Iv

O banner of the west, No proud and brief parade, That glorifies a nation's holiday With show of troops for warfare dressed, Can rightly measure or display The mighty army thou hast made Loyal to guard thy more than royal sway. Millions have come across the sea To find beneath thy shelter room to grow; Millions were born beneath thy folds and know No other flag but thee. And other, darker millions bore the yoke Of bondage in thy borders till the voice Of Lincoln spoke, And sent thee forth to set the bondmen free. Rejoice, dear flag, rejoice! Since thou hast proved and passed that bitter strife, Richer thy red with blood of heroes wet, Purer thy white through sacrificial life, Brighter thy blue wherein new stars are set. Thou art become a sign, Revealed in heaven to speak of things divine: Of Truth that dares To slay the lie it sheltered unawares; Of Courage fearless in the fight, Yet ever quick its foemen to forgive; Of Conscience earnest to maintain its right And gladly grant the same to all who live. Thy staff is deeply planted in the fact That nothing can ennoble man Save his own act, And naught can make him worthy to be free But practice in the school of liberty. The cords are two that lift thee to the sky: Firm faith in God, the King who rules on high; And never-failing trust In human nature, full of faults and flaws, Yet ever answering to the inward call That bids it set the "ought" above the "must," In all its errors wiser than it seems, In all its failures full of generous dreams, Through endless conflict rising without pause To self-dominion, charactered in laws That pledge fair-play alike to great and small, And equal rights for each beneath the rule of all. These are thy halyards, banner bold, And while these hold, Thy brightness from the sky shall never fall, Thy broadening empire never know decrease,-- Thy strength is union and thy glory peace.