Abraham Lincoln.docx

Abraham Lincoln.docx

《Abraham Lincoln.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Abraham Lincoln.docx（28页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

AbrahamLincoln

AbrahamLincoln

byJamesRussellLowell

THEREhavebeenmanypainfulcrisessincetheimpatientvanityof

SouthCarolinahurriedtenprosperousCommonwealthsintoa

crimewhoseassuredretributionwastoleavethemeitheratthe

mercyofthenationtheyhadwronged,oroftheanarchytheyhad

summonedbutcouldnotcontrol,whennothoughtfulAmerican

openedhismorningpaperwithoutdreadingtofindthathehadno

longeracountrytoloveandhonor.Whatevertheresultofthe

convulsionwhosefirstshockswerebeginningtobefelt,there

wouldstillbeenoughsquaremilesofearthforelbow-room;but

thatineffablesentimentmadeupofmemoryandhope,ofinstinct

andtradition,whichswellseveryman'sheartandshapeshis

thought,thoughperhapsneverpresenttohisconsciousness,would

begonefromit,leavingitcommonearthandnothingmore.Men

mightgatherrichcropsfromit,butthatidealharvestofpriceless

associationswouldbereapednolonger;thatfinevirtuewhichsent

upmessagesofcourageandsecurityfromeverysodofitwould

haveevaporatedbeyondrecall.Weshouldbeirrevocablycutoff

fromourpast,andbeforcedtosplicetheraggedendsofourlives

uponwhatevernewconditionschancemightleavedanglingforus.

Weconfessthatwehadourdoubtsatfirstwhetherthepatriotism

ofourpeoplewerenottoonarrowlyprovincialtoembracethe

proportionsofnationalperil.Wefeltanonlytoonaturaldistrustof

immensepublicmeetingsandenthusiasticcheers.

Thatareactionshouldfollowtheholidayenthusiasmwithwhich

thewarwasenteredon,thatitshouldfollowsoon,andthatthe

slackeningofpublicspiritshouldbeproportionatetotheprevious

over-tension,mightwellbeforeseenbyallwhohadstudiedhuman

natureorhistory.Menactinggregariouslyarealwaysinextremes;

astheyareonemomentcapableofhighercourage,sotheyare

liable,thenext,tobaserdepression,anditisoftenamatterof

chancewhethernumbersshallmultiplyconfidenceor

discouragement.Nordoesdeceptionleadmoresurelytodistrustof

men,thanself-deceptiontosuspicionofprinciples.Theonlyfaith

thatwearswellandholdsitscolorinallweathersisthatwhichis

wovenofconvictionandsetwiththesharpmordantofexperience.

Enthusiasmisgoodmaterialfortheorator,butthestatesmanneeds

somethingmoredurabletoworkin,--mustbeabletorelyonthe

deliberatereasonandconsequentfirmnessofthepeople,without

whichthatpresenceofmind,nolessessentialintimesofmoralthan

ofmaterialperil,willbewantingatthecriticalmoment.Wouldthis

fervoroftheFreeStatesholdout?

Wasitkindledbyajustfeeling

ofthevalueofconstitutionalliberty?

Haditbodyenoughto

withstandtheinevitabledampeningofchecks,reverses,delays?

Hadourpopulationintelligenceenoughtocomprehendthatthe

choicewasbetweenorderandanarchy,betweentheequilibriumof

agovernmentbylawandthetussleofmisruleby

*pronunciamiento?

*Couldawarbemaintainedwithoutthe

ordinarystimulusofhatredandplunder,andwiththeimpersonal

loyaltyofprinciple?

Thesewereseriousquestions,andwithno

precedenttoaidinansweringthem.

Atthebeginningofthewartherewas,indeed,occasionforthe

mostanxiousapprehension.APresidentknowntobeinfectedwith

thepoliticalheresies,andsuspectedofsympathywiththetreason,

oftheSouthernconspirators,hadjustsurrenderedthereins,wewill

notsayofpower,butofchaos,toasuccessorknownonlyasthe

representativeofapartywhoseleaders,withlongtrainingin

opposition,hadnoneintheconductofaffairs;anemptytreasury

wascalledontosupplyresourcesbeyondprecedentinthehistory

offinance;thetreeswereyetgrowingandtheironunminedwith

whichanavywastobebuiltandarmored;officerswithout

disciplineweretomakeamobintoanarmy;and,aboveall,the

publicopinionofEurope,echoedandreinforcedwitheveryvague

hintandeveryspeciousargumentofdespondencybyapowerful

factionathome,waseithercontemptuouslyscepticaloractively

hostile.Itwouldbehardtoover-estimatetheforceofthislatter

elementofdisintegrationanddiscouragementamongapeople

whereeverycitizenathome,andeverysoldierinthefield,isa

readerofnewspapers.ThepeddlersofrumorintheNorthwerethe

mosteffectivealliesoftherebellion.Anationcanbeliabletono

moreinsidioustreacherythanthatofthetelegraph,sendinghourly

itselectricthrillofpanicalongtheremotestnervesofthe

community,tilltheexcitedimaginationmakeseveryrealdanger

loomheightenedwithitsunrealdouble.

Andevenifwelookonlyatmorepalpabledifficulties,theproblem

tobesolvedbyourcivilwarwassovast,bothinitsimmediate

relationsanditsfutureconsequences;theconditionsofitssolution

weresointricateandsogreatlydependentonincalculableand

uncontrollablecontingencies;somanyofthedata,whetherforhope

orfear,were,fromtheirnovelty,incapableofarrangementunder

anyofthecategoriesofhistoricalprecedent,thattherewere

momentsofcrisiswhenthefirmestbelieverinthestrengthand

sufficiencyofthedemocratictheoryofgovernmentmightwellhold

hisbreathinvagueapprehensionofdisaster.Ourteachersof

politicalphilosophy,solemnlyarguingfromtheprecedentofsome

pettyGrecian,Italian,orFlemishcity,whoselongperiodsof

aristocracywerebrokennowandthenbyawkwardparenthesesof

mob,hadalwaystaughtusthatdemocracieswereincapableofthe

sentimentofloyalty,ofconcentratedandprolongedeffort,offar-

reachingconceptions;wereabsorbedinmaterialinterests;impatient

ofregular,andmuchmoreofexceptionalrestraint;hadnonatural

nucleusofgravitation,noranyforcesbutcentrifugal;werealways

onthevergeofcivilwar,andslunkatlastintothenatural

almshouseofbankruptpopulargovernment,amilitarydespotism.

Herewasindeedadrearyoutlookforpersonswhoknew

democracy,notbyrubbingshoulderswithitlifelong,butmerely

frombooks,andAmericaonlybythereportofsomefellow-Briton,

who,havingeatenabaddinnerorlostacarpet-baghere,had

writtento*TheTimes*demandingredress,anddrawinga

mournfulinferenceofdemocraticinstability.Norweremen

wantingamongourselveswhohadsosteepedtheirbrainsin

LondonliteratureastomistakeCockneyismforEuropeanculture,

andcontemptoftheircountryforcosmopolitanbreadthofview,

andwho,owingalltheyhadanalltheyweretodemocracy,thought

ithadanairofhigh-breedingtojoinintheshallowepicediumthat

ourbubblehadburst.

Butbesideanydishearteninginfluenceswhichmightaffectthetimid

orthedespondent,therewerereasonsenoughofsettledgravity

againstanyover-confidenceofhope.Awar--which,whetherwe

considertheexpanseoftheterritoryatstake,thehostsbroughtinto

thefield,orthereachoftheprinciplesinvolved,mayfairlybe

reckonedthemostmomentousofmoderntimes--wastobewaged

byapeopledividedathome,unnervedbyfiftyyearsofpeace,

underachiefmagistratewithoutexperienceandwithoutreputation,

whoseeverymeasurewassuretobecunninglyhamperedbya

jealousandunscrupulousminority,andwho,whiledealingwith

unheard-ofcomplicationsathome,mustsootheahostileneutrality

abroad,waitingonlyapretexttobecomewar.Allthiswastobe

donewithoutwarningandwithoutpreparation,whileatthesame

timeasocialrevolutionwastobeaccomplishedinthepolitical

conditionoffourmillionsofpeople,bysofteningtheprejudices,

allayingthefears,andgraduallyobtainingthecooperation,oftheir

unwillingliberators.Surely,ifevertherewereanoccasionwhen

theheightenedimaginationofthehistorianmightseeDestinyvisibly

interveninginhumanaffairs,herewasaknotworthyofhershears.

Never,perhaps,wasanysystemofgovernmenttriedbyso

continuousandsearchingastrainasoursduringthelastthree

years;neverhasanyshownitselfstronger;andnevercouldthat

strengthbesodirectlytracedtothevirtueandintelligenceofthe

people,--tothatgeneralenlightenmentandpromptefficiencyof

publicopinionpossibleonlyundertheinfluenceofapolitical

frameworklikeourown.Wefindithardtounderstandhowevena

foreignershouldbeblindtothegrandeurofthecombatofideas

thathasbeengoingonhere,--totheheroicenergy,persistency,and

self-relianceofanationprovingthatitknowshowmuchdearer

greatnessisthanmerepower;andweownthatitisimpossiblefor

ustoconceivethementalandmoralconditionoftheAmericanwho

doesnotfeelhisspiritbracedandheightenedbybeingevena

spectatorofsuchqualitiesandachievements.Thatasteady

purposeandadefiniteaimhavebeengiventothejarringforces

which,atthebeginningofthewar,spentthemselvesinthe

discussionofschemeswhichcouldonlybecomeoperative,ifatall,

afterthewarwasover;thatapopularexcitementhasbeenslowly

intensifiedintoanearnestnationalwill;thatasomewhat

impracticablemoralsentimenthasbeenmadetheunconscious

instrumentofapracticalmoralend;thatthetreasonofcovert

enemies,thejealousyofrivals,theunwisezealoffriends,havebeen

madenotonlyuselessformischief,butevenusefulforgood;that

theconscientioussensitivenessofEnglandtothehorrorsofcivil

conflicthasbeenpreventedfromcomplicatingadomesticwitha

foreignwar;--alltheseresults,anyoneofwhichmightsufficeto

provegreatnessinaruler,havebeenmainlyduetothegoodsense,

thegood-humor,thesagacity,thelarge-mindedness,andthe

unselfishhonestyoftheunknownmanwhoma