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。Itisbypresenceofmindinuntriedemergenciesthatthenativemetalofamanistested;itisbythesagacitytosee，andthefearlesshonestytoadmit，whateveroftruththeremaybeinanadverseopinion，inordermoreconvincinglytoexposethefallacythatlurksbehindit，thatareasoneratlengthgainsforhismerestatementofafacttheforceofargument;itisbyawiseforecastwhichallowshostilecombinationstogosofarasbytheinevitablereactiontobecomeelementsofhisownpower，thatapoliticianproveshisgeniusforstate—craft;andespeciallyitisbysogentlyguidingpublicsentimentthatheseemstofollowit，bysoyieldingdoubtfulpointsthathecanbefirmwithoutseemingobstinateinessentialones，andthusgaintheadvantagesofcompromisewithouttheweaknessofconcession;bysoinstinctivelycomprehendingthetemperandprejudicesofapeopleastomakethemgraduallyconsciousofthesuperiorwisdomofhisfreedomfromtemperandprejudice，——itisbyqualitiessuchasthesethatamagistrateshowshimselfworthytobechiefinacommonwealthoffreemen。AnditisforqualitiessuchasthesethatwefirmlybelieveHistorywillrankMr。Lincolnamongthemostprudentofstatesmenandthemostsuccessfulofrulers。Ifwewishtoappreciatehim，wehaveonlytoconceivetheinevitablechaosinwhichweshouldnowbeweltering，hadaweakmanoranunwiseonebeenchoseninhisstead。
\"Bareisback，\"saystheNorseproverb，\"withoutbrotherbehindit;\"
andthisis，byanalogy，trueofanelectivemagistracy。Thehereditaryrulerinanycriticalemergencymayreckonontheinexhaustibleresourcesof*prestige，*ofsentiment，ofsuperstition，ofdependentinterest，whilethenewmanmustslowlyandpainfullycreatealltheseoutoftheunwillingmaterialaroundhim，bysuperiorityofcharacter，bypatientsinglenessofpurpose，bysagaciouspresentimentofpopulartendenciesandinstinctivesympathywiththenationalcharacter。Mr。Lincoln\'staskwasoneofpeculiarandexceptionaldifficulty。LonghabithadaccustomedtheAmericanpeopletothenotionofapartyinpower，andofaPresidentasitscreatureandorgan，whilethemorevitalfact，thattheexecutiveforthetimebeingrepresentstheabstractideaofgovernmentasapermanentprinciplesuperiortoallpartyandallprivateinterest，hadgraduallybecomeunfamiliar。Theyhadsolongseenthepublicpolicymoreorlessdirectedbyviewsofparty，andoftenevenofpersonaladvantage，astobereadytosuspectthemotivesofachiefmagistratecompelled，forthefirsttimeinourhistory，tofeelhimselftheheadandhandofagreatnation，andtoactuponthefundamentalmaxim，laiddownbyallpublicists，thatthefirstdutyofagovernmentistodependandmaintainitsownexistence。Accordingly，apowerfulweaponseemedtobeputintothehandsoftheoppositionbythenecessityunderwhichtheadministrationfounditselfofapplyingthisoldtruthtonewrelations。Norweretheoppositionhisonlynorhismostdangerousopponents。
TheRepublicanshadcarriedthecountryuponanissueinwhichethicsweremoredirectlyandvisiblymingledwithpoliticsthanusual。Theirleadersweretrainedtoamethodoforatorywhichreliedforitseffectratheronthemoralsensethantheunderstanding。Theirargumentsweredrawn，notsomuchfromexperienceasfromgeneralprinciplesofrightandwrong。Whenthewarcame，theirsystemcontinuedtobeapplicableandeffective，forhereagainthereasonofthepeoplewastobereachedandkindledthroughtheirsentiments。Itwasoneofthoseperiodsofexcitement，gathering，contagious，universal，which，whiletheylast，exaltandclarifythemindsofmen，givingtothemerewords*country，humanrights，democracy，*ameaningandaforcebeyondthatofsoberandlogicalargument。Theywereconvictions，maintainedanddefendedbythesupremelogicofpassion。Thatpenetratingfireraninandrousedthoseprimaryinstinctsthatmaketheirlairinthedensandcavernsofthemind。Whatiscalledthegreatpopularheartwasawakened，thatindefinablesomethingwhichmaybe，accordingtocircumstances，thehighestreasonorthemostbrutishunreason。Butenthusiasm，oncecold，canneverbewarmedoverintoanythingbetterthancant，——andphrases，whenoncetheinspirationthatfilledthemwithbeneficentpowerhasebbedaway，retainonlythatsemblanceofmeaningwhichenablesthemtosupplantreasoninhastyminds。AmongthelessonstaughtbytheFrenchRevolutionthereisnonesadderormorestrikingthanthis，thatyoumaymakeeverythingelseoutofthepassionsofmenexceptapoliticalsystemthatwillwork，andthatthereisnothingsopitilesslyandunconsciouslycruelassincerityformulatedintodogma。Itisalwaysdemoralizingtoextendthedomainofsentimentoverquestionswhereithasnolegitimatejurisdiction;andperhapsthesevereststrainuponMr。Lincolnwasinresistingatendencyofhisownsupporterswhichchimedwithhisownprivatedesires，whilewhollyopposedtohisconvictionsofwhatwouldbewisepolicy。
Thechangewhichthreeyearshavebroughtaboutistooremarkabletobepassedoverwithoutcomment，tooweightyinitslessonnottobelaidtoheart。NeverdidaPresidententeruponofficewithlessmeansathiscommand，outsidehisownstrengthofheartandsteadinessofunderstanding，forinspiringconfidenceinthepeople，andsowinningitforhimself，thanMr。Lincoln。Allthatwasknownofhimwasthathewasagoodstump—speaker，nominatedforhis*availability，*——thatis，becausehehadnohistory，——andchosenbyapartywithwhosemoreextremeopinionshewasnotinsympathy。
Itmightwellbefearedthatamanpastfifty，againstwhomtheingenuityofhostilepartisanscouldrakeupnoaccusation，mustbelackinginmanlinessofcharacter，indecisionofprinciple，instrengthofwill;thatamanwhowasatbestonlytherepresentativeofaparty，andwhoyetdidnotfairlyrepresenteventhat，wouldfailofpolitical，muchmoreofpopular，support。Andcertainlynooneeverentereduponofficewithsofewresourcesofpowerinthepast，andsomanymaterialsofweaknessinthepresent，asMr。