abraham lincoln-第5节

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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　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