abraham lincoln-第2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！



the　heightened　imagination　of　the　historian　might　see　Destiny　visibly

intervening　in　human　affairs；　here　was　a　knot　worthy　of　her　shears。　

Never；　perhaps；　was　any　system　of　government　tried　by　so

continuous　and　searching　a　strain　as　ours　during　the　last　three

years；　never　has　any　shown　itself　stronger；　and　never　could　that

strength　be　so　directly　traced　to　the　virtue　and　intelligence　of　the

people；to　that　general　enlightenment　and　prompt　efficiency　of

public　opinion　possible　only　under　the　influence　of　a　political

framework　like　our　own。　　We　find　it　hard　to　understand　how　even　a

foreigner　should　be　blind　to　the　grandeur　of　the　combat　of　ideas

that　has　been　going　on　here；to　the　heroic　energy；　persistency；　and

self…reliance　of　a　nation　proving　that　it　knows　how　much　dearer

greatness　is　than　mere　power；　and　we　own　that　it　is　impossible　for

us　to　conceive　the　mental　and　moral　condition　of　the　American　who

does　not　feel　his　spirit　braced　and　heightened　by　being　even　a

spectator　of　such　qualities　and　achievements。　　That　a　steady

purpose　and　a　definite　aim　have　been　given　to　the　jarring　forces

which；　at　the　beginning　of　the　war；　spent　themselves　in　the

discussion　of　schemes　which　could　only　become　operative；　if　at　all；

after　the　war　was　over；　that　a　popular　excitement　has　been　slowly

intensified　into　an　earnest　national　will；　that　a　somewhat

impracticable　moral　sentiment　has　been　made　the　unconscious

instrument　of　a　practical　moral　end；　that　the　treason　of　covert

enemies；　the　jealousy　of　rivals；　the　unwise　zeal　of　friends；　have　been

made　not　only　useless　for　mischief；　but　even　useful　for　good；　that

the　conscientious　sensitiveness　of　England　to　the　horrors　of　civil

conflict　has　been　prevented　from　complicating　a　domestic　with　a

foreign　war；all　these　results；　any　one　of　which　might　suffice　to

prove　greatness　in　a　ruler；　have　been　mainly　due　to　the　good　sense；

the　good…humor；　the　sagacity；　the　large…mindedness；　and　the

unselfish　honesty　of　the　unknown　man　whom　a　blind　fortune；　as　it

seemed；　had　lifted　from　the　crowd　to　the　most　dangerous　and

difficult　eminence　of　modern　times。　　It　is　by　presence　of　mind　in

untried　emergencies　that　the　native　metal　of　a　man　is　tested；　it　is　by

the　sagacity　to　see；　and　the　fearless　honesty　to　admit；　whatever　of

truth　there　may　be　in　an　adverse　opinion；　in　order　more

convincingly　to　expose　the　fallacy　that　lurks　behind　it；　that　a

reasoner　at　length　gains　for　his　mere　statement　of　a　fact　the　force　of

argument；　it　is　by　a　wise　forecast　which　allows　hostile　combinations

to　go　so　far　as　by　the　inevitable　reaction　to　become　elements　of　his

own　power；　that　a　politician　proves　his　genius　for　state…craft；　and

especially　it　is　by　so　gently　guiding　public　sentiment　that　he　seems

to　follow　it；　by　so　yielding　doubtful　points　that　he　can　be　firm

without　seeming　obstinate　in　essential　ones；　and　thus　gain　the

advantages　of　compromise　without　the　weakness　of　concession；　by

so　instinctively　comprehending　the　temper　and　prejudices　of　a

people　as　to　make　them　gradually　conscious　of　the　superior　wisdom

of　his　freedom　from　temper　and　prejudice；it　is　by　qualities　such　as

these　that　a　magistrate　shows　himself　worthy　to　be　chief　in　a

commonwealth　of　freemen。　　And　it　is　for　qualities　such　as　these　that

we　firmly　believe　History　will　rank　Mr。　Lincoln　among　the　most

prudent　of　statesmen　and　the　most　successful　of　rulers。　　If　we　wish

to　appreciate　him；　we　have　only　to　conceive　the　inevitable　chaos　in

which　we　should　now　be　weltering；　had　a　weak　man　or　an　unwise

one　been　chosen　in　his　stead。



〃Bare　is　back；〃　says　the　Norse　proverb；　〃without　brother　behind　it；〃

and　this　is；　by　analogy；　true　of　an　elective　magistracy。　　The

hereditary　ruler　in　any　critical　emergency　may　reckon　on　the

inexhaustible　resources　of　*prestige；*　of　sentiment；　of　superstition；

of　dependent　interest；　while　the　new　man　must　slowly　and　painfully

create　all　these　out　of　the　unwilling　material　around　him；　by

superiority　of　character；　by　patient　singleness　of　purpose；　by

sagacious　presentiment　of　popular　tendencies　and　instinctive

sympathy　with　the　national　character。　　Mr。　Lincoln's　task　was　one

of　peculiar　and　exceptional　difficulty。　　Long　habit　had　accustomed

the　American　people　to　the　notion　of　a　party　in　power；　and　of　a

President　as　its　creature　and　organ；　while　the　more　vital　fact；　that

the　executive　for　the　time　being　represents　the　abstract　idea　of

government　as　a　permanent　principle　superior　to　all　party　and　all

private　interest；　had　gradually　become　unfamiliar。　　They　had　so　long

seen　the　public　policy　more　or　less　directed　by　views　of　party；　and

often　even　of　personal　advantage；　as　to　be　ready　to　suspect　the

motives　of　a　chief　magistrate　compelled；　for　the　first　time　in　our

history；　to　feel　himself　the　head　and　hand　of　a　great　nation；　and　to

act　upon　the　fundamental　maxim；　laid　down　by　all　publicists；　that

the　first　duty　of　a　government　is　to　depend　and　maintain　its　own

existence。　　Accordingly；　a　powerful　weapon　seemed　to　be　put　into

the　hands　of　the　opposition　by　the　necessity　under　which　the

administration　found　itself　of　applying　this　old　truth　to　new

relations。　　Nor　were　the　opposition　his　only　nor　his　most　dangerous

opponents。



The　Republicans　had　carried　the　country　upon　an　issue　in　which

ethics　were　more　directly　and　visibly　mingled　with　politics　than

usual。　　Their　leaders　were　trained　to　a　method　of　oratory　which

relied　for　its　effect　rather　on　the　moral　sense　than　the

understanding。　　Their　arguments　were　drawn；　not　so　much　from

experience　as　from　general　principles　of　right　and　wrong。　　When　the

war　came；　their　system　continued　to　be　applicable　and　effective；　for

here　again　the　reason　of　the　people　was　to　be　reached　and　kindled

through　their　sentiments。　　It　was　one　of　those　periods　of

excitement；　gathering；　contagious；　universal；　which；　while　they　last；

exalt　and　clarify　the　minds　of　men；　giving　to　the　mere　words

*country；　human　rights；　democracy；*　a　meaning　and　a　force　beyond

that　of　sober　and　logical　argument。　　They　were　convictions；

maintained　and　defended　by　the　supreme　logic　of　passion。　　That

penetrating　fire　ran　in　and　roused　those　primary　instincts　that　make

their　lair　in　the　dens　and　caverns　of　the　mind。　　What　is　called　the

great　popular　heart　was　awakened；　that　indefinable　something

which　may　be；　according　to　circumstances；　the　highest　reason　or

the　most　brutish　unreason。　　But　enthusiasm；　once　cold；　can　never　be

warmed　over　into　anything　better　than　cant；and　phrases；　when

once　the　inspiration　that　filled　them　with　beneficent　power　has

ebbed　away；　retain　only　that　semblance　of　meaning　which　enables

them　to　supplant　reason　in　hasty　minds。　　Among　the　lessons　taught

by　the　French　Revolution　there　is　none　sadder　or　more　striking　than

this；　that　you　may　make　everything　else　out　of　the　passions　of　men

except　a　political　system　that　will　work；　and　that　there　is　nothing　so

pitilessly　and　unconsciously　cruel　as　sincerity　formulated　into

dogma。　It　is　always　demoralizing　to　extend　the　domain　of　sentiment

over　questions　where　it　has　no　legitimate　jurisdiction；　and　perhaps

the　severest　strain　upon　Mr。　Lincoln　was　in　resisting　a　tendency　of

his　own　supporters　which　chimed　with　his　own　private　desires；

while　wholly　opposed　to　his　convictions　of　what　would　be　wise

policy。



The　change　which　three　years　have　brought　about　is　too　remarkable

to　be　passed　over　without　comment；　too　weighty　in　its　lesson　not　to

be　laid　to　heart。　　Never　did　a　President　enter　upon　office　with　less

means　at　his　command；　outside　his　own　strength　of　heart　and

steadiness　of　understanding；　for　inspiring　confidence　in　the　people；

and　so　winning　it　for　himself；　than　Mr。　Lincoln。　　All　that　was　known

of　him　was　that　he　was　a　good　stump…speaker；　nominated　for　his

*availability；*that　is；　because　he　had　no　history；and　chosen　by　a

party　with　whose　more　extreme　opinions　he　was　not　in　sympathy。　

It　might　well　be　feared　that　a　man　past