abraham lincoln-第1章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！






Abraham　Lincoln



by　James　Russell　Lowell








THERE　have　been　many　painful　crises　since　the　impatient　vanity　of

South　Carolina　hurried　ten　prosperous　Commonwealths　into　a

crime　whose　assured　retribution　was　to　leave　them　either　at　the

mercy　of　the　nation　they　had　wronged；　or　of　the　anarchy　they　had

summoned　but　could　not　control；　when　no　thoughtful　American

opened　his　morning　paper　without　dreading　to　find　that　he　had　no

longer　a　country　to　love　and　honor。　　Whatever　the　result　of　the

convulsion　whose　first　shocks　were　beginning　to　be　felt；　there

would　still　be　enough　square　miles　of　earth　for　elbow…room；　but

that　ineffable　sentiment　made　up　of　memory　and　hope；　of　instinct

and　tradition；　which　swells　every　man's　heart　and　shapes　his

thought；　though　perhaps　never　present　to　his　consciousness；　would

be　gone　from　it；　leaving　it　common　earth　and　nothing　more。　　Men

might　gather　rich　crops　from　it；　but　that　ideal　harvest　of　priceless

associations　would　be　reaped　no　longer；　that　fine　virtue　which　sent

up　messages　of　courage　and　security　from　every　sod　of　it　would

have　evaporated　beyond　recall。　　We　should　be　irrevocably　cut　off

from　our　past；　and　be　forced　to　splice　the　ragged　ends　of　our　lives

upon　whatever　new　conditions　chance　might　leave　dangling　for　us。



We　confess　that　we　had　our　doubts　at　first　whether　the　patriotism

of　our　people　were　not　too　narrowly　provincial　to　embrace　the

proportions　of　national　peril。　　We　felt　an　only　too　natural　distrust　of

immense　public　meetings　and　enthusiastic　cheers。



That　a　reaction　should　follow　the　holiday　enthusiasm　with　which

the　war　was　entered　on；　that　it　should　follow　soon；　and　that　the

slackening　of　public　spirit　should　be　proportionate　to　the　previous

over…tension；　might　well　be　foreseen　by　all　who　had　studied　human

nature　or　history。　　Men　acting　gregariously　are　always　in　extremes；

as　they　are　one　moment　capable　of　higher　courage；　so　they　are

liable；　the　next；　to　baser　depression；　and　it　is　often　a　matter　of

chance　whether　numbers　shall　multiply　confidence　or

discouragement。　　Nor　does　deception　lead　more　surely　to　distrust　of

men；　than　self…deception　to　suspicion　of　principles。　　The　only　faith

that　wears　well　and　holds　its　color　in　all　weathers　is　that　which　is

woven　of　conviction　and　set　with　the　sharp　mordant　of　experience。　

Enthusiasm　is　good　material　for　the　orator；　but　the　statesman　needs

something　more　durable　to　work　in；must　be　able　to　rely　on　the

deliberate　reason　and　consequent　firmness　of　the　people；　without

which　that　presence　of　mind；　no　less　essential　in　times　of　moral　than

of　material　peril；　will　be　wanting　at　the　critical　moment。　　Would　this

fervor　of　the　Free　States　hold　out？　　Was　it　kindled　by　a　just　feeling

of　the　value　of　constitutional　liberty？　　Had　it　body　enough　to

withstand　the　inevitable　dampening　of　checks；　reverses；　delays？　

Had　our　population　intelligence　enough　to　comprehend　that　the

choice　was　between　order　and　anarchy；　between　the　equilibrium　of

a　government　by　law　and　the　tussle　of　misrule　by

*pronunciamiento？*　　Could　a　war　be　maintained　without　the

ordinary　stimulus　of　hatred　and　plunder；　and　with　the　impersonal

loyalty　of　principle？　　These　were　serious　questions；　and　with　no

precedent　to　aid　in　answering　them。



At　the　beginning　of　the　war　there　was；　indeed；　occasion　for　the

most　anxious　apprehension。　　A　President　known　to　be　infected　with

the　political　heresies；　and　suspected　of　sympathy　with　the　treason；

of　the　Southern　conspirators；　had　just　surrendered　the　reins；　we　will

not　say　of　power；　but　of　chaos；　to　a　successor　known　only　as　the

representative　of　a　party　whose　leaders；　with　long　training　in

opposition；　had　none　in　the　conduct　of　affairs；　an　empty　treasury

was　called　on　to　supply　resources　beyond　precedent　in　the　history

of　finance；　the　trees　were　yet　growing　and　the　iron　unmined　with

which　a　navy　was　to　be　built　and　armored；　officers　without

discipline　were　to　make　a　mob　into　an　army；　and；　above　all；　the

public　opinion　of　Europe；　echoed　and　reinforced　with　every　vague

hint　and　every　specious　argument　of　despondency　by　a　powerful

faction　at　home；　was　either　contemptuously　sceptical　or　actively

hostile。　　It　would　be　hard　to　over…estimate　the　force　of　this　latter

element　of　disintegration　and　discouragement　among　a　people

where　every　citizen　at　home；　and　every　soldier　in　the　field；　is　a

reader　of　newspapers。　　The　peddlers　of　rumor　in　the　North　were　the

most　effective　allies　of　the　rebellion。　　A　nation　can　be　liable　to　no

more　insidious　treachery　than　that　of　the　telegraph；　sending　hourly

its　electric　thrill　of　panic　along　the　remotest　nerves　of　the

community；　till　the　excited　imagination　makes　every　real　danger

loom　heightened　with　its　unreal　double。



And　even　if　we　look　only　at　more　palpable　difficulties；　the　problem

to　be　solved　by　our　civil　war　was　so　vast；　both　in　its　immediate

relations　and　its　future　consequences；　the　conditions　of　its　solution

were　so　intricate　and　so　greatly　dependent　on　incalculable　and

uncontrollable　contingencies；　so　many　of　the　data；　whether　for　hope

or　fear；　were；　from　their　novelty；　incapable　of　arrangement　under

any　of　the　categories　of　historical　precedent；　that　there　were

moments　of　crisis　when　the　firmest　believer　in　the　strength　and

sufficiency　of　the　democratic　theory　of　government　might　well　hold

his　breath　in　vague　apprehension　of　disaster。　　Our　teachers　of

political　philosophy；　solemnly　arguing　from　the　precedent　of　some

petty　Grecian；　Italian；　or　Flemish　city；　whose　long　periods　of

aristocracy　were　broken　now　and　then　by　awkward　parentheses　of

mob；　had　always　taught　us　that　democracies　were　incapable　of　the

sentiment　of　loyalty；　of　concentrated　and　prolonged　effort；　of　far…

reaching　conceptions；　were　absorbed　in　material　interests；　impatient

of　regular；　and　much　more　of　exceptional　restraint；　had　no　natural

nucleus　of　gravitation；　nor　any　forces　but　centrifugal；　were　always

on　the　verge　of　civil　war；　and　slunk　at　last　into　the　natural

almshouse　of　bankrupt　popular　government；　a　military　despotism。　

Here　was　indeed　a　dreary　outlook　for　persons　who　knew

democracy；　not　by　rubbing　shoulders　with　it　lifelong；　but　merely

from　books；　and　America　only　by　the　report　of　some　fellow…Briton；

who；　having　eaten　a　bad　dinner　or　lost　a　carpet…bag　here；　had

written　to　*The　Times*　demanding　redress；　and　drawing　a

mournful　inference　of　democratic　instability。　　Nor　were　men

wanting　among　ourselves　who　had　so　steeped　their　brains　in

London　literature　as　to　mistake　Cockneyism　for　European　culture；

and　contempt　of　their　country　for　cosmopolitan　breadth　of　view；

and　who；　owing　all　they　had　an　all　they　were　to　democracy；　thought

it　had　an　air　of　high…breeding　to　join　in　the　shallow　epicedium　that

our　bubble　had　burst。



But　beside　any　disheartening　influences　which　might　affect　the　timid

or　the　despondent；　there　were　reasons　enough　of　settled　gravity

against　any　over…confidence　of　hope。　　A　warwhich；　whether　we

consider　the　expanse　of　the　territory　at　stake；　the　hosts　brought　into

the　field；　or　the　reach　of　the　principles　involved；　may　fairly　be

reckoned　the　most　momentous　of　modern　timeswas　to　be　waged

by　a　people　divided　at　home；　unnerved　by　fifty　years　of　peace；

under　a　chief　magistrate　without　experience　and　without　reputation；

whose　every　measure　was　sure　to　be　cunningly　hampered　by　a

jealous　and　unscrupulous　minority；　and　who；　while　dealing　with

unheard…of　complications　at　home；　must　soothe　a　hostile　neutrality

abroad；　waiting　only　a　pretext　to　become　war。　　All　this　was　to　be

done　without　warning　and　without　preparation；　while　at　the　same

time　a　social　revolution　was　to　be　accomplished　in　the　political

condition　of　four　millions　of　people；　by　softening　the　prejudices；

allaying　the　fears；　and　gradually　obtaining　the　cooperation；　of　their

unwilling　liberators。　　Surely；　if　ever　there　were　an　occasion　when

the　heightened　imagination　of　the　his