Classic Poem

SCENE FOURTH. — Fort D ETROIT . — T HE A MERICAN C AMP .

Enter G ENERAL H ULL , Colonel C ASS and other Officers .

C ASS . Come, General, we must insist on reasons!
Your order to withdraw from Canada
Will blow to mutiny, and put to shame
That proclamation which I wrote for you,
Wherein 'tis proudly said, " We are prepared
To look down opposition, our strong force
But vanguard of a mightier still to come! "
And men have been attracted to our cause
Who now will curse us for this breach of faith.
Consider, sir, again!
H ULL . I am not bound
To tack my reasons to my orders; this
Is my full warrant and authority —
Yet, I have ample grounds for what I do.
C ASS . What are they, then?
H ULL . First, that this proclamation
Meets not with due response, wins to our side
The thief and refugee, not honest men.
These plainly rally round their government.
1 ST O FFICER . Why, yes; there's something lacking in this people,
If we must conquer them to set them free.
H ULL . Ay, and our large force must be larger still
If we would change these Provinces to States.
Then, Colonel Proctor's intercepted letter —
Bidding the captor of Fort Mackinaw
Send but five thousand warriors from the West,
Which, be it artifice or not, yet points
To great and serious danger. Add to this
Brock's rumoured coming with his volunteers,
All burning to avenge their fathers' wrongs,
And our great foe, Tecumseh, fired o'er his;
These are the reasons; grave enough, I think,
Which urge me to withdraw from Canada,
And wait for further force; so, go at once,
And help our soldiers to recross the river.
C ASS . But I see — —
H ULL . No " buts " ! You have my orders.
C ASS . No solid reason here, naught but a group
Of flimsy apprehensions — —
H ULL . Go at once!
Who kicks at judgment, lacks it.
C ASS . I — —
H ULL . No more!
I want not wrangling but obedience here.
Would I had ne'er accepted this command!
Old men are out of favour with the time,
And youthful folly scoffs at hoary age.
There's not a man who executes my orders
With a becoming grace; not one but sulks,
And puffs his disapproval with a frown.
And what am I? A man whom Washington
Nodded approval of, and wrote it too!
Yet here, in judgment and discretion both,
Ripe to the dropping, scorned and ridiculed.
Oh, Jefferson, what mischief have you wrought —
Confounding Nature's order, setting fools
To prank themselves, and sit in wisdom's seat
By right divine, out-Heroding a King's!
But I shall keep straight on — pursue my course,
Responsible and with authority,
Though boasters gird at me, and braggarts frown.