abraham lincoln-第4节

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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　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　eno