Rhode Island Republican

From the Charleston City Gazette.

ODE,
Written by Mr. J. Hodgkinson (the celebrated Comedian) and sung on the day set apart by the citizens of America to celebrate the peaceable possession of Louisiana.

WHEN Superstition held her rod
O'er Europe's once degraded;
Man's life depended on a nod ;
His ev'ry right invaded!
Fair Liberty, her exil'd head
Hid from despotic sway ;
And many a bitter tear she shed
Upon her weary way.
No settled habitation She
For ages e'er could gain ;
The earth o'er run with bigotry,
To hear her would not deign :
'Till Enterprise, discover'd-had
A region yet unknown ;
To this the few with soul full glad
And claim'd it as her own.
Columbia then nam'd the land,
And vow'd they'd never sever.
This is the soil for freedom's band,
It shall be free for ever.
And when occasion call'd her forth
To war against oppression;
God gave a Washington to earth,
T' assert her due possession.
One darkening spot he saw remain,
Yielding to foreign force ;
This he petition'd Jove to gain,
T' illuminate Freedom's course.
The deities assembled soon,
They heard the message given ;
And to decide upon her boon,
Was now the cause of Heaven.
Mars rose, and this opinion gave :
I'll send them to the field,
Columbia's sons are truly brave,
Their rights they ne'er will yield.
When Peace and Mercy, hand in hand,
With Pity at their Side,
Cried, let not blood inbrue the land,
Where Virtue hail preside.
See Europe and her Slaughtering hosts,
Humanity affright ;
There let Ambition make her boasts,
There lead her sons to fight :
But let Columbia, great and free,
Away with maddening rage;
Her rights assert with dignity.
If forced--the war then wage.
Says Jove, by Styx, I think it best,
And hope you will agree,
To grant fair Liberty's request—
LOUISIANA's FREE!
Peace wav'd her olive branch—Truth cried
All sanction the decree.
May patriot Wisdom still preside!
LOUISIANA's FREE.