Poems (Jones)/A Ballad of the South and North

by Amanda Theodosia Jones

A BALLAD OF THE SOUTH AND NORTH.

H, once the Southron's talk was bold:
 He vaunted oft his fair estate,
His faithful slaves, his mansion old,
 His heart that burned for love or hate.
"But spare our rights," the North replied,
 "With equal worth ye have to deal."
"Up! fire the Southern heart!" he cried,
 "We'll teach these Yankees how to kneel!
   The Southern heart begins to beat:
    We'll drop the whip, we'll grasp the steel:
   We'll take no rest till 'neath our feet
    These coward Yankees kneel!"

Then brought he forth his stolen guns,
 With boastful speech and daring oath:
He laughed to scorn our brawny sons—
 "So prone to toil, to fight so loath!"
Our Northmen laid their tools aside,
 And listened—listened all alert:
"Come on, oh if ye dare!" he cried,
 "But know our blades are sure to hurt!
   The Southern heart begins to burn;
    Our lordly nature we'll assert:
   Come, Yankees, one and all, but learn
    Our blades are sure to hurt!"

O braggart Southron, wail the day
 When Treason thus in arms did start:
For flames that roared o'er Charleston Bay,
 Swept on and fired—the Northern heart!
Then flashed the sun on serried steel;
 Then Northern words were proud to hear:
"Who dares to bid our Freemen kneel,
 Shall meet a foe who cannot fear!"
   The Northern heart began to beat;
    The Northern voice rang far and clear:
   "Who bids our Freemen kneel, shall meet
    A foe who cannot fear!"

On marched our glorious Yankee lads,
 Our craft the rolling billow cleft;
Loud crashed the grand columbiads,
 The rifles rattled right and left.
The slave went free; the fair estate
 In gore was drenched, with fire was girt;
The vanquished Southron learned too late
 That Yankee blades were sure to hurt.
   The Northern heart with courage burned;
    Our equal rights we dared assert:
   Too late the vanquished Southron learned
    Our blades were sure to hurt!