Classic Poem

The Spirits Of The Press

Hark ! 'tis the spirit of the age
That doth in song address
The heroes of the printed page —
The spirits of the press.
Great change is coming over things —
All hail the dawning light! —
A voice throughout creation rings:
" Arise! defend the right! "

Then at the summons, oh, awake!
And may ye live to see
Ontario, beside her lake,
Great, glorious, and free.
Tho' in our time the love of gold
Has grown a social blight,
Yet be ye neither bought nor sold;
Still dare defend the right!

In moral manhood be ye strong,
For ye were meant to be
The friends of right, the foes of wrong,
The guards of liberty.
In freedom put your hope and trust,
Nor envy social height;
Heroic souls upon a crust
Have battled for the right.

And no great deed was ever done
In mere pursuit of pelf;
The greatest battles ever won
Are triumphs over self.
But caste and creed now spread abroad
A mildew and a blight,
And even in the name of God
They trample on the right.

He's but a knave — a party slave,
To aims heroic blind —
Who'll meanly strive to keep alive
The hatreds of mankind.
Leave party slurs to hungry curs
Who're paid to bark and bite!
Trade not for gain your heart and brain,
But dare defend the right.

Intolerance is want of sense;
Judge people by their deeds;
For Mammon's tools make wise men fools
By playing on the creeds.
And what tho' mere time-servers sneer,
Do ye the truth indite;
And ev'ry good man must revere
Defenders of the right.English