abraham lincoln-第6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！



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

its　origin　and　motives；　and　to　drag　the　people　of　the　loyal　States

down　from　the　national　position　they　had　instinctively　taken　to　the

old　level　of　party　squabbles　and　antipathies。　　The　wholly

unprovoked　rebellion　of　an　oligarchy　proclaiming　negro　slavery　the

corner…stone　of　free　institutions；　and　in　the　first　flush　of　over…hasty

confidence　venturing　to　parade　the　logical　sequence　of　their　leading

dogma；　〃that　slavery　is　right　in　principle；　and　has　nothing　to　do　with

difference　of　complexion；〃　has　been　represented　as　a　legitimate　and

gallant　attempt　to　maintain　the　true　principles　of　democracy。　　The

rightful　endeavor　of　an　established　government；　the　least　onerous

that　ever　existed；　to　defend　itself　against　a　treacherous　attack　on　its

very　existence；　has　been　cunningly　made　to　seem　the　wicked　effort

of　a　fanatical　clique　to　force　its　doctrines　on　an　oppressed

population。



Even　so　long　ago　as　when　Mr。　Lincoln；　not　yet　convinced　of　the

danger　and　magnitude　of　the　crisis；　was　endeavoring　to　persuade

himself　of　Union　majorities　at　the　South；　and　to　carry　on　a　war　that

was　half　peace　in　the　hope　of　a　peace　that　would　have　been　all　war；…

…while　he　was　still　enforcing　the　Fugitive　Slave　Law；　under　some

theory　that　Secession；　however　it　might　absolve　States　from　their

obligations；　could　not　escheat　them　of　their　claims　under　the

Constitution；　and　that　slaveholders　in　rebellion　had　alone　among

mortals　the　privilege　of　having　their　cake　and　eating　it　at　the　same

time；the　enemies　of　free　government　were　striving　to　persuade　the

people　that　the　war　was　an　Abolition　crusade。　　To　rebel　without

reason　was　proclaimed　as　one　of　the　rights　of　man；　while　it　was

carefully　kept　out　of　sight　that　to　suppress　rebellion　is　the　first　duty

of　government。　　All　the　evils　that　have　come　upon　the　country　have

been　attributed　to　the　Abolitionists；　though　it　is　hard　to　see　how　any

party　can　become　permanently　powerful　except　in　one　of　two　ways；

either　by　the　greater　truth　of　its　principles；　or　the　extravagance　of

the　party　opposed　to　it。　　To　fancy　the　ship　of　state；　riding　safe　at

her　constitutional　moorings；　suddenly　engulfed　by　a　huge　kraken　of

Abolitionism；　rising　from　unknown　depths　and　grasping　it　with

slimy　tentacles；　is　to　look　at　the　natural　history　of　the　matter　with

the　eyes　of　Pontoppidan。（1）　　　To　believe　that　the　leaders　in　the

Southern　treason　feared　any　danger　from　Abolitionism；　would　be　to

deny　them　ordinary　intelligence；　though　there　can　be　little　doubt

that　they　made　use　of　it　to　stir　the　passions　and　excite　the　fears　of

their　deluded　accomplices。　　They　rebelled；　not　because　they　thought

slavery　weak；　but　because　they　believed　it　strong　enough；　not　to

overthrow　the　government；　but　to　get　possession　of　it；　for　it

becomes　daily　clearer　that　they　used　rebellion　only　as　a　means　of

revolution；　and　if　they　got　revolution；　though　not　in　the　shape　they

looked　for；　is　the　American　people　to　save　them　from　its

consequences　at　the　cost　of　its　own　existence？　　The　election　of　Mr。

Lincoln；　which　it　was　clearly　in　their　power　to　prevent　had　they

wished；　was　the　occasion　merely；　and　not　the　cause　of　their　revolt。　

Abolitionism；　till　within　a　year　or　two；　was　the　despised　heresy　of　a

few　earnest　persons；　without　political　weight　enough　to　carry　the

election　of　a　parish　constable；　and　their　cardinal　principle　was

disunion；　because　they　were　convinced　that　within　the　Union　the

position　of　slavery　was　impregnable。　　In　spite　of　the　proverb；　great

effects　do　not　follow　from　small　causes；that　is；　disproportionately

small；but　from　adequate　causes　acting　under　certain　required

conditions。　　To　contrast　the　size　of　the　oak　with　that　of　the　parent

acorn；　as　if　the　poor　seed　had　paid　all　costs　from　its　slender　strong…

box；　may　serve　for　a　child's　wonder；　but　the　real　miracle　lies　in　that

divine　league　which　bound　all　the　forces　of　nature　to　the　service　of

the　tiny　germ　in　fulfilling　its　destiny。　　Everything　has　been　at　work

for　the　past　ten　years　in　the　cause　of　anti…slavery；　but　Garrison　and

Phillips　have　been　far　less　successful　propagandists　than　the

slaveholders　themselves；　with　the　constantly　growing　arrogance　of

their　pretensions　and　encroachments。　　They　have　forced　the

question　upon　the　attention　of　every　voter　in　the　Free　States；　by

defiantly　putting　freedom　and　democracy　on　the　defensive。　　But；

even　after　the　Kansas　outrages；　there　was　no　wide…spread　desire　on

the　part　of　the　North　to　commit　aggressions；　though　there　was　a

growing　determination　to　resist　them。　　The　popular　unanimity　in

favor　of　the　war　three　years　ago　was　but　in　small　measure　the　result

of　anti…slavery　sentiment；　far　less　of　any　zeal　for　abolition。　　But

every　month　of　the　war；　every　movement　of　the　allies　of　slavery　in

the　Free　States；　has　been　making　Abolitionists　by　the　thousand。　

The　masses　of　any　people；　however　intelligent；　are　very　little　moved

by　abstract　principles　of　humanity　and　justice；　until　those　principles

are　interpreted　for　them　by　the　stinging　commentary　of　some

infringement　upon　their　own　rights；　and　then　their　instincts　and

passions；　once　aroused；　do　indeed　derive　an　incalculable

reinforcement　of　impulse　and　intensity　from　those　higher　ideas；

those　sublime　traditions；　which　have　no　motive　political　force　till

they　are　allied　with　a　sense　of　immediate　personal　wrong　or

imminent　peril。　　Then　at　last　the　stars　in　their　courses　begin　to　fight

against　Sisera。　　Had　any　one　doubted　before　that　the　rights　of

human　nature　are　unitary；　that　oppression　is　of　one　hue　the　world

over；　no　matter　what　the　color　of　the　oppressed；had　any　one

failed　to　see　what　the　real　essence　of　the　contest　was；the　efforts　of

the　advocates　of　slavery　among　ourselves　to　throw　discredit　upon

the　fundamental　axioms　of　the　Declaration　of　Independence　and　the

radical　doctrines　of　Christianity；　could　not　fail　to　sharpen　his　eyes。　



（1）　A　Danish　antiquary　and　theologian。



While　every　day　was　bringing　the　people　nearer　to　the　conclusion

which　all　thinking　men　saw　to　be　inevitable　from　the　beginning；　it

was　wise　in　Mr。　Lincoln　to　leave　the　shaping　of　his　policy　to　events。　

In　this　country；　where　the　rough　and　ready　understanding　of　the

people　is　sure　at　last　to　be　the　controlling　power；　a　profound

common…sense　is　the　best　genius　for　statesmanship。　　Hitherto　the

wisdom　of　the　President's　measures　has　been　justified　by　the　fact

that　they　have　always　resulted　in　more　firmly　uniting　public　opinion。　

One　of　the　things　particularly　admirable　in　the　public　utterances　of

President　Lincoln　is　a　certain　tone　of　familiar　dignity；　which；　while

it　is　perhaps　the　most　difficult　attainment　of　mere　style；　is　also　no

doubtful　indication　of　personal　character。　　There　must　be　something

essentially　noble　in　an　elective　ruler　who　can　descend　to　the　level　of

confidential　ease　without　losing　respect；　something　very　manly　in

one　who　can　break　through　the　etiquette　of　his　conventional　rank

and　trust　himself　to　the　reason　and　intelligence　of　those　who　have

elected　him。　　No　higher　compliment　was　ever　paid　to　a　nation　than

the　simple　confidence；　the　fireside　plainness；　with　which　Mr。

Lincoln　always　addresses　himself　to　the　reason　of　the　American

people。　　This　was；　indeed；　a　true　democrat；　who　grounded　himself

on　the　assumption　that　a　democracy　can　think。　　〃Come；　let　us

reason　together　about　this　matter；〃　has　been　the　tone　of　all　his

addresses　to　the　people；　and　accordingly　we　have　never　had　a　chief

magistrate　who　so　won　to　himself　the　love　and　at　the　same　time　the

judgment　of　his　countrymen。　　To　us；　that　simple　confidence　of　his　in

the　right…mindedness　of　his　fellowmen　is　very　touching；　and　its

success　is　as　strong　an　argument　as　we　have　ever　seen　in　favor　of

the　theory　that　men　can　govern　themselves。　　He　never　appeals　to

any　vulgar　sentiment；　he　never　alludes　to　the　humbleness　of　his

origin；　it　probably　never　occurred　to　h