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THE harp of the minstrel with melody rings,

When the Muses have taught him to touch and to

tune it;

And although it may have a full octave of strings,
To both maker and minstrel the harp is a unit.

So, the power that creates

Our Republic of States,

To harmony tunes them at different dates;

And, many or few, when the Union is done,
Be they thirteen or thirty, the nation is one.

II.

The science that measures and numbers the spheres,

And has done so since first the Chaldean began it, Now and then, as she counts them, and measures their

years,

Brings into our system and names a new planet.
Yet the old and new stars,

Venus, Neptune, and Mars,

As they drive round the sun their invisible cars,

Whether faster or slower their races are run,
Are "E Pluribus Unum" - of many made one.

III.

Of those federate spheres, should but one fly the track,
Or with others conspire for a general dispersion,
By the great central orb they would all be brought back,
And held, each in its place, by a wholesome "coercion."
Were one daughter of light
Indulged in her flight,

They might all be engulfed by Old Chaos and Night;

So must none of our sisters be suffered to run,
For, "E Pluribus Unum," - We all go, if one.

IV.

Let the Demon of Discord our melody mar,

Or Treason's red hand rend our system asunder, Break one string from our harp, or extinguish one star, The whole system's ablaze with its lightning and

thunder.

Let that discord be hushed!

Let the traitors be crushed,

Though "Legion" their name, all with victory flushed;

For aye must our motto stand, fronting the sun, "E Pluribus Unum" - The many are one.

UNITED STATES NATIONAL HYMN, L. M.*

TUNE - Yarmouth.

BY JONATHAN

I.

GOD bless United States; each one
Has government, the people's own,
The people rule, their rulers are
Elected servants, to take care

* The above hymn, written to the old Long Metre Yarmouth, was, like the four which precede it, among the twelve hundred sent in to the committee appointed at the beginning of the civil war, for the somewhat absurd purpose of obtaining a National Hymn, as if that could be written to order. The author's name

UNITED STATES NATIONAL HYMN.

Of what is for the public good;
And the best men be chosen should;
And often changed, that surely we
May prosper, and be ever free.

11.

Foundation of our Union, find
On education, talent, mind;

God's Book, religion's only guide ;
The supreme law, in all, reside;

Nor can majority oppress

Minority, but all confess

That each has Rights, which all must see

Respected in their purity.

III.

The Union and the Nation stand

A Government, o'er all the land;
Best, freest, strongest, wisest one,
Was, is, will be, beneath the sun;
The greatest numbers' greatest good;
And all protected, as we should ;
Intelligence, ability,

For rulers, the best quality.

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was really Jonathan, and he lived in one of the remotest and most primitive of the rural districts of Northern New England. His handwriting was plainly that of a man used rather to the plough than the pen, - one whose condition in life would in any other country than this limit his knowledge to what was necessary to the tilling of the few acres on which he lived. But rustic and unlettered as he was, what intelligent comprehension his rude verses exhibit of the structure and the principles of our government! In this respect he could manifestly put to school the smooth-mannered crowd of European statesmen and journalists who with an air of such profound wisdom discuss our politics, and who with such an assumption of judicial authority pronounced our doom in strict accordance with historical precedent. Viewed in this light, his quaint composition has an interest which makes it worthy of preservation.

IV.

Jehovah is our Head, and we
Acknowledge His supremacy;
He blesses us, year after year,
With all good things which do appear ;
He is our Sovereign, only one;
We'll have none else till Time is done;
Three times a year acknowledge Him:
Fast, July Fourth, Thanksgiving time.

V.

As we march down the stream of Time,
New States extend our happy clime;
Go on increasing, good and great;
One Union, formed of many States;
More States, the stronger shall we be
In union, peace, and liberty;
East, West, North, South, on sea and land,
Forever one, united stand.

VI.

Be every part to each most dear;
And law and order rule us here;
Our Constitutions good and great,
Amended for the good of State ;
Our Statutes for the people's good;
And Science guide us as it should;
States within State; blest Freedom's land,
United States, forever stand!

VII.

Stand in thy strong integrity:

The North and South united be

With East and West: join heart and hand

By our good Union firm to stand.

Our President elected be,

By people's voice, plurality;

UNION.

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And the Vice-President the same ;

The highest offices of fame.

VIII.

Free governments o'er earth will go;
The Bible, education too;

The righteous wise shine as the sun;
Knowledge and Arts o'er earth to run ;
All know the Lord, His service be

Extended over land and sea ;

His kingdom come o'er men to reign,
And earth be all the Lord's.

Amen.

UNION.*

I.

INDIVIDUAL several, indisintegrative whole!
Corporeal nationality, national soul !
Matter indistinguishable, immaterial seen !
End of all means, of all ends mean!

Chorus

Thus with eye unfilmed we see
All the charms of unity;
Clearly thus have comprehended,
What our forefathers intended.

II.

Of sempiternal potency, preëxistent power!
Sweet of our bitter, of our sweetness sour!

* Perhaps the writer of the above outrageous burlesque of some of the traits which have been noticed in the style of the eminent author of "Brahma" should be ashamed to have sent them to the National Hymn Committee, of which he was a member. If burlesque were all their purpose they would not be here preserved. Mr. Emerson could well afford to forgive them, even if they did not come from one of his warmest admirers.

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