Abraham LincolnWord文档下载推荐.docx
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Abraham LincolnWord文档下载推荐.docx
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sheartandshapeshisthought,thoughperhapsneverpresenttohisconsciousness,wouldbegonefromit,leavingitcommonearthandnothingmore.Menmightgatherrichcropsfromit,butthatidealharvestofpricelessassociationswouldbereapednolonger;
thatfinevirtuewhichsentupmessagesofcourageandsecurityfromeverysodofitwouldhaveevaporatedbeyondrecall.Weshouldbeirrevocablycutofffromourpast,andbeforcedtosplicetheraggedendsofourlivesuponwhatevernewconditionschancemightleavedanglingforus.
Weconfessthatwehadourdoubtsatfirstwhetherthepatriotismofourpeoplewerenottoonarrowlyprovincialtoembracetheproportionsofnationalperil.Wefeltanonlytoonaturaldistrustofimmensepublicmeetingsandenthusiasticcheers.
Thatareactionshouldfollowtheholidayenthusiasmwithwhichthewarwasenteredon,thatitshouldfollowsoon,andthattheslackeningofpublicspiritshouldbeproportionatetothepreviousover-tension,mightwellbeforeseenbyallwhohadstudiedhumannatureorhistory.Menactinggregariouslyarealwaysinextremes;
astheyareonemomentcapableofhighercourage,sotheyareliable,thenext,tobaserdepression,anditisoftenamatterofchancewhethernumbersshallmultiplyconfidenceordiscouragement.Nordoesdeceptionleadmoresurelytodistrustofmen,thanself-deceptiontosuspicionofprinciples.Theonlyfaiththatwearswellandholdsitscolorinallweathersisthatwhichiswovenofconvictionandsetwiththesharpmordantofexperience.
Enthusiasmisgoodmaterialfortheorator,butthestatesmanneedssomethingmoredurabletoworkin,--mustbeabletorelyonthedeliberatereasonandconsequentfirmnessofthepeople,withoutwhichthatpresenceofmind,nolessessentialintimesofmoralthanofmaterialperil,willbewantingatthecriticalmoment.WouldthisfervoroftheFreeStatesholdout?
Wasitkindledbyajustfeelingofthevalueofconstitutionalliberty?
Haditbodyenoughtowithstandtheinevitabledampeningofchecks,reverses,delays?
Hadourpopulationintelligenceenoughtocomprehendthatthechoicewasbetweenorderandanarchy,betweentheequilibriumofagovernmentbylawandthetussleofmisruleby*pronunciamiento?
*Couldawarbemaintainedwithouttheordinarystimulusofhatredandplunder,andwiththeimpersonalloyaltyofprinciple?
Thesewereseriousquestions,andwithnoprecedenttoaidinansweringthem.
Atthebeginningofthewartherewas,indeed,occasionforthemostanxiousapprehension.APresidentknowntobeinfectedwiththepoliticalheresies,andsuspectedofsympathywiththetreason,oftheSouthernconspirators,hadjustsurrenderedthereins,wewillnotsayofpower,butofchaos,toasuccessorknownonlyastherepresentativeofapartywhoseleaders,withlongtraininginopposition,hadnoneintheconductofaffairs;
anemptytreasurywascalledontosupplyresourcesbeyondprecedentinthehistoryoffinance;
thetreeswereyetgrowingandtheironunminedwithwhichanavywastobebuiltandarmored;
officerswithoutdisciplineweretomakeamobintoanarmy;
and,aboveall,thepublicopinionofEurope,echoedandreinforcedwitheveryvaguehintandeveryspeciousargumentofdespondencybyapowerfulfactionathome,waseithercontemptuouslyscepticaloractivelyhostile.Itwouldbehardtoover-estimatetheforceofthislatterelementofdisintegrationanddiscouragementamongapeoplewhereeverycitizenathome,andeverysoldierinthefield,isareaderofnewspapers.ThepeddlersofrumorintheNorthwerethemosteffectivealliesoftherebellion.Anationcanbeliabletonomoreinsidioustreacherythanthatofthetelegraph,sendinghourlyitselectricthrillofpanicalongtheremotestnervesofthecommunity,tilltheexcitedimaginationmakeseveryrealdangerloomheightenedwithitsunrealdouble.
Andevenifwelookonlyatmorepalpabledifficulties,theproblemtobesolvedbyourcivilwarwassovast,bothinitsimmediaterelationsanditsfutureconsequences;
theconditionsofitssolutionweresointricateandsogreatlydependentonincalculableanduncontrollablecontingencies;
somanyofthedata,whetherforhopeorfear,were,fromtheirnovelty,incapableofarrangementunderanyofthecategoriesofhistoricalprecedent,thatthereweremomentsofcrisiswhenthefirmestbelieverinthestrengthandsufficiencyofthedemocratictheoryofgovernmentmightwellholdhisbreathinvagueapprehensionofdisaster.Ourteachersofpoliticalphilosophy,solemnlyarguingfromtheprecedentofsomepettyGrecian,Italian,orFlemishcity,whoselongperiodsofaristocracywerebrokennowandthenbyawkwardparenthesesofmob,hadalwaystaughtusthatdemocracieswereincapableofthesentimentofloyalty,ofconcentratedandprolongedeffort,offar-
reachingconceptions;
wereabsorbedinmaterialinterests;
impatientofregular,andmuchmoreofexceptionalrestraint;
hadnonaturalnucleusofgravitation,noranyforcesbutcentrifugal;
werealwaysonthevergeofcivilwar,andslunkatlastintothenaturalalmshouseofbankruptpopulargovernment,amilitarydespotism.
Herewasindeedadrearyoutlookforpersonswhoknewdemocracy,notbyrubbingshoulderswithitlifelong,butmerelyfrombooks,andAmericaonlybythereportofsomefellow-Briton,who,havingeatenabaddinnerorlostacarpet-baghere,hadwrittento*TheTimes*demandingredress,anddrawingamournfulinferenceofdemocraticinstability.NorweremenwantingamongourselveswhohadsosteepedtheirbrainsinLondonliteratureastomistakeCockneyismforEuropeanculture,andcontemptoftheircountryforcosmopolitanbreadthofview,andwho,owingalltheyhadanalltheyweretodemocracy,thoughtithadanairofhigh-breedingtojoinintheshallowepicediumthatourbubblehadburst.
Butbesideanydishearteninginfluenceswhichmightaffectthetimidorthedespondent,therewerereasonsenoughofsettledgravityagainstanyover-confidenceofhope.Awar--which,whetherweconsidertheexpanseoftheterritoryatstake,thehostsbroughtintothefield,orthereachoftheprinciplesinvolved,mayfairlybereckonedthemostmomentousofmoderntimes--wastobewagedbyapeopledividedathome,unnervedbyfiftyyearsofpeace,underachiefmagistratewithoutexperienceandwithoutreputation,whoseeverymeasurewassuretobecunninglyhamperedbyajealousandunscrupulousminority,andwho,whiledealingwithunheard-ofcomplicationsathome,mustsootheahostileneutralityabroad,waitingonlyapretexttobecomewar.Allthiswastobedonewithoutwarningandwithoutpreparation,whileatthesametimeasocialrevolutionwastobeaccomplishedinthepoliticalconditionoffourmillionsofpeople,bysofteningtheprejudices,allayingthefears,andgraduallyobtainingthecooperation,oftheirunwillingliberators.Surely,ifevertherewereanoccasionwhentheheightenedimaginationofthehistorianmightseeDestinyvisiblyinterveninginhumanaffairs,herewasaknotworthyofhershears.
Never,perhaps,wasanysystemofgovernmenttriedbysocontinuousandsearchingastrainasoursduringthelastthreeyears;
neverhasanyshownitselfstronger;
andnevercouldthatstrengthbesodirectlytracedtothevirtueandintelligenceofthepeople,--tothatgeneralenlightenmentandpromptefficiencyofpublicopinionpossibleonlyundertheinfluenceofapoliticalframeworklikeourown.Wefindithardtounderstandhowevenaforeignershouldbeblindtothegrandeurofthecombatofideasthathasbeengoingonhere,--totheheroicenergy,persistency,andself-relianceofanationprovingthatitknowshowmuchdearergreatnessisthanmerepower;
andweownthatitisimpossibleforustoconceivethementalandmoralconditionoftheAmericanwhodoesnotfeelhisspiritbracedandheightenedbybeingevenaspectatorofsuchqualitiesandachievements.Thatasteadypurposeandadefiniteaimhavebeengiventothejarringforceswhich,atthebeginningofthewar,spentthemselvesinthediscussionofschemeswhichcouldonlybecomeoperative,ifatall,afterthewarwasover;
thatapopularexcitementhasbeenslowlyintensifiedintoanearnestnationalwill;
thatasomewhatimpracticablemoralsentimenthasbeenmadetheunconsciousinstrumentofapracticalmoralend;
thatthetreasonofcovertenemies,thejealousyofrivals,theunwisezealoffriends,havebeenmadenotonlyuselessformischief,butevenusefulforgood;
thattheconscientioussensitivenessofEnglandtothehorrorsofcivilconflicthasbeenpreventedfromcomplicatingadomesticwithaforeignwar;
--alltheseresults,anyoneofwhichmightsufficetoprovegreatnessinaruler,havebeenmainlyduetothegoodsense,thegood-humor,thesagacity,thelarge-mindedness,andtheunselfishhonestyoftheunknownmanwhomablindfortune,asitseemed,hadliftedfromthecrowdtothemostdangerousanddifficulteminenceofmoderntimes.Itisbypresenceofmindinuntriedemergenci
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