Mr.   Biglow  has  a  firm   conviction   that  a  politician
should  talk  honestly,  and  his  favorite  candidate  says: —

"Ez  to  my  princerples,  I  glory
In  hevin'  nothin'  o'  the  sort;
I  ain't  a  wig,  I  ain't  a  Tory,
I'm  jest  a  candidate,  in  short."
Mr.  Sawin,  too,  has  this  belief,  and  further  advises:
A  ginooine  statesman  should  be  on  his  guard,
Ef  he  must  hev  beliefs,  nut  to  b'lieve   'em  tu  hard.
JAMES  RUSSELL  LOWELL  71

A  second  series  of  the  Biglow  Papers  appeared  dur-
ing the  Civil  War.     This  contained  the  world-famous
Jonathan  to  John,  a  protest  against  England's  hostile
attitude,  based  upon  the  Mason  and  Slidell  aflfair: —
We  own  the  ocean  tu,  John:

You  mus'n  take  it  hard,    "
Ef  we  can't  think  with  you,  John,

It's  jest  your  own  back  yard.
Old  Uncle  S.  sez  he,  **I  guess,
Ef  thet's  his  claim,"  sez  he,
*'The  fencin '-stuff  '11  cost  enough
To  bust  up  friend  J.  B.,

Ez  wal  ez  you  an'  me."

•  «  •  •

We  gin  the  critters  back,  John,

Cos  Abram  thought   'twas  right;
It  wam't  your  bullyin'  clack,  John,

Provokin'  us  to  fight.
