West Jersey Pioneer

For the West Jersey Pioneer
THE OLD FLAG.
BY REV. T. H. COLHOUER
Oh give me still the good old Flag,
With its stars so clear and bright;
They'll cheer and animate my heart,
Through this my country's night.
They'll light me till the coming dawn
Till the return of day;
When secession has given up the
Ghost,
And her myriads passed away.
Oh give me still the good old Flag
'Tis my protection here at home,
'Tis very dear to me;
My guardian on the sea.
Our Fathers fought it with their blood
For it their lives were given—
'Tis honored by the brave below,
'Tis typed and blessed of heaven
It was the flag of Washington,
Which cheered him in that hour;
When our Fathers rose against their
foes.
To resist Great Britain's power.
It was their 'pillar of cloud by day,
Their 'pillar of fire by night,
Which led them on to victory,
And put their foes to flight.
It was the flag of Jackson too,
Who feared no mortal man;
Who fought beneath its circling folds,
And conquered Pakenham.
It was the flag of Lawrence too,
While the dead lay round in heaps.
Cried, "I am dying my brave boys,
But don't give up the ship."
It is the flag of the veteran Scott,
Who fifty years ago,
Unfurled its colors to the breeze:
Nor lowered it to the foe.
He kept it up at Vera Cruz :
Till its enemies did fall,
And then in triumph, bore it on,
To Montezuma's Halls.
Oh give me then the good old Flag!
No other one I crave,
Our Fathers dyed it, with their blood.
No other one I'll have.
For 'tis the standard of the free,
The banner of the brave;
Before it "Secesh" soon will fall,
And Slavery find a grave.
This flag, the old Flag still shall wave!
These stars there's none shall sever—
Tis our nation's flag—her only flag,
And our nation's flag forever.
Forever palsied be the hand.
That would one star dissever
'Tis our nation's flag—her only flag
And our nation's flag forever.