Autocracymayhavesomethinginitmoremelodramaticthanthis，butfallsfarshortofitinhumanvalueandinterest。
Experiencewouldhavebredinusarooteddistrustofimprovedstatesmanship，evenifwedidnotbelievepoliticstobeascience，which，ifitcannotalwayscommandmenofspecialaptitudeandgreatpowers，atleastdemandsthelongandsteadyapplicationofthebestpowersofsuchmenasitcancommandtomasterevenitsfirstprinciples。Itiscurious，that，inacountrywhichboastsofitsintelligencethetheoryshouldbesogenerallyheldthatthemostcomplicatedofhumancontrivances，andonewhicheverydaybecomesmorecomplicated，canbeworkedatsightbyanymanabletotalkforanhourortwowithoutstoppingtothink。
Mr。Lincolnissometimesclaimedasanexampleofaready—maderuler。Butnocasecouldwellbelessinpoint;for，besidesthathewasamanofsuchfair—mindednessasisalwaystherawmaterialofwisdom，hehadinhisprofessionatrainingpreciselytheoppositeofthattowhichapartisanissubjected。Hisexperienceasalawyercompelledhimnotonlytoseethatthereisaprincipleunderlyingeveryphenomenoninhumanaffairs，butthattherearealwaystwosidestoeveryquestion，bothofwhichmustbefullyunderstoodinordertounderstandeither，andthatitisofgreateradvantagetoanadvocatetoappreciatethestrengththantheweaknessofhisantagonist\'sposition。Nothingismoreremarkablethantheunerringtactwithwhich，inhisdebatewithMr。Douglas，hewentstraighttothereasonofthequestion;norhaveweeverhadamorestrikinglessoninpoliticaltacticsthanthefact，thatopposedtoamanexceptionallyadroitinusingpopularprejudiceandbigotrytohispurpose，exceptionallyunscrupulousinappealingtothosebasermotivesthatturnameetingofcitizensintoamobofbarbarians，heshouldyethavewonhiscasebeforeajuryofthepeople。Mr。
Lincolnwasasfaraspossiblefromanimpromptupolitician。Hiswisdomwasmadeupofaknowledgeofthingsaswellasofmen;
hissagacityresultedfromaclearperceptionandhonestacknowledgmentofdifficulties，whichenabledhimtoseethattheonlydurabletriumphofpoliticalopinionisbased，notonanyabstractright，butuponsomuchofjustice，thehighestattainableatanygivenmomentinhumanaffairs，asmaybehadinthebalanceofmutualconcession。Doubtlesshehadanideal，butitwastheidealofapracticalstatesman，——toaimatthebest，andtotakethenextbest，ifheisluckyenoughtogeteventhat。Hisslow，butsingularlymasculine，intelligencetaughthimthatprecedentisonlyanothernameforembodiedexperience，andthatitcountsforevenmoreintheguidanceofcommunitiesofmenthaninthatoftheindividuallife。Hewasnotamanwhohelditgoodpubliceconomytopulldownonthemerechanceofrebuildingbetter。Mr。Lincoln\'sfaithinGodwasqualifiedbyaverywell—foundeddistrustofthewisdomofman。perhapsitwashiswantofself—confidencethatmorethananythingelsewonhimtheunlimitedconfidenceofthepeople，fortheyfeltthattherewouldbenoneedofretreatfromanypositionhehaddeliberatelytaken。Thecautious，butsteady，advanceofhispolicyduringthewarwaslikethatofaRomanarmy。Heleftbehindhimafirmroadonwhichpublicconfidencecouldfollow;hetookAmericawithhimwherehewent;whathegainedheoccupied，andhisadvancedpostsbecamecolonies。Theveryhomelinessofhisgeniuswasitsdistinction。Hiskingshipwasconspicuousbyitsworkdayhomespun。Neverwasrulersoabsoluteashe，norsolittleconsciousofit;forhewastheincarnatecommon—senseofthepeople。Withallthattendernessofnaturewhosesweetsadnesstouchedwhoeversawhimwithsomethingofitsownpathos，therewasnotraceofsentimentalisminhisspeechoraction。Heseemstohavehadoneruleofconduct，alwaysthatofpracticalandsuccessfulpolitics，tolethimselfbeguidedbyevents，whentheyweresuretobringhimoutwherehewishedtogo，thoughbywhatseemedtounpracticalminds，whichletgothepossibletograspatthedesirable，alongerroad。
Undoubtedlythehighestfunctionofstatesmanshipisbydegreestoaccommodatetheconductofcommunitiestoethicallaws，andtosubordinatetheconflictingself—interestsofthedaytohigherandmorepermanentconcerns。Butitisontheunderstanding，andnotonthesentiment，ofanationthatallsafelegislationmustbebased。
Voltaire\'ssaying，that\"aconsiderationofpettycircumstancesisthetombofgreatthings，\"maybetrueofindividualmen，butitcertainlyisnottrueofgovernments。Itisbyamultitudeofsuchconsiderations，eachinitselftrifling，butalltogetherweighty，thattheframersofpolicycanalonedivinewhatispracticableandthereforewise。Theimputationofinconsistencyisonetowhicheverysoundpoliticianandeveryhonestthinkermustsoonerorlatersubjecthimself。Thefoolishandthedeadaloneneverchangetheiropinion。Thecourseofagreatstatesmanresemblesthatofnavigablerivers，avoidingimmovableobstacleswithnoblebendsofconcession，seekingthebroadlevelsofopiniononwhichmensoonestsettleandlongestdwell，followingandmarkingthealmostimperceptibleslopesofnationaltendency，yetalwaysaimingatdirectadvances，alwaysrecruitedfromsourcesnearerheaven，andsometimesburstingopenpathsofprogressandfruitfulhumancommercethroughwhatseemtheeternalbarriersofboth。Itisloyaltytogreatends，eventhoughforcedtocombinethesmallandopposingmotivesofselfishmentoaccomplishthem;itistheanchoredclingtosolidprinciplesofdutyandaction，whichknowshowtoswingwiththetide，butisnevercarriedawaybyit，——thatwedemandinpublicmen，andnotsamenessofpolicy，oraconscientiouspersistencyinwhatisimpracticable。Fortheimpracticable，howevertheoreticallyenticing，isalwayspoliticallyunwise，soundstatesmanshipbeingtheapplicationofthatprudencetothepublicbusinesswhichisthesafestguideinthatofprivatemen。
NodoubtslaverywasthemostdelicateandembarrassingquestionwithwhichMr。Lincolnwascalledontodeal，anditwasonewhichnomaninhisposition，whateverhisopinions，couldevade;for，thoughhemightwithstandtheclamorofpartisans，hemustsoonerorlateryieldtothepersistentimportunacyofcircumstances，whichthrusttheproblemuponhimateveryturnandineveryshape。
Ithasbeenbroughtagainstusasanaccusationabroad，andrepeatedherebypeoplewhomeasuretheircountryratherbywhatisthoughtofitthanbywhatis，thatourwarhasnotbeendistinctlyandavowedlyfortheextinctionofslavery，butawarratherforthepreservationofournationalpowerandgreatness，inwhichtheemancipationofthenegrohasbeenforceduponusbycircumstancesandacceptedasanecessity。Weareveryfarfromdenyingthis;nay，weadmitthatitissofartruethatwewereslowtorenounceourconstitutionalobligationseventowardthosewhohadabsolvedusbytheirownactfromtheletterofourduty。Wearespeakingofthegovernmentwhich，legallyinstalledforthewholecountry，wasbound，solongasitwaspossible，nottooverstepthelimitsoforderlyprescription，andcouldnot，withoutabnegatingitsownverynature，taketheleadoffaVirginiareel。
Theyforgot，whatshouldbeforgottenleastofallinasystemlikeours，thattheadministrationforthetimebeingrepresentsnotonlythemajoritywhichelectsit，buttheminorityaswell，——aminorityinthiscasepowerful，andsolittlereadyforemancipationthatitwasopposedeventowar。Mr。Lincolnhadnotbeenchosenasgeneralagentoftheananti—slaverysociety，butPresidentoftheUnitedStates，toperformcertainfunctionsexactlydefinedbylaw。
Whateverwerehiswishes，itwasnolessdutythanpolicytomarkoutforhimselfalineofactionthatwouldnotfurtherdistractthecountry，byraisingbeforetheirtimequestionswhichplainlywouldsoonenoughcompelattention，andforwhicheverydaywasmakingtheanswermoreeasy。