AMERICA. "La constitution des Etats-Unis ressemble à ces belles créations de l'industrie humaine qui comblent de gloire et de bien ceux qui les inventent, mais qui restent stériles en d'autres mains.-TocQUEVILLE, de la Démocratie en Amérique." 1. Two mighty powers for mastery contend, Sworn foe to freedom and determined friend : Old states hereafter may be forced to bend. II. For years o'er Europe, in advancement slow, Till for free thought remains no sunny knoll. Autocracy, that statesmen duped adore, While declamation's harmless thunders roll O'er Germany, secures her prey, and more Craves, force and fraud despise the lib'ral jurist's lore. III. The ornaments of life Columbia wants, Its ever-crescent strength to contemplate And art will bring refinement, to create IV. See! a young nation, whose united will One spirit animates, one heart impels, While slumber ancient dynasties, or ill Conceiving domineer till man rebels, In works ensuring future wealth excels. Authors, an immaterial class, are prized No more than monks were in their cluster'd cells; But schemes, old states dream not, are realized, By speculation's far-discerning mind devised. V. A new earth's verdurous magnificence Lakes with a thousand islands gemm'd; immense VI. Yet o'er America must nature grand Her imagery rare hereafter show To the clear-sighted poet; in that land She may have riches Wordsworths do not know; Her Helicons, whence streams untasted flow. And illustrations beautiful to draw From new phenomena, above, below, Genius will thirst, with rapture and with awe Beholding sights that hitherto unheeding craftsmen saw. VII. Sculpture need not ideal forms contrive, Of youth; then for the muse what scenes sublime! While sculpture may embody moral worth, Beauty wooes painting; for the loftier rhym Nature in all her majesty shines forth: Her new apocalypse appears from the Occident and North. VIII. Meanwhile activity on restless wing Flies on, inventive industry her guide; In the new world, of enterprise the spring Is felt, rolls thither population's tide, And unpruned forests perish in their pride : To-day, a vigorous race push, unappall'd By danger, mighty labours far and wide; To-morrow, farms will thrive and cities wall'd, Where late through herbage rank amphibious monsters crawl'd. IX. And bright-eyed science, like the morning star, Colossal empire of the great and free! Strong is thy youth, who can thy strength adult foresee? |