The stars of heaven shall gild her still--her stripes like rainbows gleam; Her billowy folds, like surging clouds, o’er North and South shall stream. She is not dead, she lifts her head, she takes the morning’s beam! * * * * * Much verse came from writers of the rank of Alice and Phœbe Cary, who published nearly all their war poems in the _Post_. Mrs. R. H. Stoddard, still remembered as a novelist, wrote unfinished but sincere and touching poetry. Miles O’Reilly, whom Walt Whitman found the most popular writer of war verse among the troops, contributed repeatedly. Thomas Wentworth Higginson, leading his black troops in South Carolina, and recalling Bryant’s “Song of Marion’s Men,” sent his graceful “Song from the Camp.” Park Benjamin wrote much in the early years of the war, and before its close Helen Hunt Jackson began to appear in the _Evening Post’s_ pages. One of the most stirring songs of the conflict, “We are coming, Father Abraham, three hundred thousand more,” originally appeared in the _Evening Post_ of July 16, 1862. Unsigned, many supposed it was the editor’s. At a large Boston meeting the next night, Josiah Quincy read it as “the latest poem written by Mr. Wm. C. Bryant.” Its actual author was John S. Gibbons, who for a time was financial editor of the _Post_, and wrote two volumes on banking. Bryant himself published two hymns in the journal, “The Earth Is Full of Thy Riches” (1863) and “Thou Hast Put All Things Under His Feet” (1865). But the finest poetical contribution which he ever made to it was his “Death of Lincoln”: O slow to smite, and swift to spare, Gentle and merciful and just! which first saw the light in the _Evening Post_ of April 20, 1865. CHAPTER FOURTEEN RECONSTRUCTION AND IMPEACHMENT Most of the metropolitan newspapers emerged from the Civil War with increased circulation, and several, like the _Evening Post_, with enhanced prosperity. The circulation was not high by present standards: when peace was declared the _Sun_ was printing about 50,000 copies, the _Times_ about 35,000, and the _Evening Post_ about 20,000. But the influence of the New York press has never been larger, for four great journalists were then at the height of their reputation. Raymond of the _Times_ had four more years to live, Bennett of the _Herald_ and Greeley of the _Tribune_ had seven, and Bryant, the oldest editor of all, thirteen. The younger generation was not quite yet needed--not until 1868 did Dana join the _Sun_, and Whitelaw Reid the _Tribune_.