abraham lincoln-第6节

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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　him；　indeed；　that　there　was

anything　higher　to　start　from　than　manhood；　and　he　put　himself　on　a

level　with　those　he　addressed；　not　by　going　down　to　them；　but　only

by　taking　it　for　granted　that　they　had　brains　and　would　come　up　to

a　common　ground　of　reason。　　In　an　article　lately　printed　in　*The

Nation；*　Mr。　Bayard　Taylor　mentions　the　striking　fact；　that　in　the

foulest　dens　of　the　Five　Points　he　found　the　portrait　of　Lincoln。　

The　wretched　population　that　makes　its　hive　there　threw　all　its

votes　and　more　against　him；　and　yet　paid　this　instinctive　tribute　to

the　sweet　humanity　of　his　nature。　　Their　ignorance　sold　its　vote　and

took　its　money；　but　all　that　was　left　of　manhood　in　them　recognized

its　saint　and　martyr。



Mr。　Lincoln　is　not　in　the　habit　of　saying；　〃This　is　*my*　opinion；　or

*my*　theory；〃　but　〃This　is　the　conclusion　to　which；　in　my

judgment；　the　time　has　come；　and　to　which；　accordingly；　the　sooner

we　come　the　better　for　us。〃　　His　policy　has　been　the　policy　of　public

opinion　based　on　adequate　discussion　and　on　a　timely　recognition

of　the　influence　of　passing　events　in　shaping　the　features　of　events

to　come。



One　secret　of　Mr。　Lincoln's　remarkable　success　in　captivating　the

popular　mind　is　undoubtedly　an　unconsciousness　of　self　which

enables　him；　though　under　the　necessity　of　constantly　using　the

capital　*I*；　to　do　it　without　any　suggestion　of　egotism。　　There　is　no

single　vowel　which　men's　mouths　can　pronounce　with　such

difference　of　effect。　　That　which　one　shall　hide　away；　as　it　were；

behind　the　substance　of　his　discourse；　or；　if　he　bring　it　to　the　front；

shall　use　merely　to　give　an　agreeable　accent　of　individuality　to　what

he　says；　another　shall　make　an　offensive　challenge　to　the　self…

satisfaction　of　all　his　hearers；　and　an　unwarranted　intrusion　upon

each　man's　sense　of　personal　importance；　irritating　every　pore　of　his

vanity；　like　a　dry　northeast　wind；　to　a　goose…flesh　of　opposition　and

hostility。　　Mr。　Lincoln　has　never　studied　Quintilian；（1）　but　he　has；　in

the　earnest　simplicity　and　unaffected　Americanism　of　his　own

character；　one　art　of　oratory　worth　all　the　rest。　　He　forgets　himself

so　entirely　in　his　object　as　to　give　his　*I*　the　sympathetic　and

persuasive　effect　of　*We*　with　the　great　body　of　his　countrymen。　

Homely；　dispassionate；　showing　all　the　rough…edged　process　of　his

thought　as　it　goes　along；　yet　arriving　at　his　conclusions　with　an

honest　kind　of　every…day　logic；　he　is　so　eminently　our

representative　man；　that；　when　he　speaks；　it　seems　as　if　the　people

were　listening　to　their　own　thinking　aloud。　　The　dignity　of　his

thought　owes　nothing　to　any　ceremonial　garb　of　words；　but　to　the

manly　movement　that　comes　of　settled　purpose　and　an　energy　of

reason　that　knows　not　what　rhetoric　means。　　There　has　been

nothing　of　Cleon；　still　less　of　Strepsiades（2）　striving　to　underbid

him　in　demagogism；　to　be　found　in　the　public　utterances　of　Mr。

Lincoln。　　He　has　always　addressed　the　intelligence　of　men；　never

their　prejudice；　their　passion；　or　their　ignorance。



（1）　A　famous　Latin　writer　on　the　*Art　of　Oratory。*

（2）　Two　Athenian　demagogues；　satirized　by　the　dramatist

Aristophanes。



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On　the　day　of　his　death；　this　simple　Western　attorney；　who

according　to　one　party　was　a　vulgar　joker；　and　whom　the

*doctrinaires*　among　his　own　supporters　accused　of　wanting　every

element　of　statesmanship；　was　the　most　absolute　ruler　in

Christendom；　and　this　solely　by　the　hold　his　good…humored　sagacity

had　laid　on　the　hearts　and　understandings　of　his　countrymen。　　Nor

was　this　all；　for　it　appeared　that　he　had　drawn　the　great　majority；

not　only　of　his　fellow…citizens；　but　of　mankind　also；　to　his　side。　　So

strong　and　so　persuasive　is　honest　manliness　without　a　single

quality　of　romance　or　unreal　sentiment　to　help　it！　　A　civilian　during

times　of　the　most　captivating　military　achievement；　awkward；　with

no　skill　in　the　lower　technicalities　of　manners；　he　left　behind　him　a

fame　beyond　that　of　any　conqueror；　the　memory　of　a　grace　higher

than　that　of　outward　person；　and　of　a　gentlemanliness　deeper　than

mere　breeding。　　Never　before　that　startled　April　morning　did　such

multitudes　of　men　shed　tears　for　the　death　of　one　they　had　never

seen；　as　if　with　him　a　friendly　presence　had　been　taken　away　from

their　lives；　leaving　them　colder　and　darker。　　Never　was　funeral

panegyric　so　eloquent　as　the　silent　look　of　sympathy　which

strangers　exchanged　when　they　met　on　that　day。　　Their　common

manhood　had　lost　a　kinsman。











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