The charter stood, though factions claimed it torn,
Two governments each swore to hold the land,
And citizens were forced to choose or mourn,
As rifles traced the line with trembling hand.
Who claims the right to say what rule is true?
The courts reply: leave politics to view.
The Rhode Island trembled under banners new,
The Dorr movement rose in fervent flame,
Yet Supreme Court refused to test or sue,
For judicial voice cannot the sword reclaim.
Who claims the right to say what rule is true?
The courts reply: leave politics to view.
So law declared that judgment stops at door,
That order, not rebellion, shapes the state,
Yet public will may rise in countless more,
And democracy is tempered, never late.
Who claims the right to say what rule is true?
The courts reply: leave politics to view.