abraham lincoln-第5章

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conscientious　persistency　in　what　is　impracticable。　　For　the

impracticable；　however　theoretically　enticing；　is　always　politically

unwise；　sound　statesmanship　being　the　application　of　that　prudence

to　the　public　business　which　is　the　safest　guide　in　that　of　private

men。



No　doubt　slavery　was　the　most　delicate　and　embarrassing　question

with　which　Mr。　Lincoln　was　called　on　to　deal；　and　it　was　one　which

no　man　in　his　position；　whatever　his　opinions；　could　evade；　for；

though　he　might　withstand　the　clamor　of　partisans；　he　must　sooner

or　later　yield　to　the　persistent　importunacy　of　circumstances；　which

thrust　the　problem　upon　him　at　every　turn　and　in　every　shape。



It　has　been　brought　against　us　as　an　accusation　abroad；　and

repeated　here　by　people　who　measure　their　country　rather　by　what

is　thought　of　it　than　by　what　is；　that　our　war　has　not　been　distinctly

and　avowedly　for　the　extinction　of　slavery；　but　a　war　rather　for　the

preservation　of　our　national　power　and　greatness；　in　which　the

emancipation　of　the　negro　has　been　forced　upon　us　by

circumstances　and　accepted　as　a　necessity。　　We　are　very　far　from

denying　this；　nay；　we　admit　that　it　is　so　far　true　that　we　were　slow

to　renounce　our　constitutional　obligations　even　toward　those　who

had　absolved　us　by　their　own　act　from　the　letter　of　our　duty。　　We

are　speaking　of　the　government　which；　legally　installed　for　the

whole　country；　was　bound；　so　long　as　it　was　possible；　not　to

overstep　the　limits　of　orderly　prescription；　and　could　not；　without

abnegating　its　own　very　nature；　take　the　lead　off　a　Virginia　reel。　

They　forgot；　what　should　be　forgotten　least　of　all　in　a　system　like

ours；　that　the　administration　for　the　time　being　represents　not　only

the　majority　which　elects　it；　but　the　minority　as　well；a　minority　in

this　case　powerful；　and　so　little　ready　for　emancipation　that　it　was

opposed　even　to　war。　　Mr。　Lincoln　had　not　been　chosen　as　general

agent　of　the　an　anti…slavery　society；　but　President　of　the　United

States；　to　perform　certain　functions　exactly　defined　by　law。　

Whatever　were　his　wishes；　it　was　no　less　duty　than　policy　to　mark

out　for　himself　a　line　of　action　that　would　not　further　distract　the

country；　by　raising　before　their　time　questions　which　plainly　would

soon　enough　compel　attention；　and　for　which　every　day　was　making

the　answer　more　easy。



Meanwhile　he　must　solve　the　riddle　of　this　new　Sphinx；　or　be

devoured。　　Though　Mr。　Lincoln's　policy　in　this　critical　affair　has　not

been　such　as　to　satisfy　those　who　demand　an　heroic　treatment　for

even　the　most　trifling　occasion；　and　who　will　not　cut　their　coat

according　to　their　cloth；　unless　they　can　borrow　the　scissors　of

Atropos；（1）　it　has　been　at　least　not　unworthy　of　the　long…headed

king　of　Ithaca。（2）　　Mr。　Lincoln　had　the　choice　of　Bassanio（3）

offered　him。　　Which　of　the　three　caskets　held　the　prize　that　was　to

redeem　the　fortunes　of　the　country？　　There　was　the　golden　one

whose　showy　speciousness　might　have　tempted　a　vain　man；　the

silver　of　compromise；　which　might　have　decided　the　choice　of　a

merely　acute　one；　and　the　leaden；dull　and　homely…looking；　as

prudence　always　is；yet　with　something　about　it　sure　to　attract　the

eye　of　practical　wisdom。　　Mr。　Lincoln　dallied　with　his　decision

perhaps　longer　than　seemed　needful　to　those　on　whom　its　awful

responsibility　was　not　to　rest；　but　when　he　made　it；　it　was　worthy　of

his　cautious　but　sure…footed　understanding。　　The　moral　of　the

Sphinx…riddle；　and　it　is　a　deep　one；　lies　in　the　childish　simplicity　of

the　solution。　　Those　who　fail　in　guessing　it；　fail　because　they　are

over…ingenious；　and　cast　about　for　an　answer　that　shall　suit　their

own　notion　of　the　gravity　of　the　occasion　and　of　their　own　dignity；

rather　than　the　occasion　itself。



In　a　matter　which　must　be　finally　settled　by　public　opinion；　and　in

regard　to　which　the　ferment　of　prejudice　and　passion　on　both　sides

has　not　yet　subsided　to　that　equilibrium　of　compromise　from　which

alone　a　sound　public　opinion　can　result；　it　is　proper　enough　for　the

private　citizen　to　press　his　own　convictions　with　all　possible　force

of　argument　and　persuasion；　but　the　popular　magistrate；　whose

judgment　must　become　action；　and　whose　action　involves　the　whole

country；　is　bound　to　wait　till　the　sentiment　of　the　people　is　so　far

advanced　toward　his　own　point　of　view；　that　what　he　does　shall　find

support　in　it；　instead　of　merely　confusing　it　with　new　elements　of

division。　　It　was　not　unnatural　that　men　earnestly　devoted　to　the

saving　of　their　country；　and　profoundly　convinced　that　slavery　was

its　only　real　enemy；　should　demand　a　decided　policy　round　which　all

patriots　might　rally；and　this　might　have　been　the　wisest　course　for

an　absolute　ruler。　　But　in　the　then　unsettled　state　of　the　public　mind；

with　a　large　party　decrying　even　resistance　to　the　slaveholders'

rebellion　as　not　only　unwise；　but　even　unlawful；　with　a　majority；

perhaps；　even　of　the　would…be　loyal　so　long　accustomed　to　regard

the　Constitution　as　a　deed　of　gift　conveying　to　the　South　their　own

judgment　as　to　policy　and　instinct　as　to　right；　that　they　were　in

doubt　at　first　whether　their　loyalty　were　due　to　the　country　or　to

slavery；　and　with　a　respectable　body　of　honest　and　influential　men

who　still　believed　in　the　possibility　of　conciliation；Mr。　Lincoln

judged　wisely；　that；　in　laying　down　a　policy　in　deference　to　one

party；　he　should　be　giving　to　the　other　the　very　fulcrum　for　which

their　disloyalty　had　been　waiting。



（1）　One　of　the　three　Fates。

（2）　Odysseus；　or　Ulysses；　the　hero　of　Homer's　Odyssey。

（3）　See　Shakespeare's　*Merchant　of　Venice。*



It　behooved　a　clear…headed　man　in　his　position　not　to　yield　so　far　to

an　honest　indignation　against　the　brokers　of　treason　in　the　North　as

to　lose　sight　of　the　materials　for　misleading　which　were　their　stock

in　trade；　and　to　forget　that　it　is　not　the　falsehood　of　sophistry　which

is　to　be　feared；　but　the　grain　of　truth　mingled　with　it　to　make　it

specious；that　it　is　not　the　knavery　of　the　leaders　so　much　as　the

honesty　of　the　followers　they　may　seduce；　that　gives　them　power

for　evil。　　It　was　especially　his　duty　to　do　nothing　which　might　help

the　people　to　forget　the　true　cause　of　the　war　in　fruitless　disputes

about　its　inevitable　consequences。



The　doctrine　of　State　rights　can　be　so　handled　by　an　adroit

demagogue　as　easily　to　confound　the　distinction　between　liberty

and　lawlessness　in　the　minds　of　ignorant　persons；　accustomed

always　to　be　influenced　by　the　sound　of　certain　words；　rather　than

to　reflect　upon　the　principles　which　give　them　meaning。　　For；

though　Secession　involves　the　manifest　absurdity　of　denying　to　the

State　the　right　of　making　war　against　any　foreign　power　while

permitting　it　against　the　United　States；　though　it　supposes　a

compact　of　mutual　concessions　and　guaranties　among　States

without　any　arbiter　in　case　of　dissension；　though　it　contradicts

common…sense　in　assuming　that　the　men　who　framed　our

government　did　not　know　what　they　meant　when　they　substituted

Union　for　confederation；　though　it　falsifies　history；　which　shows

that　the　main　opposition　to　the　adoption　of　the　Constitution　was

based　on　the　argument　that　it　did　not　allow　that　independence　in　the

several　States　which　alone　would　justify　them　in　seceding；yet；　as

slavery　was　universally　admitted　to　be　a　reserved　right；　an　inference

could　be　drawn　from　any　direct　attack　upon　it　（though　only　in　self…

defence）　to　a　natural　right　of　resistance；　logical　enough　to　satisfy

minds　untrained　to　detect　fallacy；　as　the　majority　of　men　always　are；

and　now　too　much　disturbed　by　the　disorder　of　the　times；　to

consider　that　the　order　of　events　had　any　legitimate　bearing　on　the

argument。　　Though　Mr。　Lincoln　was　too　sagacious　to　give　the

Northern　allies　of　the　Rebels　the　occasion　they　desired　and　even

strove　to　provoke；　yet　from　the　beginning　of　the　war　the　most

persistent　efforts　have　been　made　to　confuse　the　public　mind　as　to

its　ori