Unknown
1719. Colonial Revolution.
1763. Colonial History–Progress,
1776. American Revolution.
1812-15. Second War with Great Britain
1830-32. Nullification for State Rights.
1835-40. Florida War.
1847. Mexican War–Palmetto Regiment.
1860-61. Secession, and Third War for Independence.
My brave old Country! I have watched thee long
Still ever first to rise against the wrong;
To check the usurper in his giant stride,
And brave his terrors and abase his pride;
Foresee the insidious danger ere it rise,
And warn the heedless and inform the wise;
Scorning the lure, the bribe, the selfish game,
Which, through the office, still becomes the shame;
Thou stood’st aloof–superior to the fate
That would have wrecked thy freedom as a State.
In vain the despot’s threat, his cunning lure;
Too proud thy spirit, and thy heart too pure;
Thou hadst no quest but freedom, and to be
In conscience well-assured, and people free.
The statesman’s lore was thine, the patriot’s aim,
These kept thee virtuous, and preserved thy fame;
The wisdom still for council, the brave voice,
That thrills a people till they all rejoice.
These were thy birthrights; and two centuries pass’d,
As, at the first, still find thee at the last;
Supreme in council, resolute in will,
Pure in thy purpose–independent still!
The great good counsels, the examples brave,
Won from the past, not buried in its grave,
Still warm your soul with courage–still impar
Wisdom to virtue, valor to the heart!
Still first to check th’ encroachment–to declare
“Thus far! no further, shall the assailant dare;”
Thou keep’st thy ermine white, thy State secure,
Thy fortunes prosperous, and thy freedom sure;
No glozing art deceives thee to thy bane;
The tempter and the usurper strive in vain!
Thy spear’s first touch unfolds the fiendish form,
And first, with fearless breast, thou meet’st the storm;
Though hosts assail thee, thou thyself a host,
Prepar’st to meet the invader on the coast:
Thy generous sons contending which shall be
First in the phalanx, gathering by the sea;
No dastard fear appals them, as they teach
How best to hurl the bolt, or man the breach!
Great Soul in little frame!–the hope of man
Exults, when such as thou art in the van!
Unshaken, unbeguiled, unslaved, unbought,
Thy fame shall brighten with each battle fought;
True to the examples of the past, thou’lt be,
For the long future, best security.
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Analysis (AI Assisted)
This poem speaks in the voice of praise, but it is not casual praise. It reads like a sustained address to a single state, treated as if it were a thinking, acting being with memory, judgment, and moral weight. From the opening lines, the speaker frames this “Country” as watchful and alert, always the first to recognize danger and the first to resist it. The poem is less interested in specific events than in building a character profile: proud, cautious, principled, and unwilling to be bought or frightened into submission.
A large part of the poem is spent insisting on foresight. This state is praised not for reacting, but for seeing threats before they fully form. Words like “foresee,” “warn,” and “check” suggest a political culture that values restraint and vigilance over impulse. The enemy is not described in concrete terms. Instead, it appears as “usurper,” “despot,” or “tempter,” which allows the poem to cast opposition as a recurring type rather than a particular government or army. This makes the argument feel timeless, as if the same struggle has repeated across generations.
Corruption is one of the poem’s central anxieties. The speaker repeatedly emphasizes refusal: refusal of bribes, offices, and “selfish games.” Power offered through institutions is framed as morally dangerous, something that stains rather than elevates. The poem treats political independence and moral cleanliness as inseparable. To remain free as a state, it must also remain personally honorable, untouched by compromise. This moral framing helps explain why the poem praises aloofness and separation as virtues rather than as risks.
History functions here as both proof and fuel. The poem looks back over “two centuries” and claims consistency rather than growth or change. The past is not something to overcome but something to repeat. Examples, counsels, and inherited wisdom are described as still active, still “warm” and useful. This backward-facing confidence gives the poem stability, but it also limits its imagination. There is little sense that new conditions might demand new thinking. Faith in precedent replaces debate.
When the poem turns toward conflict, it does so without hesitation. Military readiness is treated as the natural outcome of moral clarity. Once the state has judged itself right, action follows cleanly. The language of defense—coasts, phalanxes, breaches—suggests preparedness rather than aggression, even as it celebrates eagerness to be “first in the van.” Fear is dismissed outright, and unity is emphasized through images of sons competing to stand at the front.
The closing lines return to character rather than victory. The state’s value lies not in conquest but in remaining “unbeguiled, unslaved, unbought.” Fame is not measured by territory or power but by consistency with the past. As war poetry, the poem functions more as reassurance than exploration. It tells its audience what they already want to believe: that they are morally sound, historically justified, and destined to remain so. What it does not do is question those beliefs or acknowledge the cost of holding them. That absence is part of its purpose. The poem is meant to steady resolve, not to complicate it.