Among the strange things that we see
Are quondam traitors like McGee,
Prating to us of liberty.
With him were England’s crosses, bars
Made red with impious wars –
The gods she worships – Mamon -Mars!A champion of the rights of man
He raged and hurled his awful ban
At Britain’s head and off he ran!We see him next in Yankee land;
And there he offered heart and hand
To any who, at his command,Would simply cross the wide, wide ocean
And whip proud England; what a notion!
While he would stay and watch the motion.None caring to obey his order
Disgusted D’Arcy crossed the border
And of himself became recorder.He told Niagra’s waterfall,
Rivaling its roar with frantic bawl.
That he would do the deuce and all!But finding treason would not pay,
He tried the loyal dodge. Today
No man so loyal-so they say.And yet this man – this patriot wight –
Stands forth mid those, a shining light,
Who’ve robbed us of our due birthright.Though dark and subtle in his mind
His boast of loyalty can’t blind
Folks eyes to what lurks far behind.If he could raise a feud betwixt
England and we, he’d think us fixed;
For annexation might come next.Unless indeed he could be king;
And all his chieftains – not a few –
Would not come up, great Mac, to you.Ah, D’Arcy, D’Arcy! many doubt you,
And think we were as well without you –
That’s why all loyal subjects flout you.We seek not to be a new nation,
Anon. (Fred. ?) Morning Chronicle, January 10, 1868
Nor do we yearn for annexation, –
Yet anything but Federation.
Muise, D.A. “Some Nova Scotian Poets of Confederation” Dalhousie Review, Volume 50, Number 1, 1970 https://dalspace.library.dal.ca/bitstream/handle/10222/59368/dalrev_vol50_iss1_pp71_82.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y