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Awake, Fair Liberty!

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Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jun 18, 1912

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 39, No. 24.

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Awake, Fair Liberty!

Adapted from L. O. Emerson, in "Songs of Freedom"
She sleeps, she sleeps, fair Liberty, While Peace keeps watch from sea to sea, The bugle's blast, the cannon's roar, Resound through hill and vale no more. But hark to the voices that fill the air,— "She's never a Christian, tho grand and fair. She sleeps, she sleeps, she sleeps, she sleeps; We'll bind her with creeds while slumb'ring there!"
The drums are still, the sabers rust, The slain have moldered back to dust, And Peace keeps watch from sea to sea; She sleeps, she sleeps, fair Liberty. Awake, awake, fair Liberty! Behold the chains they forge for thee; The hammers click, the anvils ring, With link, and lock, and key, and spring.
Their subtle amendments that seem so fair Are fetters for Conscience to groaning wear. Awake, awake, awake, awake, For God, and home, and freedom's sake! With speech, and song, and plaintive prayer, They're forging chains for thee to wear; Ere friends, misguided, fetter thee, Awake, awake, fair Liberty.
Beware! Look back to ages when The State enforced the creeds of men, When Might rose up against the few, And sword and flame found conscience true. Thy grand Constitution proclaims to all The freedom to worship at conscience' call. Beware, beware, beware! Away, Away with the night! 'tis Freedom's day!
O, turn not back to ancient time, When Church and State were wed in crime, When millions died for conscience' sake! Awake, fair Liberty! awake!