
And, like the natural, must the mental eye
Be shrouded ever in perpetual night?
Ah no! the mind unfettered may expand,
On her light wing far distant realms explore,
And deeply drink of the Pierian spring.
Nine States to you their sightless children send
From homes Philanthropy for them hath reared;
One sacred link hath bound us heart to heart,
And in one common cause we all unite.
Nor for ourselves alone the boon we ask, —
We plead for all whom mental darkness veils,
Who sigh to share the blessings we enjoy.
You who have hearts to feeLand eyes to see
The noble works of nature and of art,
You cannot coldly our petitions spurn;
One word of yours can thousands happy make, —
Then speak it, — we implore you, speak it now!
TO THE PRESIDENT .
Our P RESIDENT ! we humbly turn to thee; —
Are not the blind the objects of thy care?
Do they not claim thy tender sympathy?
We know thy influence doth wide extend,
Oh! then for us that influence exert; —
The generous act shall angel hands record,
And God the All-seeing shall behold and bless.
Thou hast not on this circle gazed unmoved; —
The chord must vibrate swept by pity's hand, —
Oh yes, e'en now its thrilling tones are heard!
Softly on eager, listening ears they fall,
And to the sightless tell of hope and joy.
Land of our patriot sires, Columbia, hail!
On thy green shores blooms the immortal tree
By them once planted, and from North to South,
From East to West its lofty branches spread,
And to its top the daring eagle soars.
O Land of Liberty, blest be thy name!
Here sleep the mighty dead, thy heroes brave,
Who pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their all,
The glorious cause of Freedom to defend.
Lo, high in air thy banner proudly floats,
Thy peerless deeds by distant nations sung, —
What tyrant power shall dare thy rights invade?
While in our Union's Capital we stand,
That bears the Father of our Country's name, —
A name where each ennobling virtue blends, —
Well may each breast the flame heroic fire.
Hail! Freemen, hail! ye rulers of our land,
Assembled here in one united band,
From every State you come; — where granite cliffs
Majestic frown along New England's shore, —
Where Victory perched on Saratoga's height, —
Where Susquehanna cheers her smiling vales
And where, like billows on old Ocean's breast,
The rolling prairie in the night-breeze waves; —
And valor sends her offspring from the South.
This evening in your presence we appear,
To prove benevolence not vain, which bid
A ray of knowledge on our minds to shine,
And ask of you to lend some brighter rays.
Oh! turn not from this sightless group away,
Whose eyes in vain are lifted to your own,
One glance to meet; but all to us is dark.
Yon orb majestic, whose effulgent ray
All nature cheers — alas! we cannot see;
Nor tree, nor flower, nor the meand'ring stream,
Which gently murmurs through the rural dale; —
We but the fragrance breathe, the murmurs hear.
And, like the natural, must the mental eye
Be shrouded ever in perpetual night?
Ah no! the mind unfettered may expand,
On her light wing far distant realms explore,
And deeply drink of the Pierian spring.
Nine States to you their sightless children send
From homes Philanthropy for them hath reared;
One sacred link hath bound us heart to heart,
And in one common cause we all unite.
Nor for ourselves alone the boon we ask, —
We plead for all whom mental darkness veils,
Who sigh to share the blessings we enjoy.
You who have hearts to feeLand eyes to see
The noble works of nature and of art,
You cannot coldly our petitions spurn;
One word of yours can thousands happy make, —
Then speak it, — we implore you, speak it now!
TO THE PRESIDENT .
Our P RESIDENT ! we humbly turn to thee; —
Are not the blind the objects of thy care?
Do they not claim thy tender sympathy?
We know thy influence doth wide extend,
Oh! then for us that influence exert; —
The generous act shall angel hands record,
And God the All-seeing shall behold and bless.
Thou hast not on this circle gazed unmoved; —
The chord must vibrate swept by pity's hand, —
Oh yes, e'en now its thrilling tones are heard!
Softly on eager, listening ears they fall,
And to the sightless tell of hope and joy.
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