| Hamilton Fish Armstrong, ed. The Book of New York Verse. 1917. | | | | The Vow of Washington, New York, April 30, 1789 | | By John Greenleaf Whittier |
| | | O CITY sitting by the Sea! | |
| How proud the day that dawned on thee, | |
| When the new era, long desired, began, | |
| And, in its need, the nation found the man! | |
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| One thought the cannon salvos spoke, | 5 |
| The resonant bell-towers’ vibrant stroke, | |
| The voiceful streets, the plaudit-echoing halls, | |
| And prayer and hymn borne heavenward from St. Paul’s! | |
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| How felt the land in every part | |
| The strong throb of a nation’s heart, | 10 |
| As its great leader gave, with reverent awe, | |
| His pledge to Union, Liberty, and Law! | |
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| And still we trust the years to be | |
| Shall prove his hope was destiny, | |
| Leaving our flag, with all its added stars, | 15 |
| Unrent by faction and unstained by wars. | |
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| Lo! where with patient toil he nursed | |
| And trained the new-set plant at first, | |
| The widening branches of a stately tree | |
| Stretch from the sunrise to the sunset sea. | 20 | | | |
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