abraham lincoln-第4章

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united　France；　the　other；　we　hope　and　believe；　will　leave　a　reunited

America。　　We　leave　our　readers　to　trace　the　further　points　of

difference　and　resemblance　for　themselves；　merely　suggesting　a

general　similarity　which　has　often　occurred　to　us。　　One　only　point　of

melancholy　interest　we　will　allow　ourselves　to　touch　upon。　　That

Mr。　Lincoln　is　not　handsome　nor　elegant；　we　learn　from　certain

English　tourists　who　would　consider　similar　revelations　in　regard　to

Queen　Victoria　as　thoroughly　American　in　the　want　of

*bienseance。*　　　It　is　no　concern　of　ours；　nor　does　it　affect　his　fitness

for　the　high　place　he　so　worthily　occupies；　but　he　is　certainly　as

fortunate　as　Henry　in　the　matter　of　good　looks；　if　we　may　trust

contemporary　evidence。　　Mr。　Lincoln　has　also　been　reproached　with

Americanism　by　some　not　unfriendly　British　critics；　but；　with　all

deference；　we　cannot　say　that　we　like　him　any　the　worse　for　it；　or

see　in　it　any　reason　why　he　should　govern　Americans　the　less

wisely。



（1）　One　of　Henry's　titles　was　Prince　of　Bearn；　that　being　the　old

province　of　France　from　which　he　came。



People　of　more　sensitive　organizations　may　be　shocked；　but　we　are

glad　that　in　this　our　true　war　of　independence；　which　is　to　free　us

forever　from　the　Old　World；　we　have　had　at　the　head　of　our　affairs

a　man　whom　America　made；　as　God　made　Adam；　out　of　the　very

earth；　unancestried；　unprivileged；　unknown；　to　show　us　how　much

truth；　how　much　magnanimity；　and　how　much　statecraft　await　the

call　of　opportunity　in　simple　manhood　when　it　believes　in　the　justice

of　God　and　the　worth　of　man。　　Conventionalities　are　all　very　well　in

their　proper　place；　but　they　shrivel　at　the　touch　of　nature　like

stubble　in　the　fire。　　The　genius　that　sways　a　nation　by　its　arbitrary

will　seems　less　august　to　us　than　that　which　multiplies　and

reinforces　itself　in　the　instincts　and　convictions　of　an　entire　people。　

Autocracy　may　have　something　in　it　more　melodramatic　than　this；

but　falls　far　short　of　it　in　human　value　and　interest。



Experience　would　have　bred　in　us　a　rooted　distrust　of　improved

statesmanship；　even　if　we　did　not　believe　politics　to　be　a　science；

which；　if　it　cannot　always　command　men　of　special　aptitude　and

great　powers；　at　least　demands　the　long　and　steady　application　of

the　best　powers　of　such　men　as　it　can　command　to　master　even　its

first　principles。　　It　is　curious；　that；　in　a　country　which　boasts　of　its

intelligence　the　theory　should　be　so　generally　held　that　the　most

complicated　of　human　contrivances；　and　one　which　every　day

becomes　more　complicated；　can　be　worked　at　sight　by　any　man　able

to　talk　for　an　hour　or　two　without　stopping　to　think。



Mr。　Lincoln　is　sometimes　claimed　as　an　example　of　a　ready…made

ruler。　　But　no　case　could　well　be　less　in　point；　for；　besides　that　he

was　a　man　of　such　fair…mindedness　as　is　always　the　raw　material　of

wisdom；　he　had　in　his　profession　a　training　precisely　the　opposite　of

that　to　which　a　partisan　is　subjected。　His　experience　as　a　lawyer

compelled　him　not　only　to　see　that　there　is　a　principle　underlying

every　phenomenon　in　human　affairs；　but　that　there　are　always　two

sides　to　every　question；　both　of　which　must　be　fully　understood　in

order　to　understand　either；　and　that　it　is　of　greater　advantage　to　an

advocate　to　appreciate　the　strength　than　the　weakness　of　his

antagonist's　position。　　Nothing　is　more　remarkable　than　the　unerring

tact　with　which；　in　his　debate　with　Mr。　Douglas；　he　went　straight　to

the　reason　of　the　question；　nor　have　we　ever　had　a　more　striking

lesson　in　political　tactics　than　the　fact；　that　opposed　to　a　man

exceptionally　adroit　in　using　popular　prejudice　and　bigotry　to　his

purpose；　exceptionally　unscrupulous　in　appealing　to　those　baser

motives　that　turn　a　meeting　of　citizens　into　a　mob　of　barbarians；　he

should　yet　have　won　his　case　before　a　jury　of　the　people。　　Mr。

Lincoln　was　as　far　as　possible　from　an　impromptu　politician。　　His

wisdom　was　made　up　of　a　knowledge　of　things　as　well　as　of　men；

his　sagacity　resulted　from　a　clear　perception　and　honest

acknowledgment　of　difficulties；　which　enabled　him　to　see　that　the

only　durable　triumph　of　political　opinion　is　based；　not　on　any

abstract　right；　but　upon　so　much　of　justice；　the　highest　attainable　at

any　given　moment　in　human　affairs；　as　may　be　had　in　the　balance　of

mutual　concession。　　Doubtless　he　had　an　ideal；　but　it　was　the　ideal

of　a　practical　statesman；to　aim　at　the　best；　and　to　take　the　next

best；　if　he　is　lucky　enough　to　get　even　that。　　His　slow；　but　singularly

masculine；　intelligence　taught　him　that　precedent　is　only　another

name　for　embodied　experience；　and　that　it　counts　for　even　more　in

the　guidance　of　communities　of　men　than　in　that　of　the　individual

life。　　He　was　not　a　man　who　held　it　good　public　economy　to　pull

down　on　the　mere　chance　of　rebuilding　better。　　Mr。　Lincoln's　faith

in　God　was　qualified　by　a　very　well…founded　distrust　of　the　wisdom

of　man。　　perhaps　it　was　his　want　of　self…confidence　that　more　than

anything　else　won　him　the　unlimited　confidence　of　the　people；　for

they　felt　that　there　would　be　no　need　of　retreat　from　any　position　he

had　deliberately　taken。　　The　cautious；　but　steady；　advance　of　his

policy　during　the　war　was　like　that　of　a　Roman　army。　　He　left

behind　him　a　firm　road　on　which　public　confidence　could　follow；　he

took　America　with　him　where　he　went；　what　he　gained　he　occupied；

and　his　advanced　posts　became　colonies。　　The　very　homeliness　of

his　genius　was　its　distinction。　　His　kingship　was　conspicuous　by　its

workday　homespun。　　Never　was　ruler　so　absolute　as　he；　nor　so　little

conscious　of　it；　for　he　was　the　incarnate　common…sense　of　the

people。　　With　all　that　tenderness　of　nature　whose　sweet　sadness

touched　whoever　saw　him　with　something　of　its　own　pathos；　there

was　no　trace　of　sentimentalism　in　his　speech　or　action。　　He　seems　to

have　had　one　rule　of　conduct；　always　that　of　practical　and

successful　politics；　to　let　himself　be　guided　by　events；　when　they

were　sure　to　bring　him　out　where　he　wished　to　go；　though　by　what

seemed　to　unpractical　minds；　which　let　go　the　possible　to　grasp　at

the　desirable；　a　longer　road。



Undoubtedly　the　highest　function　of　statesmanship　is　by　degrees　to

accommodate　the　conduct　of　communities　to　ethical　laws；　and　to

subordinate　the　conflicting　self…interests　of　the　day　to　higher　and

more　permanent　concerns。　　But　it　is　on　the　understanding；　and　not

on　the　sentiment；　of　a　nation　that　all　safe　legislation　must　be　based。　

Voltaire's　saying；　that　〃a　consideration　of　petty　circumstances　is　the

tomb　of　great　things；〃　may　be　true　of　individual　men；　but　it　certainly

is　not　true　of　governments。　　It　is　by　a　multitude　of　such

considerations；　each　in　itself　trifling；　but　all　together　weighty；　that

the　framers　of　policy　can　alone　divine　what　is　practicable　and

therefore　wise。　　The　imputation　of　inconsistency　is　one　to　which

every　sound　politician　and　every　honest　thinker　must　sooner　or　later

subject　himself。　　The　foolish　and　the　dead　alone　never　change　their

opinion。　　The　course　of　a　great　statesman　resembles　that　of

navigable　rivers；　avoiding　immovable　obstacles　with　noble　bends　of

concession；　seeking　the　broad　levels　of　opinion　on　which　men

soonest　settle　and　longest　dwell；　following　and　marking　the　almost

imperceptible　slopes　of　national　tendency；　yet　always　aiming　at

direct　advances；　always　recruited　from　sources　nearer　heaven；　and

sometimes　bursting　open　paths　of　progress　and　fruitful　human

commerce　through　what　seem　the　eternal　barriers　of　both。　　It　is

loyalty　to　great　ends；　even　though　forced　to　combine　the　small　and

opposing　motives　of　selfish　men　to　accomplish　them；　it　is　the

anchored　cling　to　solid　principles　of　duty　and　action；　which　knows

how　to　swing　with　the　tide；　but　is　never　carried　away　by　it；that　we

demand　in　public　men；　and　not　sameness　of　policy；　or　a

conscientious　persistency　in　what　is　impracticable。　　For　the

impracticable；　however　theoretic