E.E. by James Russell Lowell: Summary, Meaning & Analysis
This text features a satirical prose-poem preface by the fictional Reverend Homer Wilbur, which sets the stage for the war letters of Birdofredum Sawin from the Mexican-American War.
The poem
It should appear that Mr. Sawin found the actual feast curiously the reverse of the bill of fare advertised in Faneuil Hall and other places. His primary object seems to have been the making of his fortune. _Quærenda pecunia primum, virtus post nummos_. He hoisted sail for Eldorado, and shipwrecked on Point Tribulation. _Quid, non mortalia pectora cogis, auri sacra fames?_ The speculation has sometimes crossed my mind, in that dreary interval of drought which intervenes between quarterly stipendiary showers, that Providence, by the creation of a money-tree, might have simplified wonderfully the sometimes perplexing problem of human life. We read of bread-trees, the butter for which lies ready-churned in Irish bogs. Milk-trees we are assured of in South America, and stout Sir John Hawkins testifies to water-trees in the Canaries. Boot-trees bear abundantly in Lynn and elsewhere; and I have seen, in the entries of the wealthy, hat-trees with a fair show of fruit. A family-tree I once cultivated myself, and found therefrom but a scanty yield, and that quite tasteless and innutritious. Of trees bearing men we are not without examples; as those in the park of Louis the Eleventh of France. Who has forgotten, moreover, that olive-tree, growing in the Athenian's back-garden, with its strange uxorious crop, for the general propagation of which, as of a new and precious variety, the philosopher Diogenes, hitherto uninterested in arboriculture, was so zealous? In the _sylva_ of our own Southern States, the females of my family have called my attention to the china-tree. Not to multiply examples, I will barely add to my list the birch-tree, in the smaller branches of which has been implanted so miraculous a virtue for communicating the Latin and Greek languages, and which may well, therefore, be classed among the trees producing necessaries of life,--_venerabile donum fatalis virgæ_. That money-trees existed in the golden age there want not prevalent reasons for our believing. For does not the old proverb, when it asserts that money does not grow on _every_ bush, imply _a fortiori_ that there were certain bushes which did produce it? Again, there is another ancient saw to the effect that money is the _root_ of all evil. From which two adages it may be safe to infer that the aforesaid species of tree first degenerated into a shrub, then absconded underground, and finally, in our iron age, vanished altogether. In favorable exposures it may be conjectured that a specimen or two survived to a great age, as in the garden of the Hesperides; and, indeed, what else could that tree in the Sixth Æneid have been with a branch whereof the Trojan hero procured admission to a territory, for the entering of which money is a surer passport than to a certain other more profitable and too foreign kingdom? Whether these speculations of mine have any force in them, or whether they will not rather, by most readers, be deemed impertinent to the matter in hand, is a question which I leave to the determination of an indulgent posterity. That there were, in more primitive and happier times, shops where money was sold,--and that, too, on credit and at a bargain,--I take to be matter of demonstration. For what but a dealer in this article was that Æolus who supplied Ulysses with motive-power for his fleet in bags? what that Ericus, King of Sweden, who is said to have kept the winds in his cap? what, in more recent times, those Lapland Nornas who traded in favorable breezes? All which will appear the more clearly when we consider, that, even to this day, _raising the wind_ is proverbial for raising money, and that brokers and banks were invented by the Venetians at a later period. And now for the improvement of this digression. I find a parallel to Mr. Sawin's fortune in an adventure of my own. For, shortly after I had first broached to myself the before-stated natural-historical and archæological theories, as I was passing, _haec negotia penitus mecum revolvens_, through one of the obscure suburbs of our New England metropolis, my eye was attracted by these words upon a signboard,--CHEAP CASH-STORE. Here was at once the confirmation of my speculations, and the substance of my hopes. Here lingered the fragment of a happier past, or stretched out the first tremulous organic filament of a more fortunate future. Thus glowed the distant Mexico to the eyes of Sawin, as he looked through the dirty pane of the recruiting-office window, or speculated from the summit of that mirage-Pisgah which the imps of the bottle are so cunning to raise up. Already had my Alnaschar-fancy (even during that first half-believing glance) expended in various useful directions the funds to be obtained by pledging the manuscript of a proposed volume of discourses. Already did a clock ornament the tower of the Jaalam meeting-house, a gift appropriately, but modestly, commemorated in the parish and town records, both, for now many years, kept by myself. Already had my son Seneca completed his course at the University. Whether, for the moment, we may not be considered as actually lording it over those Baratarias with the viceroyalty of which Hope invests us, and whether we are ever so warmly housed as in our Spanish castles, would afford matter of argument. Enough that I found that signboard to be no other than a bait to the trap of a decayed grocer. Nevertheless, I bought a pound of dates (getting short weight by reason of immense flights of harpy flies who pursued and lighted upon their prey even in the very scales), which purchase I made not only with an eye to the little ones at home, but also as a figurative reproof of that too frequent habit of my mind, which, forgetting the due order of chronology, will often persuade me that the happy sceptre of Saturn is stretched over this Astræa-forsaken nineteenth century. Having glanced at the ledger of Glory under the title _Sawin, B._, let us extend our investigations, and discover if that instructive volume does not contain some charges more personally interesting to ourselves. I think we should be more economical of our resources, did we thoroughly appreciate the fact, that, whenever Brother Jonathan seems to be thrusting his hand into his own pocket, he is, in fact, picking ours. I confess that the late _muck_ which the country has been running has materially changed my views as to the best method of raising revenue. If, by means of direct taxation, the bills for every extraordinary outlay were brought under our immediate eye, so that, like thrifty housekeepers, we could see where and how fast the money was going, we should be less likely to commit extravagances. At present, these things are managed in such a hugger-mugger way, that we know not what we pay for; the poor man is charged as much as the rich; and, while we are saving and scrimping at the spigot, the government is drawing off at the bung. If we could know that a part of the money we expend for tea and coffee goes to buy powder and balls, and that it is Mexican blood which makes the clothes on our backs more costly, it would set some of us athinking. During the present fall, I have often pictured to myself a government official entering my study and handing me the following bill:-- WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 1848, REV. HOMER WILBUR to _Uncle Samuel_, _Dr._ To his share of work done in Mexico on partnership account, sundry jobs, as below. "killing, maiming and wounding about 5000 Mexicans. . . . . . . . $2.00 "slaughtering one woman carrying water to wounded. . . . . . . . . . .10 "extra work on two different Sabbaths (one bombardment and one assault), whereby the Mexicans were prevented from defiling themselves with the idolatries of high mass . . . . . . 3.50 "throwing an especially fortunate and Protestant bomb-shell into the Cathedral at Vera Cruz, whereby several female Papists were slain at the altar. . . . . . . . . . . . .50 "his proportion of cash paid for conquered territory. . . . . . . . 1.75 "do. do. for conquering do . . . . . 1.50 "manuring do. with new superior compost called 'American Citizen'. .50 "extending the area of freedom and Protestantism. . . . . . . . . . . .01 "glory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .01 _____ $9.87 _Immediate payment is requested._ N.B. Thankful for former favors, U.S. requests a continuance of patronage. Orders executed with neatness and despatch. Terms as low as those of any other contractor for the same kind and style of work. I can fancy the official answering my look of horror with--'Yes, Sir, it looks like a high charge. Sir; but in these days slaughtering is slaughtering.' Verily, I would that every one understood that it was; for it goes about obtaining money under the false pretence of being glory. For me, I have an imagination which plays me uncomfortable tricks. It happens to me sometimes to see a slaughterer on his way home from his day's work, and forthwith my imagination puts a cocked-hat upon his head and epaulettes upon his shoulders, and sets him up as a candidate for the Presidency. So, also, on a recent public occasion, as the place assigned to the 'Reverend Clergy' is just behind that of 'Officers of the Army and Navy' in processions, it was my fortune to be seated at the dinner-table over against one of these respectable persons. He was arrayed as (out of his own profession) only kings, court-officers, and footmen are in Europe, and Indians in America. Now what does my over-officious imagination but set to work upon him, strip him of his gay livery, and present him to me coatless, his trousers thrust into the tops of a pair of boots thick with clotted blood, and a basket on his arm out of which lolled a gore-smeared axe, thereby destroying my relish for the temporal mercies upon the board before me! --H.W.] No. IX
This text features a satirical prose-poem preface by the fictional Reverend Homer Wilbur, which sets the stage for the war letters of Birdofredum Sawin from the Mexican-American War. Lowell employs a blend of mock-scholarly rambling, a fabricated government invoice, and dark humor to suggest that war is merely paid murder masquerading as glory. The punchline is that the "bill" for America's part in the war totals $9.87, with "glory" and "extending freedom" each priced at just one cent.
Line-by-line
It should appear that Mr. Sawin found the actual feast curiously the reverse of the bill of fare advertised in Faneuil Hall...
Providence, by the creation of a money-tree, might have simplified wonderfully the sometimes perplexing problem of human life...
And now for the improvement of this digression. I find a parallel to Mr. Sawin's fortune in an adventure of my own...
Having glanced at the ledger of Glory under the title Sawin, B., let us extend our investigations...
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 1848, REV. HOMER WILBUR to Uncle Samuel, Dr. / To his share of work done in Mexico...
'Yes, Sir, it looks like a high charge, Sir; but in these days slaughtering is slaughtering.'
Tone & mood
Wilbur adopts a sardonic and mock-learned tone, embodying a fussy, over-educated country parson. However, the comedy serves as a vehicle for authentic moral outrage. The tone transitions from playful absurdity, as seen in the money-tree digression, to a cold, clinical fury during the invoice scene, all while maintaining an ironic facade. The humor intensifies the horror, making it hit even harder.
Symbols & metaphors
- The money-tree — Captures the allure of quick riches that lured impoverished men into the Mexican-American War. Lowell follows its roots in mythology and proverbs to illustrate that it was always a fabrication — and that both the government and recruiters were aware of this.
- The mock invoice — A ledger of war crimes valued like groceries. It removes the rhetoric of patriotism and glory, revealing war as a financial exchange where everyday people unwittingly purchase atrocities.
- The CHEAP CASH-STORE sign — A misleading promise that falls apart under scrutiny, reflecting both Sawin's recruitment experience and the larger American belief that the Mexican War would be self-financing through gained land and resources.
- The slaughterer / soldier — Lowell's vision removes the officer's uniform, exposing a butcher wielding a bloodied axe. This imagery links military glory to industrial slaughter, blurring any moral line between the two.
- Glory (valued at $0.01) — By placing a price of one cent on glory, Lowell diminishes the whole ideological reasoning for the war to its true value. This is the most crushing line on the invoice.
Historical context
James Russell Lowell published *The Biglow Papers* (First Series) from 1846 to 1848, creating fictional New England characters to criticize the Mexican-American War, which he viewed as a scheme to seize land and promote slavery. The narrative features two distinct voices: Hosea Biglow, an uneducated Yankee farmer who composes satirical poetry in dialect, and his editor, the self-important Reverend Homer Wilbur, whose verbose introductions are also playfully mocked. One such introduction is labeled "E.E." (likely meaning "Editorial Excursus" or a similar Latin phrase). At the time, anti-war sentiment was prevalent yet politically risky, and Lowell used this satirical approach to express ideas that might have been considered inflammatory if stated directly. The mock invoice foreshadows later anti-war literature by decades, effectively translating abstract violence into tangible terms through bureaucratic language.
FAQ
*The Biglow Papers* (First Series, 1848) is a set of satirical poems and prose by Lowell, presented through the voice of Hosea Biglow, a straightforward Massachusetts farmer, and his editor, Reverend Homer Wilbur. This work includes one of Wilbur's editorial prefaces—lengthy, mock-scholarly introductions that contribute to the humor. Wilbur comes off as pompous and verbose, yet his conclusions reflect Lowell's views.
The Mexican-American War (1846–1848) saw the United States invade Mexico and gain about half of its territory, including what we now know as California, Texas, and the Southwest. Many Northerners, including Lowell, felt that the war was fueled by Southern slaveholders seeking to expand slave states, rather than being motivated by any true national interest.
Sawin is a fictional character in *The Biglow Papers* — a naive man from Massachusetts who enlists with dreams of glory and profit. He writes letters home that reveal the harsh realities of war, serving as Lowell's means to highlight what the recruiting posters failed to mention.
It serves as the satirical heart of the piece. By listing war crimes like entries in a business ledger — with the cost of killing thousands of Mexicans set at $2.00 and 'glory' at one cent — Lowell compels the reader to face the grim reality of what the government was doing in their name. This format turns the abstract concept of 'war' into something shockingly concrete and grotesque.
It’s his sharpest irony. "Extending freedom" was one of the official reasons given for the war, yet Lowell puts it alongside the deaths of civilians and the bombing of a cathedral. Valuing it at one cent suggests that this rhetoric is nearly worthless, and everyone recognizes it.
Lowell imagines peeling away the uniform of a military officer until he resembles a blood-soaked butcher. This highlights that the uniform is the sole distinction between a revered general and someone who kills animals for a living. Strip away the costume, and the moral divide vanishes.
It occupies a space in between. Lowell described *The Biglow Papers* as a satirical piece, and the Wilbur prefaces are written in prose, yet they carry a poetic quality through their rhythm, irony, and imagery. The mock invoice, especially, delivers a concise, line-by-line punch akin to poetry. Lowell intentionally blurred the boundaries between literary forms to make his satire more challenging to dismiss as just 'mere poetry.'
Lowell thought the Mexican War was mainly about gaining new land for the expansion of slavery, which would enhance the political power of slave states in Congress. While he doesn't say this outright in the preface, his mention of 'manuring [conquered territory] with new superior compost called American Citizen' serves as a harsh reference to the soldiers' bodies—and by implication, the enslaved people who would toil on the land they fought to acquire.