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Original Acrostics on All the States and Presidents of the United States,
and Various Other Subjects, Religious, Political, and Personal.
Illustrated with Portraits of All the Presidents,
and Engravings of Various Other Kinds:
Electronic Edition.

Blackwell, Robert, fl. 1861

Funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services
supported the electronic publication of this title.

Text transcribed by Apex Data Services, Inc.
Images scanned by Natalia Smith and Joby Topper
Text encoded by Andrew Smith and Natalia Smith
First edition, 2001
ca. 550K
Academic Affairs Library, UNC-CH
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill,
2001.

        © This work is the property of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. It may be used freely by individuals for research, teaching and personal use as long as this statement of availability is included in the text.

Source Description:
(title page) Original Acrostics on all the States and Presidents of the United States, and Various Other Subjects, Religious, Political, and Personal
(spine) Original Acrostics Illustrated
Robert Blackwell
224 p., 119 ill.
Nashville, Tenn.
[s. n.]
1861

Call number Conf #260 (Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collections Library, Duke University Libraries)

        The electronic edition is a part of the UNC-CH digitization project, Documenting the American South.
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Library of Congress Subject Headings, 21st edition, 1998

Languages Used:

LC Subject Headings:

Revision History:

Illustration

Illustration

Illustration

Robert Blackwell.

Illustration

Illustration

Original
ACROSTICS
ON ALL THE
States and Presidents of the United States,
AND VARIOUS OTHER SUBJECTS,
RELIGIOUS, POLITICAL, AND PERSONAL.
ILLUSTRATED WITH
Portraits of all the Presidents, and Engravings of various other Kinds.

BY

ROBERT BLACKWELL,

Nashville, Tenn.:
PUBLISHED FOR THE AUTHOR. 1861.

Page verso

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1861, by
ROBERT BLACKWELL,
In the Office of the Clerk of the District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee.

Page v

Contents.

Page ix

Robert Blackwell


                         RHYMING is my occupation;
                         On I will my course pursue,
                         By this I rise to observation,
                         Expecting pay for what I do,
                         Regarding men of higher station,
                         They read my book, and pay me too.


                         Burlesque me not, ye wise and knowing,
                         Let me work and make my rhymes,
                         All I ask is half a showing,
                         Come, gentlemen, hand o'er your dimes;
                         Keep them not in pockets tight,
                         When I work I want my pay--
                         Encourage worth with talents bright--
                         Little critics, clear the way;
                         Learn to spell before you write.

Page x

Invocation.

[Gentlemen.]


                         GRANT me one favor, I ask no more,
                         Examine all my writings o'er;
                         Not forgetting all the time
                         'Tis hard to make a name to rhyme.
                         Let those who think they can compose
                         Excellent verse as well as prose,
                         Make one effort to be wise,
                         Ere they scoff and criticise
                         Numerous works they would revise.

Page 11

Part I.

Presidents.

Illustration

Part I. Presidents.

Page 13

Presidents.

Illustration

Presidents.


                         PRINCES ruled by right of birth
                         Regions fair o'er all the earth;
                         Ere the standard of the brave,
                         Striped and starred, aloft did wave,
                         In the strife that made us free,
                         Drove our foes beyond the sea.
                         Ever since those grand events,
                         Nations see our Presidents
                         Taken from the great and wise,
                         Set, our statesmen to advise.

Page 14

Illustration

George Washington.

Page 15

George Washington.

[First President of the U. S.]


        Born in Virginia, February 22, 1739. President from 1789 to 1797--eight years. Died December 1, 1799.



                         Go, read the history of the earth,
                         Each book, and try to find
                         One man so loved for sterling worth
                         Respected, more refined--
                         Greater and of a better birth,
                         Endeared more to mankind.


                         We read, that ere to fight he went,
                         All brave of heart to do and dare,
                         Some one beheld our hero bent,
                         His God to seek in humble prayer.
                         In that behold his faith in God--
                         Not in the prowess of his sword.
                         Great chieftain, gift of Heaven above,
                         There never was a man
                         On earth deserved more praise or love,
                         Not e'en since time began.

Moral Lesson.--Washington's Filial Piety.

        GEORGE WASHINGTON, when young, was about to go to sea as a midshipman; everything was arranged; the vessel lay opposite his father's house; the little boat had come on shore to take him off, and his whole heart was bent on going. After his trunk had been carried down to the boat, he went to bid his mother farewell, and saw the tears bursting from her eyes. However, he said nothing to her; but he saw that his mother would be distressed if he went, and, perhaps, never be happy again. He just turned round to the servant and said: "Go and tell them to fetch my trunk. I will not go away to break my mother's heart." His mother was struck with his decision, and she said to him: "George, God has promised to bless the children that honor their parents, and I believe that he will bless you." The young man who thus honored his parents was afterward honored by his country-men, and will be to the end of time.

Page 16

Illustration

John Adams.

Page 17

John Adams.

[Second President of the U. S.]


        Born in Mass., October 30, 1735. President from 1797 to 1801. Died July 4, 1826.



                         JUDGE of this man--his history read--
                         Our Patriot would no tyrant heed;
                         His loss is felt by one and all
                         Now living on this earthly ball.
                         And while all streams their courses keep,
                         Directing us toward the deep,
                         And stars shine in the azure deep
                         Men who prize true worth and fame
                         Shall e'er rejoice to read his name.

Moral Lesson.--John Adams and his Latin.

        JOHN ADAMS used to relate the following anecdote: "When I was a boy, I used to study the Latin grammar; but it was dull, and I hated it. My father was anxious to send me to college; and, therefore, I studied the grammar till I could bear it no longer; and going to my father, I told him I did not like study, and asked for some other employment. It was opposing his wishes, and he was quick in his answer: 'Well, John, if Latin grammar does not suit you, you may try ditching; perhaps that will. My meadow yonder needs a ditch, and you may put by Latin, and try that.'

        "This seemed a delightful change, and to the meadow I went. But I soon found ditching harder than Latin, and the first forenoon was the longest I had ever experienced. That day I ate the bread of labor; and right glad was I when night came on. That night I made some comparison between Latin and ditching; but said not a word about it. I dug next forenoon, and wanted to return to Latin at dinner; but it was humiliating, and I could not do it. At night, toil conquered pride; and though it was one of the severest trials I ever had in my life, I told my father, that if he chose, I would go back to Latin grammar. He was glad of it; and if I have since gained any distinction, it has been owing to the two days' labor in that abominable ditch."

        Boys may learn several important lessons from this story. It shows how little they oftentimes appreciate their privileges. Those who are kept at study frequently think it a hardship needlessly imposed on them. The opportunity of pursuing a liberal course of study is what few enjoy; and they are ungrateful who drag themselves to it as to an intolerable task. Youth may also learn from this anecdote, how much better their parents are qualified to judge of these things than themselves. If John Adams had continued this ditching instead of his Latin, his name would not probably have been known to us. But, in following the path marked out by his parent, he rose to the highest honors which the country can bestow.

Page 18

Illustration

Thomas Jefferson.

Page 19

Thomas Jefferson.

[Third President of the U. S.]


        Born in Virginia, April 13, 1743. President from 1801 to 1809--eight years. Died July 4, 1826.



                         THREATENED by foes on land and sea,
                         Heeding not the powers that be,
                         Our fathers, struggling to be free,
                         Made us renowned, by giving thee
                         A pen to write a declaration,
                         Scorning chains and degradation,
                         Just in time to save a nation,
                         Expressing worth by demonstration;
                         Flinching not, with pen in hand,
                         For us so boldly took thy stand,
                         Elevated by command,
                         Rolled the ink to save our land.
                         So long as stars and stripes shall wave
                         O'er this land of the fair and brave,
                         Nations will respect thy grave.

Moral Lesson.--Wisdom Learned from Nature.

        AN Italian bishop struggled through great difficulties without repining or betraying the least impatience. One of his intimate friends, who highly admired the virtues which he thought it impossible to imitate, one day asked the prelate if he could communicate the secret of being always easy. "Yes," replied the old man; "I can teach you my secret with great facility; it consists in nothing more than making a right use of my eyes." His friend begged of him to explain himself. "Most willingly," returned the bishop. "In whatever state I am, I first of all look up to Heaven, and remember that my principal business here is to get there; I then look down upon the earth, and call to mind how small a place I shall occupy in it, when I die and am buried; I then look abroad into the world, and observe what multitudes there are who are in all respects more unhappy than myself. Thus I learn where true happiness is placed--where all our cares must end; and what little reason I have to repine or complain."

Page 20

Illustration

James Madison.

Page 21

James Madison.

[Fourth President of the U. S.]


        Born in Virginia, March 16, 1757. President from 1809 to 1817--eight years.



                         JUST at the dawn of Freedom's morn,
                         A beacon light he upward rose;
                         Mankind to bless, he on did press,
                         Encountering and subduing foes
                         Such as did our rights oppose.


                         Much time he spent while President,
                         Among the great, the high, and wise,
                         Declaring to all, both great and small,
                         Imperious foes he did despise;
                         Supported by a Monarch high,
                         "Our foes," said he, "with kings that be,
                         No homage shall receive from me."

Moral Lesson.--Merit Superior to Birth.

        EURIPIDES was the son of a fruiterer; Virgil of a baker; Horace of a freed slave; Anayot of a currier; Voiture of a vintner; Tamerlane of a shepherd; Rollin of a herdsman; Mollière of an upholsterer; Rousseau of a watchmaker; Ben Jonson of a mason; Shakspeare of a butcher; Beattie of a farmer; Thomas Moore of a grocer; Rembrandt of a miller; Dr. Mibner, of China, was a herd-boy in Rhynia; Joseph Hume, of the British Parliament, was a sailor-boy. Thousands of such instances prove that birth is less honorable than true merit and industry.

The Philosopher Outdone.

        A LEARNED philosopher being in his study, a little girl came for some fire. The doctor said, "But you have nothing to take it in;" and as he was going to fetch something, the girl, taking some cold ashes in one hand, put the live coals on with the other. The astonished sage threw down his books, saying, "With all my learning I never should have found out that expedient."

Page 22

Illustration

James Monroe.

Page 23

James Monroe.

[Fifth President of the U. S.]


        Born in Virginia, April 2, 1759. President from 1817 to 1825--eight years. Died July 4, 1831.



                         JUSTLY for us did he fight;
                         And since he won a name so bright,
                         Men should of his victories write;
                         Ever praising what he's done
                         So long as shines our glorious sun.


                         Monroe was a warrior true,
                         Of the battles he fought we remember too;
                         Nelson-like at them he fought,
                         Repelling those who victory sought;
                         Of all the times by foes surrounded,
                         Excepting once, was never wounded.

Moral Lesson.--A Noble Boy.

        A BOY was once tempted by some of his companions to pluck ripe cherries from a tree which his father had forbidden him to touch. "You need not be afraid," said one of his companions, "for if your father should find out that you had taken them, he is so kind he would not hurt you." "That is the very reason," replied the boy, "why I would not touch them. It is true, my father would not touch me; yet my disobedience, I know, would hurt my father; and that would be worse to me than anything else." A boy who grows up with such principles would be a man in the best sense of the word. It betrays a regard for rectitude that would render him trustworthy under every trial.

Merlin and the Hen.

        DURING the awful massacre of St. Bartholomew, every Protestant in France that could be found was put to death. By order of the king, Admiral de Coligny was murdered in his own house, but Merlin, his chaplain, concealed himself in a hayloft. He stated, at the next synod, that he was supported during his concealment by a hen, which regularly laid her eggs near his place of refuge.

Page 24

Illustration

John Quincy Adams

Page 25

John Quincy Adams.

[Sixth President of the U. S.]


        Born in Massachusetts, July 11, 1767. President from 1825 to 1829--four years. Died February 23, 1848.



                         PEOPLE of every clime and tongue
                         Regarded him as one of worth,
                         Ever to his country true
                         So long as he remained on earth.
                         In learning none could him excel;
                         Discussion was to him delight,
                         Exploring was his mind, but still
                         Never did he swerve from right;
                         Think of the hight to which he rose,
                         Judge of his merits then,
                         Our statesman when but yet a youth,
                         Harangued with even the wisest men.
                         Now if you wish to blot his fame
                         Quite from beneath the sky,
                         Uplift the sea first from its bed,
                         Its mighty waves defy;
                         Not only so, but make the stars
                         Cease, at thy word, to run,
                         Yon silver moon, too, pluck it down,
                         And paralyze the sun;
                         Do all which we have named above,
                         And then you can, no doubt,
                         Make men forget his useful life,
                         Sweep, too, his memory out.

Moral Lesson.--Cicero.

        THE great Roman orator was one day sneered at by one of his opponents, a mean man of noble lineage, on account of his low parentage. "You are the first of your line," said the railer. "And you," replied Cicero, "are the last of yours."

Page 26

Illustration

Andrew Jackson.

Page 27

General Andrew Jackson.

[Seventh President of the U. S.]


        Born in North Carolina, March 15, 1767. President from 1829 to 1837--eight years. Died June 8, 1845.



                         GREAT and noble, brave and free,
                         Ever faithful, kind was he;
                         None could bend his iron will,
                         Earth could not his spirit quell;
                         Read his exploits o'er and o'er,
                         And you love him more and more.
                         Low though he sleeps, his virtues shine,
                         And will to the end of time.
                         Now go with him through life's scenes,
                         Down to the battle of Orleans;
                         Respect the course he is pursuing.
                         Enter on the battle's plain,
                         Witness the dying and the slain;
                         Judge from what you see him doing,
                         All his efforts were not vain;
                         Cities though are saved from ruin.
                         Kindled is the very air--
                         See the British in despair--
                         On each foe destruction hurled--
                         Now his fame surrounds the world.

Moral Lesson.

        LORD TENDERDEN, who was the son of a barber, had too much good sense to feel any false shame on that account. It is related of him, that when, in an early period of his professional career, a brother barrister, with whom he happened to have a quarrel, had the bad taste to twit him on his origin, his manly and severe reply was, "Yes, sir, I am the son of a barber; if you had been the son of a barber, you would have been a barber yourself."

Page 28

Illustration

Martin Van Buren.

Page 29

Martin Van Buren.

[Eighth President of the U. S.]


        Born in New York, December 5, 1782. President from 1837 to 1841--four years.



                         MORE greedy than wise, more knave than saint,
                         And yet he had so many charms,
                         Reclining on his chair of ease,
                         The people took him to their arms;
                         In all his glory they saw him rise,
                         Not clothed with virtue, but with disguise.


                         Vows he broke from day to day,
                         And, in truth, we this can say,
                         No tears can wash his sins away.


                         But still from us he homage claims,
                         Unmindful of his traitorous aims;
                         Robed in the garments of a foe,
                         Enticing men with him to go--
                         Not to heaven, but down below.

Fable.--The Fox and the Goat.

        A FOX having tumbled by chance into a well, had been casting about a long while, to no purpose, how he should get out again; when, at last, a goat came to the place, and wanting a drink, asked Reynard whether the water was good. "Good," says he; "ay, so sweet that I am afraid that I have surfeited myself, I have drank so abundantly." The goat, upon this, without any more ado, leaped in; and the fox, taking the advantage of his horns, by the assistance of them as nimbly leaped out, leaving the poor goat at the bottom of the well to shift for himself.

THE APPLICATION.

        The doctrine taught us by this fable is no more than this: that we ought to consider who it is that advises us, before we follow the advice. For, however plausible the counsel may seem, if the person that gives it is a crafty knave, we may be assured that he intends to serve himself in it, more than us, if not to erect something to his own advantage out of our ruin.

        The little, poor country attorney, ready to starve, and sunk to the lowest depth of poverty, for want of employment, by such arts as these, draws the squire his neighbor into the gulf of the law; until, laying hold on the branches of his revenue, he lifts himself out of obscurity, and leaves the other immured in the bottom of a mortgage.

Page 30

Illustration

William H. Harrison.

Page 31

William H. Harrison,

[Ninth, President of the U. S.,]


        Was son of Benjamin Harrison, one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. He was born in Charles City, Virginia, February 9, 1773, and was elected President 1840. But in the midst of his glory and bright career, was seized with sickness, and died April 4, just one month from his inauguration.


COMPOSED ON HIS TRIUMPHANT VICTORY AT THE BATTLE OF
TIPPECANOE.


                         WHILE here in this land, at his people's command,
                         He rushed to the field with sword in his hand,
                         Huzzahing like Tweed, for his country in need,
                         All foes he compelled to fly at full speed;
                         Resisting, they fell, right and left, pell mell,
                         Rebuking each other rang out the wild yell;
                         Intruders were shot, and killed on the spot,
                         Still hourly the battle was growing more hot;
                         Onward he goes, overwhelming his foes,
                         Not leaving one rebel to tell of their woes.

Moral Lesson.

        PETER THE GREAT made a law, in 1722, that when any nobleman beat or ill-treated his slaves, he should be looked upon as insane, and a guardian should be appointed to take care of his person and his estate. The monarch, however, who advised clemency, kindness, and forbearance, and thus severely punished the violators of the law by which he attempted to enforce them, was very irritable, and frequently struck his inferiors, whatever might be their rank. He frequently apologized, and it was considered an honor to have a blow and an apology from the emperor. He once struck his gardener, who being very sensitive, took to his bed and died. When Peter heard of it, he said, "Alas! I have civilized my own subjects; I have conquered other nations; yet I have not been able to civilize or to conquer myself!"

Page 32

Illustration

John Tyler.

Page 33

John Tyler.

[Tenth President of the U. S.]


        Born in Virginia, March 20, 1790. Succeeded to the Presidency on the death of General Harrison, in 1840. Served to 1845--three years, eleven months.



                         JUDGING from his traitorous course,
                         Our praise of him would have no force;
                         His duping friends, at once we see,
                         Never will forgotten be.


                         To him we did our homage pay,
                         Yet, strange to say, he went astray;
                         Laid by the honors which he won,
                         Ever to be, while shines the sun,
                         Rebuked by all--POOR TYLER JOHN.

Moral Lesson.--Nobility of Birth.

        CRANTZ, in his Saxon history, tells us of an Earl of Alsatia, surnamed Iron, on account of his great strength, who was a great favorite with Edward the Third of England, and much envied, as favorites are always sure to be, by the rest of the courtiers. On one occasion, when the king was absent, some nobleman maliciously instigated the queen to make trial of the noble blood of the favorite, by causing a lion to be let loose upon him, saying, according to the popular belief, that "If the earl was truly noble, the lion would not touch him." It being customary with the earl to rise at break of day, before any other person in the palace was stirring, a lion was let loose during the night, and turned into the lower court. When the earl came down in the morning, with only a night-gown over his shirt, he was met by the lion, bristling his hair, and growling destruction between his teeth. The earl, not in the least daunted, called out, with a stout voice, "Stand, you dog!" At these words the lion couched at his feet, to the great amazement of the courtiers, who were peeping out at every window to see the issue of their ungenerous project. The earl laid hold of the lion by the mane, turned him into his cage, and placing his night-cap on the lion's back, came forth without casting a look behind him. "Now," said the earl, calling out to the courtiers, whose presence at the windows instantly convinced him of the share they had in this trial of his courage, "let him among you all that standeth most upon his pedigree go and fetch my night-cap."

Page 34

Illustration

James K. Polk .

Page 35

James R. Polk.

[Eleventh President of the U. S.]


        Born in North Carolina, November 2, 1795. President from 1845 to 1849--four years. Died June 15, 1849. Glory to his name and peace to his ashes.



                         JUSTICE and truth he loved from his youth,
                         And, as he grew old in years, we are told,
                         More wise he became, till he won a proud name
                         Ever to be bright; while stars give us light,
                         Shall the world of his wisdom be told.
                         Kindest of men, there ne'er was a pen
                         Pointed with gems could praise him too high;
                         O'er the statesman true, now hundreds we view
                         Lamenting the hour, when God, by his power,
                         Kindled disease and caused him to die.


                         His fame it will last while ages go past,
                         Kind husband, great statesman, though dead,
                         Our people do boast of his valor and trust
                         On the marble which covers his head.

Moral Lesson.--Knocking Away the Props.

[INSCRIBED TO MRS. JAMES K. POLK.]

        "SEE, father," said a lad who was walking with his father, "they are knocking away the props from under the bridge. What are they doing that for? Won't the bridge fall?"

        "They are knocking them away," said the father, "that the timbers may rest more firmly upon the stone piers which are now finished."

THE APPLICATION.

        God often takes away our earthly props, that we may rest more firmly on Him. God sometimes takes away a man's health that he may rest upon him for his daily bread. Before his health failed, though perhaps he repeated daily the words: "Give us this day our daily bread," he looked to his own industry for that which he asked of God. That prop being taken away, he rested wholly on God's bounty. When he receives his bread, he receives it as the gift of God. God takes away our friends, that we may look to him for sympathy. When our affections were exercised on objects around us, when we rejoiced in their abundant sympathy, we did not feel the use of Divine sympathy. But when they were taken away, we felt our need of God's sympathy and support. We were brought to realize that he alone can give support, and form an adequate portion for the soul. Thus are our earthly props removed, that we may rest firmly and wholly upon God.

Page 36

Illustration

Zachary Taylor.

Page 37

Zachary Taylor.

[Twelth President of the U. S.]


        Born in Virginia, November 24, 1784. President from March 4, 1849, to his death July 9, 1850--one year, four months, and five days.



                         ZEALOUS was he to keep us all free,
                         And to march us in triumph o'er the powers that be;
                         Counselor and chief in the days of our grief,
                         He flew to our aid, and gave us relief.
                         As a true worthy son his duty he done,
                         Rushing on foes he made them all run,
                         Yelling like hounds at the crack of a gun.


                         The glance of his eye made the Mexicans fly,
                         All dreading his sword and fearing to die;
                         Yet thousands withstood our General so good,
                         Leaving his men to tread in the blood
                         Of cowards and foes who slept in repose,
                         Requiring some one their eyelids to close.

Moral Lesson.--The Two Rivers.

        Evil communications (associations) corrupt good manners.

        THE waters of the Mississippi and the Missouri unite and form one river. The water of the latter is exceedingly turbid, and the former clear. When they first meet the waters refuse to mingle. The clear and muddy water flows along, forming one river; but you can clearly distinguish the one from the other. By degrees the clear, bright waters of the one become united with those of the other, and the clearness is lost forever.

THE APPLICATION.

        Virtuous and vicious persons can associate for a time, keeping their characters distinct. But if the associations be continued, the virtuous, pure character will become soiled by the vicious. No one can associate freely with the wicked without becoming in some measure like them.

Page 38

Illustration

Millard Fillmore.

Page 39

Millard Fillmore.

[Thirteenth President of the U. S.]


        Born in New York, January 7, 1800. Succeeded to the Presidency on the death of General Taylor, July 9, 1850. Served to March 4, 1853--two years, seven months, and twenty-three days.



        THIS WAS COMPOSED IN 1856.



                         HONORED for thy love of right,
                         Onward soar to fame and might;
                         Never from the truth diverging,
                         Or spurious doctrines on us urging;
                         Respect the good, reprove the bad,
                         And brace the weak, and cheer the sad.
                         Be kind to all, do what we may,
                         Let nothing lead thy heart astray;
                         Ever kind in thought and deed,
                         Men by acts thy heart can read.
                         Indebted for past favors, we
                         Like loyal subjects, reverence thee;
                         Labor on, and be content,
                         And if elected President,
                         Restore the good to office, and
                         Disperse the bad, at thy command.


                         For many now in office be
                         In whom defects we plainly see;
                         Living on the revenue
                         Like wolves they eat, but nothing do.
                         Mean men, they seek for wealth and fame,
                         Our country's good is not their aim;
                         Repulse them all from office, and
                         Extend thy sway o'er all the land.

Page 40

Illustration

Franklin Pierce.

Page 41

Franklin Pierce

[Fourteenth President of the U. S.]


        Born in New York, November 23, 1801. President from 1853 to 1857--four years.



                         FEW ever did live deserving more praise,
                         Reviving our hearts on him when we gaze;
                         And let us speak the truth as it stands,
                         No one from us more praises demands;
                         Keeping his eyes on the mansions of light,
                         Losing no time, 'tis precious and bright.
                         Inured to close study, a lover of truth,
                         Never swerving from right from the days of his youth.


                         Precious to all is the man of true worth,
                         Influenced by such we live on the earth;
                         Every eye should behold him and tongue give him praise,
                         Respecting his walk, his wisdom, and ways;
                         Condemning no one who willingly stands
                         Ever ready to go where duty demands.

Moral Lesson.--The Ornamental Bow.

        A MAN possessed an excellent bow, made of ebony, with which he could shoot at a great distance, and with much precision. This bow he highly prized; but on viewing it attentively, he thought it somewhat too simple, its ornament consisting exclusively in its polish. "What a pity! I will repair to an artist, and order him to carve some figures on my bow," said the man. He did so; and the artist represented thereon a complete chase; and what could be more suitable? The man, overjoyed, exclaimed: "You well deserve these embellishments, my excellent bow!" at the same moment placing the arrow, twang sounded the string, and the bow--broke!

MORAL.

        Sterling qualities and energy of character too often become enervated and useless by an undue regard for external accomplishments.

Page 42

Illustration

James Buchanan.

Page 43

James Buchanan.

[Fifteenth President of the U. S.]


        Born in Pennsylvania, April 13, 1791, and was elected President 1856.



                         JUGGLING men we hate to see,
                         And such a man should never be
                         Made to rule America.
                         Evil-minded, greedy too,
                         See how he spends the revenue.
                         Base-hearted, mean, intriguing, sly,
                         Unfit to live, unfit to die;
                         Corrupted by a Northern band,
                         Hating every Southern land.
                         A curse to all, to child and sire,
                         None should such a fame desire.
                         All the prayers of this whole nation
                         Need be made for his salvation.

A Fable.

        A KITE had been sick a long time, and finding there were no hopes of recovery, begged of his mother to go to all the churches and religious houses in the country, to try what promises and prayers could effect in his behalf. The old Kite replied: "Indeed, dear son, I would willingly undertake anything to save your life, but I have great reason to despair of doing you any service in the way you propose; for, with what face can I ask anything of the gods in favor of one whose life has been a continued scene of rapine and injustice; and who has not scrupled, upon occasion, to rob the very altars themselves?"

Diogenes exposing Pride.

        DIOGENES being at Olympia, saw at that celebrated festival some young men of Rhodes, magnificently dressed. Smiling, he exclaimed, "This is pride." Afterward meeting some Lacedæmonians, who were in a mean and sordid dress, he said, "This also is pride." The keen observation of the philosopher enabled him to detect pride in these two opposite exhibitions of human nature.

Page 44

Illustration

Abraham Lincoln.

Page 45

Abe Lincoln.

Elected President by the Black Republicans, November 6, 1860.


                         ABHORRED by all,
                         Both great and small,
                         Existing on this Southern soil.
                         Lean, hungry,
                         Insidious,
                         Nefarious man,
                         Cunning, and trying
                         Our ruin to plan;
                         Let Northerners bow to him,
                         No Southerner can.

Moral Lesson.

        AN eagle that had young ones, looking out for something to feed them with, happened to spy a fox's cub, that lay basking itself abroad in the sun. She made a stoop and trussed it immediately; but before she had carried it quite off, the old fox coming home, implored her, with tears in her eyes, to spare her cub, and pity the distress of a poor mother, who should think no affliction so great as that of losing her child. The eagle, whose nest was up in a very high tree, thought herself secure enough from all projects of revenge, and so bore away the cub to her young ones, without showing any regard to the supplications of the fox. But that subtile creature, highly incensed at this outrageous barbarity, ran to an altar, where some country people had been sacrificing a kid in the open fields, and catching up a firebrand in her mouth, ran toward the tree where the eagle's nest was, with a resolution of revenge. She had scarce ascended the first branches, when the eagle, terrified with the approaching ruin of herself and family, begged the fox to desist, and, with much submission, returned her the cub again safe and sound.

THE APPLICATION.

        This fable is a warning to us, not to deal hardly or injuriously by anybody. The consideration of our being in a high condition of life, and those we hurt below us, will plead little or no excuse for us in this case. For there is scarce a creature of so despicable a rank, but is capable of avenging itself some way, and at some time or other. When great men happen to be wicked, how little scruple do they make of oppressing their poor neighbors! they are perched upon a lofty station, and have built their nest on high; and, having outgrown all feelings of humanity, are insensible to any pangs of remorse. The widow's tears, the orphan's cries, and the curses of the miserable, like javelins thrown by the hand of a feeble old man, fall by the way, and never reach their heart. But let such a one, in the midst of his flagrant injustice, remember how easy a matter it is, notwithstanding his superior distance, for the meanest vassal to be revenged of him. The bitterness of affliction, even where cunning is wanting, may animate the poorest spirit with resolutions of vengeance, and when once that fury is thoroughly awakened, we know not what she will require before she is lulled to rest again. The most powerful tyrants can not prevent a resolved assassination; there are a thousand different ways for any private man to do the business, who is heartily disposed to do it, and willing to satisfy his appetite for revenge at the expense of his life. An old woman may clap a firebrand to the palace of a prince, and it is in the power of a poor weak fool to destroy the children of the mighty.

Page 47

Part II.

States and Territories.

Illustration

Part II. States and Territories.

Page 49

The United States.

Illustration

The United States.


                         THE thickest dangers we can brave;
                         High above each watery grave,
                         Ever may our banners wave.
                         United we to greatness rose,
                         Notwithstanding deadly foes
                         In our youth did us oppose;
                         They could not make our sons to yield;
                         Each with sword and right to shield,
                         Displayed his valor on the field.
                         Servitude we could not stand,
                         They fought our foes on sea and land,
                         And made them fall on every hand.
                         The victory sought at last was won,
                         Efficient, brave George Washington,
                         Subduing made our foes to run.

Page 50

Maine

Illustration

Maine.

ADMITTED INTO THE UNION, 1820.

POPULATION IN 1860, 619,958.

NUMBER OF SQUARE MILES, 35,000.

Page 51

Maine


                         MOST Northern State of all the free
                         And independent states that be,
                         In thee the finest mills we see;
                         Noted for lumber, cities, and towns,
                         Exports of lime, and fine granite mounds.

Fable.--The Dog and the Shadow.

        A DOG, crossing a little rivulet with a piece of flesh in his mouth, saw his shadow represented in the clear mirror of the limpid stream; and believing it to be another dog, who was carrying another piece of flesh, he could not forbear catching at it; but was so far from getting anything by his greedy design, that he dropped the piece he had in his mouth, which immediately sunk to the bottom, and was irrecoverably lost.

THE APPLICATION.

        He that catches at more than belongs to him, justly deserves to lose what he has. Yet nothing is more common, and, at the same time, more pernicious, than this selfish principle. It prevails from the king to the peasant; and all orders and degrees of men are, more or less, infected with it. Great monarchs have been drawn in by this greedy humor, to grasp at the dominions of their neighbors; not that they wanted anything more to feed their luxury, but to gratify their insatiable appetite with vain-glory. If the kings of Persia could have been contented with their own vast territories, they had not lost all Asia for the sake of a little petty state of Greece. And France, with all its glory, has, ere now, been reduced to the last extremity by the same unjust encroachments.

        He that thinks he sees another estate in a pack of cards or a box and dice, and ventures his own in the pursuit of it, should not repine if he finds himself a beggar in the end.

Page 52

New Hampshire.

Illustration

        New Hampshire.

        ONE OF THE ORIGINAL THIRTEEN.

        POPULATION IN 1860, 327,072.

        NUMBER OF SQUARE MILES 9,200.

Page 53

New Hampshire.


                         NE'ER falter nor pine, though troubles arise,
                         Extending, like darkness surrounding the skies,
                         With freedom to guide thee, till time it shall close,
                         Hold fast to the Truth, in spite of all foes;
                         And the Author of freedom, the King of the skies,
                         Most gracious and holy, he hears all thy cries,
                         Protects and directs thee, unseen though he be,
                         Supported by him are the States of the Free;
                         His arms are around thee, his power defends,
                         Immanuel, King Jesus, the best of all friends,
                         Reclaim thee when swerving from truth and from right,
                         Ere shades of deep darkness ingulf thee in night.

Fable.--The Man and his Goose.

        A CERTAIN man had a goose, which laid him a golden egg every day. But, not contented with this, which rather increased than abated his avarice, he was resolved to kill the goose and cut up her belly, that so he might come at the inexhaustible treasure which he fancied she had within her. He did so, and to his great sorrow and disappointment found nothing.

THE APPLICATION.

        Those who are of such craving and impatient tempers that they can not live contented when fortune has blessed them with a constant and continual sufficiency, deserve even to be deprived of what they have. And this has been the case of many ambitious and covetous men, who, by making an essay to grow very rich at once, have missed what they aimed at, and lost what they had before.

Page 54

Vermont.

Illustration

        Vermont.

        ADMITTED INTO THE UNION, 1792.

        POPULATION IN 1860, 315,827.

        NUMBER OF SQUARE MILES, 10,213.

Page 55

Vermont.


                         VERY healthy, mountainous, and rich little State,
                         Endeared to the humble, the wise, and the great,
                         Restraining no one, all acting upright,
                         May walk from thy shores to the mansions of light.
                         Of all thy charms no mortal can tell,
                         No pen can relate them, all loving thee well,
                         They wish not to leave thee in far lands to dwell.

Fable.--The Vain Jackdaw.

        A CERTAIN jackdaw was so proud and ambitious, that not contented to live within his own sphere, but picking up the feathers which fell from the peacocks, he stuck them in among his own, and very confidently introduced himself into an assembly of those beautiful birds. They soon found him out, stripped him of his borrowed plumes, and falling upon him with their sharp bills, punished him as his presumption deserved. Upon this, full of grief and affliction, he returned to his old companions, and would have flocked with them again; but they, knowing his late life and conversation, industriously avoided him, and refused to admit him into their company; and one of them at the same time gave him a serious reproof. If, friend, you could have been contented with our station, and not disdained the rank in which nature had placed you, you had not been used so scurvily by those upon whom you intruded yourself, nor suffered the notorious slight which now we think ourselves obliged to put upon you.

THE APPLICATION.

        What we may learn from this fable is, in the main, to live contentedly in our own condition, whatever it be, without affecting to look bigger than we are, by a false or borrowed life. To be barely pleased with appearing above what a man really is, is bad enough; and what may justly render him contemptible in the eyes of his equals; but if, to enable him to do this with something of a better grace, he has clandestinely feathered his nest with his neighbor's goods, when found out, he has nothing to expect but to be stripped of his plunder, and used like a felonious rogue into the bargain.

Page 56

Massachusetts.

Illustration

        Massachusetts.

        ONE OF THE ORIGINAL THIRTEEN.

        POPULATION IN 1860, 1,231,494.

        NUMBER OF SQUARE MILES, 7,800.

Page 57

Massachusetts.


                         MAY all thy children in religion confide,
                         And trust in the merits of the Savior who died,
                         Suffered with hunger, with hardships and pains--
                         Sickness and torture, to free us from chains;
                         And since those chains which bound us once fast,
                         Can never more gall while ages go past--
                         Hold back the turbulent, and make them to see,
                         Union of all States, can never more be:
                         So should thy sons in the future be found,
                         Endeavoring to scatter dissension around,
                         Those traitors arrest, tho' fierce and tho' bold,
                         Their crimes, too, punish before they are sold
                         Slaves to Europe, that tyrant of old.

Moral Lesson.--Mohammed Saved by a Spider.

        WHEN Mohammed, exposed to the wrath of his enemies, fled from Mecca, in company with Abubekar, they took refuge in a cave three miles from the city, called the cave of Ther, where the two fugitives concealed themselves for three days. His pursuers, coming to the cave, found that a spider had woven a web across the entrance, from which circumstance they judged that no one could have recently entered it. They accordingly retired without examining the interior, and the Prophet and his companion afterward escaped in safety. But for that spider's web, Mohammed had lost his life; and his career terminated only to be dimly written on the page of history.

A Noble Reply.

        A YOUNG aristocrat taunted a member of the British House of Commons, who had won his way to a high position by industry and perseverance, with his humble origin, saying, "I remember when you blacked my father's boots." "Well, sir," was the reply, "did I not do them well?"

Page 58

Rhode Island.

Illustration

        Rhode Island.

        ONE OF THE ORIGINAL THIRTEEN.

        POPULATION IN 1860, 174,621.

        NUMBER OF SQUARE MILES, 1,306.

Page 59

Rhode Island.


                         REGARDED small by one and all,
                         Healthy yet and like a light,
                         Ornamental to the free;
                         Decked with cities shining bright,
                         Each one speaks in praise of thee.


                         It gives us joy when we behold
                         So many ladies, young and old,
                         Laboring in thy factories fine;
                         All dependent though they be,
                         Not so much as one we see
                         Disposed to grumble or repine.

Fable.--The old Hound and the Huntsman.

        AN old hound, who had been an excellent good one in his time, and given his master great sport and satisfaction in many a chase, at last, worn out by age, became feeble and unserviceable. However, being in the field one day, when the stag was almost run down, he happened to be the first that came in with him, and seized him by one of his haunches; but his decayed and broken teeth not being able to keep their hold, the deer escaped, and threw him quite out. Upon which, his master, being in a great passion, and going to strike him, the honest old creature is said to have barked out this apology: "Ah! do not strike your poor, old servant; it is not my heart and inclination, but my strength and speed, that fail me. If what I now am displeases you, pray recollect what I have been."

MORAL.

        Past services should never be forgotten.

Page 60

Connecticut.

Illustration

        Connecticut.

        ONE OF THE ORIGINAL THIRTEEN.

        POPULATION IN 1860, 460,670.

        NUMBER OF SQUARE MILES, 4,750.

Page 61

Connecticut.


                         CELEBRATED for industry, while factories we see
                         On our right and our left when traveling o'er thee;
                         No one can prevent us, when on thee we gaze,
                         Nor make us to falter when giving thee praise.
                         Every one who beholds thee thy name should adore,
                         Containing the learned, the rich, and the poor;
                         Tall churches, large towns, and cities quite fine,
                         Increasing in thee like diamonds they shine,
                         Cheering all mortals in thy limits around,
                         Undeniable, most beautiful, the learned and profound,
                         They admit, to thy glory, thy name is renowned.

Fable.--The Tunny and the Dolphin.

        A FISH called a tunny, being pursued by a dolphin, and driven with great violence, not minding which way he went, was thrown by the force of the waves upon a rock, and left there. His death was now inevitable; but, casting his eye on one side, and seeing the dolphin, in the same condition, lie gasping by him, "Well," says he, "I must die, it is true; but I die with pleasure, when I behold him who is the cause of it involved in the same fate."

THE APPLICATION.

        Revenge, though a blind, mischievous passion, is yet a very sweet thing; so sweet that it can even sooth the pangs, and reconcile us to the bitterness of death. And, indeed, it must be a temper highly philosophical that could be driven out of life by any tyrannical, unjust procedure, and not be touched with a sense of pleasure to see the author of it splitting upon the same rock.

Page 62

New York.

Illustration

        New York.

        ONE OF THE ORIGINAL THIRTEEN.

        POPULATION IN 1860, 3,851,663.

        NUMBER OF SQUARE MILES, 47,000.

Page 63

New York.


                         NUMEROUS mills, and factories too,
                         Enrich her sons and daughters true
                         With gold and silver bright and new.


                         Ye men, who buy fine goods of her,
                         Offend her not, her name is dear,
                         Reflecting light, be men profound;
                         Keep step with her, ye states around.

Fable.--The Hart and the Vine.

        A HART, being pursued hard by the hunters, hid himself under the broad leaves of a shady, spreading vine. When the hunters were gone by, and had given him over for lost, he, thinking himself very secure, began to crop and eat the leaves of the vine. By this means the branches being put into a rustling motion, drew the eyes of the hunters that way; who, seeing the vine stir, and fancying some wild beast had taken covert there, shot their arrows at a venture, and killed the hart, who, before he expired, uttered his dying words to this purpose: "Ah! I suffer justly for my ingratitude; who could not forbear doing an injury to the vine that so kindly concealed me in time of danger."

THE APPLICATION.

        Ingratitude has been always esteemed the biggest of crimes, and what, as it were, comprehends all other vices within it. Nor can we say that this estimation is rashly or unadvisedly made; for he that is capable of injuring his benefactors, what will he scruple toward another? If his conscience can not be felt with the weight of an obligation added to it, much less will it have any influence where there is none. So that, upon the whole, we may conclude that the man who has been once guilty of ingratitude, will not stick at any other crimes of an inferior nature.

Page 64

New Jersey.

Illustration

        New Jersey.

        ONE OF THE ORIGINAL THIRTEEN.

        POPULATION IN 1860, 676,084.

        NUMBER OF SQUARE MILES, 8,300.

Page 65

New Jersey.


                         NEAT, lovely towns and cities high
                         Everywhere in her we spy,
                         With factories towering to the sky.


                         Justly worthy mints of gold,
                         Enriching men, let the days of old
                         Repeat her worth as yet untold;
                         She did the sword most bravely wield;
                         England tried to make her yield,
                         Yet Jersey whipped her on the field.

Fable--The Wolves and the Sheep.

        THE wolves and sheep had been a long time in a state of war together. At last a cessation of arms was proposed, in order to a treaty of peace, and hostages were to be delivered on both sides for security. The wolves proposed that the sheep should give up their dogs on the one side; and that they would deliver up their young ones on the other. This proposal was agreed to; but no sooner executed, than the young wolves began to howl for want of their dams. The old ones took this opportunity to cry out, "The treaty was broke;" and so, falling upon the sheep, who were destitute of their faithful guardians, the dogs, they worried and devoured them without control.

THE APPLICATION.

        In all our transactions with mankind, even in the most private and low life, we should have a special regard how, and with whom, we trust ourselves. Men, in this respect, ought to look upon each other as wolves, and to keep themselves under a secure guard, and in a continual posture of defense. Particularly upon any treaties of importance, the securities on both sides should be strictly considered; and each should act with so cautious a view to their own interest, as never to pledge or part with that which is the very essence and basis of their safety and wellbeing.

Page 66

Pennsylvania.

Illustration

Pennsylvania.

        ONE OF THE ORIGINAL THIRTEEN.

        POPULATION IN 1860, 2,916,018.

        NUMBER OF SQUARE MILES, 46,000.

Page 67

Pennsylvania.


                         PRIZED by the good, and by the great
                         Enriched and called the Keystone State;
                         No state more true, no state more wise,
                         No state more loved beneath the skies;
                         She firmly stands, adorned with grace;
                         Ye men around, behold her face.
                         Look at her houses, white and new,
                         Various towns and cities too,
                         Alive with men. Now see, behold
                         Not only man, but women bold,
                         Invoking God to save our land,
                         And make this Union firmly stand.

Fable.--The Ant and the Grasshopper.

        IN the winter season, a commonwealth of ants was busily employed in the management and preservation of their corn; which they exposed to the air, in heaps, round about the avenues of their little country habitation. A grasshopper, who had chanced to outlive the summer, and was ready to starve with cold and hunger, approached them with great humility, and begged that they would relieve his necessity with one grain of wheat or rye. One of the ants asked him, how he had disposed of his time in summer, that he had not taken pains, and laid in a stock, as they had done. "Alas! gentlemen," says he, "I passed away the time merrily and pleasantly, in drinking, singing, and dancing, and never once thought of winter." "If that be the case," replied the ant, "all I have to say is, that they who drink, sing, and dance, in the summer, must starve in the winter."

MORAL.


                         Who pleasures love