Hosea Biglow Conscientiously Objects (1859)



by James Russell Lowell (1819-1891)



BCO.1 Es fer war, I call it murder –
There you hev it, plain and flat;
I don’t want to go no furder
Than my Testyment for that;
BCO.2 God hes said so, plump and fairly –
It’s es long es it is broad –
An’ you’ve got to git up airly
If you want to take in God.
BCO.3 ’Taint your eppylets an’ feathers
Make the thing a grain more right;
’Taint a-follerin’ your bell-wethers
Will excuse ye in His sight.
BCO.4 Ef you take a sword an’ dror it,
An’ go stick a feller thru,
Guv’ment aint to answer for it,
God’ll send the bill to you.
BCO.5 Wut’s the use of meetin’-goin,
Every Sabbath, wet or dry,
Ef it’s right to go a-mowin
Feller-men – like oats and rye?
BCO.6 I dunno but wut it’s pooty
Trainin’ round in bobtail coats,
But it’s curus Christian duty
This ’ere cuttin’ o’ folks’ throats.
BCO.7 I’ll return ye good for evil
Much es we frail mortils can;
But I won’t go help the Devil
Making man the cus of man.
BCO.8 Call me coward, call me traitor,
Jest es suits your mean idees –
Here I stand a tyrant hater
An’ the friend o’ God an’ Peace.




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