FAMILY HISTORY: POETRY Collection written by Elsie Strawn ARMSTRONG
  
  File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Les Howard Strawn
  
  Copyright 2006.  All rights reserved.
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
  http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/somerset/
  ________________________________________________
  
  I always thought the lowest
      And the meanest thing in nature,
  Was to meddle and to gabble
      With the business of our neighbor.
  
  But the wise man he has told us,
      Every fool will still be meddling,
  And this crew's been traveling round,
      Abolitionism peddling.
  
  And stealing of the Negroes
      And running them away,
  Regardless of God's law
      Or the law of our day.
  
  He that stealeth a man,
      That man shall surely die,
  Oh!  Yes, wicked thieves,
      To God begin to cry.
  
  When you see the awful murder,
      The devastation of our nation,
  Without a bitter sore repentance,
      You can't expectation.
  
  Oh! Mr. Lincoln,
      Recall your proclamation,
  Before it is too late
      For you to expect salvation.
  
  And save us from the terror,
      And save us from the horror,
  And save us from the butchery
      Of the coming morrow.
  
  Your oath doth surely bind you
      To the population,
  And why have you forsaken us,
      To exalt the heathen nation?
  
  You have taken from us our money
      And taken from us our treasure,
  To exalt the heathen
      It seems to be your pleasure.
  
  Consider for a moment,
      Will you take the children's bread,
  And cast it to the heathen dogs
      That always were well fed?
  
  The lowest, meanest heathen
      The earth did ere produce,
  Compelled to clothe and feed them,
      What can be your excuse?
  
  I fear, Mr. Lincoln,
      The step you have taken,
  You greatly do expose
      Your own old bony bacon.
  
  More than then thousand souls
      To see your head off, on a block,
  Would rejoice, because 'twould save
      Millions of better stock.
  
  Consider where you stand,
      You poor, old perjured wretch,
  If you don't change your course
      I fear you, hemp will stretch.
  
  Why will you not agree
      To some negotiation,
  Why will you risk your neck
      To exterminate the nation?
  
  We beg you would come back
      To the laws and constitution,
  And we would all rejoice
      To grant you absolution.
  
  Notwithstanding all the murder
      You have caused to be done,
  We would hope God would forgive you    
      Through the merits of His Son.
  
  Then the children of the South
      Would gladly soon come in,
  Because in self defense
      Much trouble they have seen.
  
  If they could be protected
      By the laws and Constitution,
  They soon would hoist the stars and stripes,
      The emblem of the Union.
  
  If a man shall beat his servant
      With a rod, his man or maid,
  Till he died under his hand,
      He shall be punished, the Book hat said.
  
  But if he shall continue
      A day or two and die,
  He is free, he is his money,
      His own property.
  
  In the Gospel we have rules
      To govern this connection,
  And to read them carefully
      You should have not objection.
  
  The servant is commanded
      His master to obey,
  Not as an eye-servant, but as
      In God's sight from day to day.
  
  Servants obey your masters
      And strive to please them well,
  Not answering again,
      But mind what they you tell.
  
  They must not be purloining,
      Taking what's not their own,
  Servants must not steal,
      And that to them is known.
  
  Master, forbear to threaten,
      Forgive, as you would be forgiven,
  Knowing you yourselves
      Have a Master that is in Heaven.
  
  Whatsoever good thing
      Man doeth, we may see,
  God will recompense him
      If he be beholden or free.
  
  Saint Paul declares himself
      An Apostle of our Savior,
  When he was teaching all men
      The rules of good behavior.
  
  He said "As many servants
      As are under the yoke,
  Should count their masters worthy
      Of all honor," thus he spoke.
  
  Masters render to your servants
      That which is just and equal.
  To all their wants and needs;
      And so ends the sequel.