John Greenleaf Whittier: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

The Quakers are out

John Greenleaf Whittier

“The Quakers are out” as printed in The Complete Poetical Works of John Greenleaf Whittier (1895).

John Greenleaf Whittier: Collected Lyrics Text 211 1895 · historical text
Public domainBalladAmerican song
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from The Complete Poetical Works of John Greenleaf Whittier, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

Not vainly we waited and counted the hours,

The buds of our hope have all burst into flowers.

No room for misgiving—no loop-hole of doubt,—

We ’ve heard from the Keystone! The Quakers are out.

The plot has exploded—we ’ve found out the trick;

The bribe goes a-begging; the poison won’t stick.

When the Wide-awake lanterns are shining about,

The rogues stay at home, and the true men are out!

The good State has broken the cords for her spun;

Her oil-springs and water won’t fuse into one;

The Dutchman has seasoned with Freedom his krout,

And slow, late, but certain, the Quakers are out!

Give the flags to the winds! set the hills all aflame!

Make way for the man with the Patriarch’s name!

Away with misgiving—away with all doubt,

For Lincoln goes in, when the Quakers are out!

Credits

Written by John Greenleaf Whittier

Words by John Greenleaf Whittier. Historical text published in The Complete Poetical Works of John Greenleaf Whittier (1895); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

The Complete Poetical Works of John Greenleaf Whittier (1895), “The Quakers are out”

Every text in this 1895 collected edition is by John Greenleaf Whittier (1807-1892), who died more than 133 years ago, so the text is in the public domain worldwide; the edition carries a Wikisource PD-old determination.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

View copyright evidence · Transcription terms (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Retrieved 2026-10-27. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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