This text is part of the Teaching Hard History Text Library and aligns with Key Concept 7.
SOUTHERN MARSEILLAISE.
Sons of the South, awake to glory!
A thousand voices bid you rise;
Your children, wives and grandsires hoary,
Gaze on you now with trusting eyes!
Gaze on you now with trusting eyes!
Your country every strong arm calling,
To meet the hireling Northern band
That comes to desolate the land,
With fire and blood and scenes appalling:
To arms, to arms, ye brave!
The avenging sword unsheathe!
March on! march on!
All hearts resolv’d on victory or death!
Now, now, the dangerous storm is rolling,
Which treach’rous brothers madly raise:
The dogs of war let loose are howling,
And soon our peaceful towns may blaze!
And soon our peaceful towns may blaze!
Shall fiends who basely plot our ruin.
Uncheck’d, advance with guilty stride,
To spread destruction far and wide,
With Southrons’ blood their hands imbruing?
With needy, starving mobs surrounded,
The jealous, blind fanatics dare
To offer, in their zeal unbounded,
Our happy slaves their tender care
Our happy slaves their tender care!
The South, tho’ deepest wrong bewailing,
Long yielding all to Union’s name,
But Independence now we claim,
And all their threats are unavailing!