le he strikes at our vitals and plunders the land!
He has murdered the son and led captive the brother,
Has broke up the home and made war on his mother;
And now while our sons by the thousand are slain
The nation to save and its life to maintain,
When the patriot's eyelids are closing in death,
While a prayer for his country inspires his last breath,
Or bleeding he lies as the foul traitor's dart
Is caught in the folds of the flag round his heart,
While freedom's bright bow, for the millions unborn,
No longer encircles the brow of the storm,
While the sun of our glory grows dim in our sight,
And the star of our destiny's shrouded in night;
Still our paralyzed hands, to our country untrue,
Are stretched out to _succor_ the traitorous crew,
As they strike for our lives, fully bent on our ruin,
_We_ lend them assistance by holding their Bruin,
And tell all the world that our national wars
Shall be waged to protect _constitutional bears_.

And now let us know, my dear sir, in conclusion,
How long must continue this monstrous delusion,
(If not a state secret, so sacred a one
That it may to the Cabinet only be known,)
While being destroyed by a traitorous war,
_How long we must aid them by holding their bear_?
Or how long shall we flourish our broom-stick, and say,
To one who would help us: 'Keep out of the way!
Go home to your master, your Samaritan neighbor;
Return all his kindness and give him your labor,
Plant corn, hoe the cotton, and keep things all bright,
Give him plenty to eat and more leisure to fight;
For we mean to protect him in every 'RIGHT;'
And the best way of keeping the 'whole Constitution'
Is to help those who fight for its _whole_ dissolution,
(Though this proposition may seem somewhat strange,)
While we dig our own ditches and fire at long range,
For our duty is plain, when the traitor makes war,
To give aid and comfort by _holding his bear_.'

[Footnote B: In the border dialect this word rhymes with 'shout,'
'about,' etc.]

* * * * *

We find the following in the notice of THE CONTINENTAL MONTHLY by a
contemporary:

'The CONTINENTAL looks upon Slavery through blood and murder eyes.
It sees in the institution nothing but lashes, salt-rubbed wounds,
bloodhounds, and iron-hearted taskmasters. _It looks upon the war
as solely for the freedom of the nigger_; and judging f