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-o 6 * THE COUNTRYMAN,
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You don’t now in Atlanta thunder loud,
With all the mouths up there to second you.
Joseph—Let him consider- that, who drives
us hither.
’Tis Sherman’s sword has made my senate little,
And thinned our ranks. Alas! thy dazzled eye
Beholds this man in a false, glaring 1 light,
Which conquest and success have thrown upon
him.
7" : Devils' envy, though, I owe it all,
; T > . robbed me of my sword, and epaulettes.
Could 1 have kept mv dear militia home,
And conscript officers had never been,
Then I had won a fame as great as Sherman’s—
Nay, greater too. For I am Joseph,
And Sherman only he.
Oh ! had some powerful destiny ordained
Me leader of an army in this war,
Tnen had I happv stood, and won my spurs :
And Decius had so much my fame admired,
Not then eclipsed by Sherman’s i^rand success.
But blast that fellow, Davus, it was he
Tnat spiled my game.
Did men but view him right, they’d see him
black
With murder, treason, sacrilege, and crimes,
Tuat sirike my soul with horror but to name
them.
The habeas corpus he’s suspended oft;
H is conscript officers he’s sent abroad ;
Impressing agents do too much abound ;
My tender pets he sends into the camp.
And thus by Davus, and by Sherman pressed,
Great Joseph knows not where to lay his bead.
I know folks look upon me as a wretch,
Beset with ills, and covered with misfortunes :
But, by the gods, I swear, millions of worlds
Could make me nor like Sherman, nor like
Davus.
Dec. — Does Joseph send this answer hark tn
Sherman,
For all his proffered cares, and generous friend
ship V
Joseph.—His cares for me are insolent and
vain :
Presumptuous man! the gods take care of
Joseph.
Would Sherman show the greatness of his soul.
Bid him employ his care for these my friends,
And make good use of his ill-gotten power,
To hang the conscript, officers of Davus,
A id unsuspend the habeas corpus Act.
Your high uuconquered heart makes
you lorget
tf-.-u are a man. You rush on your destruction.
But 1 have done. When I relate, hereafter,
The tale of this unhappy embassy,
All Sherman’s camp will be in tears.
(Exit.
Sem.—Joseph, we thank thee.
The mighty genius of immortal Troup
Speaks in thy voice. Thy soul breathes liberty.
Sherman will shrink to hear the words thou
utter’st,
And shudder in the midst of all his conquests.
Luc.—The senate owns its gratitude to Joseph,
Who with so great a soul consults its safety,
And guards our lives, when he neglects his own.
Sem.—Sempronius gives no thanks on this
account.
Lucius seems fond of life ; but what is life {
’Tis not to stalk about, and draw fresh air,
From time to time, or gaze upon the sun.
’Tis to be free When liberty is gone,
Life grows insipid, and has lost its relish.
Oh ! could mv dying hand but lodge a sword
In Davus’ bosom, and revenge state rights,
By Heaven I could enjoy the pangs of death,
And smile in agony.
Luc.—Others, perhaps,
May serve state rights with quite as warm a zeal,
Though ’tis not kindled into so much rage.
Sf:m.—This sober conduct is a mighty virtue,
In lukewarm patriots.
Joseph.—Come, no more, Sempronius t
All here are friends to Georgia, and to each
other.
Let us not weaken, still, the weuker side,
By our divisions. We are all agreed
To oppose Sherman, nor to Davus yield—
Each equal foes to our state sovereignty.
Therelore we’ll not divide among ourselves.
Sem.—Joseph, my resentments
Are sacrificed to Georgia—1 stand reproved.
Joseph.—My friends, ’tis time we come to a
resolve.
Shall Davua crush our state rights out, or uotv
1 fear not Sherman, for my few melish
Are equal to the task of fighting him.
But Davus soon will crush state sovereignty.
Luo.—Joseph, we all go into your opinion :
Davus’ behavior, has convinced the senate,
We ought to hold up for state sovereignty.
Sem.— We ought to hold it out till death:
but, Joseph,
My private voice is drowned amid the senate’s.
Joseph.—Then let us rise, my friends, and
strive to fill
This little interval, this pause of life
( While yet our liberty aud fates are doubtful)
With resolution, friendship, Georgia bravery,
And all the virtues we can crowd into it,
That Heaven niaysny it uu^bt to- be p*uiuugreu.
Enter Scoot-
Scout.—Hail, Joseph ! I am sent to ’.et thee
know
That Sherman’s coming with a mighty host.
He’s passed through Eatonton, burned Den
ham’s shop,
And Dennis’ mil’, and’s crossing at Sheffield’s.
If you would sa\e your bacon, now, cut out—
Lose not a moment, b you would escape.
Joseph.—What, save my bacon, did the fel
low say I
What’s bacon worth without a dish of greens?
VVhere are my brave militia, that I thought
Would storm the gates of hell, to save old Joe ?
Scout.—Why, sir, they’re gone, as hard as
they can tear.
Joseph. —Well, that’s enough to make a
preacher swear.
* Sem.—I move that we now levy troops, en
masse,
And hope my resolution soon will pass.
Don’t spare a man—take men and women too—
’Twill take them all before we’ve gotten thro’:
Take preachers, printers, editors, aod all,
Let niggers, too, sespond to Joseph’s call:
From bending sire, to e’en the lisping boy,
Call all who cau a yankee foe annoy.
From mount to sea, from sea to mount again,
From plain to hill, Irom hill to rolling plaiu,
Call everybody—everybody run,
That Sherman’s march through Georgia may
' be done:
Spare not a soul who may his country love
Joseph.— Well, hold on now—1 do your bill
approve:
That makes it law, and let us now proceed,
To move ourselves. Sempronius, take the lead.
Sem.—Before we go, I move that we except
Out of my bill, which everybody swept
Into the army, Joseph, and his * sinit ’
Joseph.- I’ll make that law, in less than half
a minute.
Now, lei’s be gone—there is no time to lose—
A proclamation will present my views.
SeM. —The cars ate gone.—I’ll give a thou*
sand dollars
For horses, and a couple Of good fcollafs i
And then to hitch them to it,a strong carriage,
That 1 may pay, on Styx, no early ferriage.
Joseph.—I’ll join you in it, and will pay one
half,
And you shall from my pocket tickler quaff.
Sem.—Oh! for a carriage, just to go to Gor
don :
What will I do ? My soul have mercy, Lord, or..
Joseph.—You say the cars are gone! Lord
how I hate it J
I thought they surely had for Joseph waited.
Ah I that old Whiting ! I will give him thun
der—
I wonder if they got off all my plunder,
Enter Messenger.
Messenger.—Joseph, they did. Nothing was
left behind,
Upon this subject ease your anxious mind.
Joseph —Was all the powder saved, we had ^
in store?
Mess.—No, sir, there wasn’t room for any
more.
Joseph.— Why so, you varlet ( Surely you’re
mistaken
Mesh; —No, sir. there was your Excellency’s
bacon
Joseph.—That left behind ?
Mess.— No, sir I ’twas
no such thing.
Joseph.—That alters things. I wonder wfyat
’twill bring.
Mess.—Five dollars, sir, as meat is growing
scarce.
Joseph.—This talk of speculation’s all a
farce---
As long as bacon’s five dollars a pound,
Joseph will make expenses, I’ll be bound.
And wbat was done with my tine-lookiDg
greens ?
Mess.---They all were sent away, sir, with
your beans.
(Exeunt, slily, all but Joseph,
who is left solus.
Joseph.--Now let’s be gone-—we have no
time to lose—
I think I’d better pull off my new shoes.
To save them, and I then can run the faster,
To get away from this accursed disaster ;
(Stoops down, and pulls thorn off.
Shoes are so high, I will not wear mine out,
By travelling them o’er such a rugged route.
(Looks round.
All gone but me, a3 I’m a living sinner—
Yet 1 have greens and bacon left for dinner,
When 1 get home, ’wav down in Sumter county,
Where Davus ne’er shall share this fellow’s
bounty.
’Tis verj bad ! My state has gone at last,
And soon will I be going pretty fast,