  T THE following are copies of some of the printed Songs and Appeals that Betsy Ross circulated and distributed with her own hands in the streets of Philadelphia, and from the front door of her Flag store and depot, to the troops on their way to Washington’s camp: THE GALLANT VOLUNTEER OF 1776.“Come on, my hearts of temper’d steel, And leave your girls and farms, Your sports, and plays, and holidays, And hark, away to arms! And to conquest we will go! will go! will go! With the flag of the brave, To conquest we will go. A soldier is a gentleman, His honor is his life, And he that won’t stand by his flag, Will ne’er stand by his wife. And to conquest we will go! will go! will go! With the red, white, and blue, To conquest we will go. For love and honor are the same, Or else so ne’er ally’d, That neither can exist alone, But flourish side by side. And to conquest we will go! will go! will go! With the red, white, and blue, So fare you well sweethearts awhile, You smiling girls adieu, Ye made this starry flag divine, We’ll kiss it out with you. And to conquest we will go! will go! will go! With the red, white, and blue, To conquest we will go. The sun is up, our banner shines, The hills are green and gay, And all inviting honor calls, Away! my boys, away! And to conquest we will go! will go! will go! With the red, white, and blue, To conquest we will go. In shady tents by cooling streams, With hearts all firm and free, We’ll shout the freedom of the land, In songs of liberty! And to conquest we will go! will go! will go! With the red, white, and blue, To conquest we will go. No foreign slaves shall give us law, No British tyrants reign, ’Tis Independence made us free, And Freedom we’ll maintain. And to conquest we will go! will go! will go! With the red, white, and blue, To conquest we will go. We’ll charge the foe from post to post, Attack their works and lines, And with the stars and stripes aloft, We’ll capture their Burgoynes. And to conquest we will go! will go! will go! With the red, white, and blue, And when the war is over, boys, Then down we’ll sit at ease, Protected by the freemen’s flag, And live just as we please. When from conquest we shall go! shall go! shall go! With the red, white, and blue, From conquest we shall go. Each hearty lad shall take his lass, All beaming like a star, And in her softer arms forget, The dangers of the war. When to conquest we did go! did go! did go! With the red, white, and blue, To conquest we did go. The rising WORLD SHALL SING OF US, A THOUSAND YEARS to come, And to their children’s children tell The WONDERS WE have done. When to conquest we did go! did go! did go! With the red, white, and blue, To conquest we did go. So honest fellows here’s my hand, My heart, my very soul, With all the joys of Liberty, Good fortune and a bowl. And to conquest we will go! will go! will go! With the red, white, and blue, To conquest we will go.” STIRRING APPEALS FOR CONSTITUTIONAL LIBERTY.“My lads, you say you are going to fight for Liberty! these are words in everybody’s mouth, but few understand their real meaning. Liberty is not a power to do what we please and have what we desire; this may be the Liberty of a wolf or of a beast of prey, but is not the Liberty of a man considered as a member of society. True Liberty is the being governed by laws of our own making; the inhabitants of every country to choose persons from amongst themselves, in whom they can confide; which persons so elected shall make laws to bind the whole. True Constitutional Liberty is the Liberty for which we are now contending, and may God in his blessings grant this to us all. “Now, the King of England, has sent over fleets and armies to compel us to give up this invaluable privilege into his hands; but with the blessings of God, we will maintain it against him and all the world, so long as we have a man left to fire a musket. Let our constant prayer be God and Liberty. “Our Congress have hitherto conducted us with wisdom and integrity, and although in some instances it may be thought they might have managed better than they have done, yet they have piloted us in safety through a tempestuous ocean, to the present period; and so God save the American Congress!” WASHINGTON, THE IDOL OF AMERICA.“My lads, I would speak a few words of the General and his Army, now encamped on the banks of the Schuylkill, enduring all the hardships of their homely situation with cheerful patience; and what is it think you blunts the keen edge of the northern winds, and makes content smile on the tops of frozen hills? I will tell you, it is the love of that “Liberty” I have sat before you, it is the consciousness of the justice of our cause. I suppose when you think of our incomparable General Washington, you figure to yourselves a stout, bulky man, of a terrible countenance, covered with gold lace, living in a magnificent house and having a great train of attendants around him. You are quite mistaken; he neither has nor needs any external ornaments. Would you hang farthing candles around the Sun to increase his lustre? His glory will admit of no addition. Your General is a plain man, plain in his dress and frugal at his board; yet a native dignity will command your respect, and the affability of his manners win your love. He is brave without ostentation; magnificent without pomp; and accomplished without pride. He is an honor to the human race and the Idol of America. And so God save General Washington and his Army.” |
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