MeanwhilehemustsolvetheriddleofthisnewSphinx，orbedevoured。ThoughMr。Lincoln\'spolicyinthiscriticalaffairhasnotbeensuchastosatisfythosewhodemandanheroictreatmentforeventhemosttriflingoccasion，andwhowillnotcuttheircoataccordingtotheircloth，unlesstheycanborrowthescissorsofAtropos，（1）ithasbeenatleastnotunworthyofthelong—headedkingofIthaca。（2）Mr。LincolnhadthechoiceofBassanio（3）
offeredhim。Whichofthethreecasketsheldtheprizethatwastoredeemthefortunesofthecountry？Therewasthegoldenonewhoseshowyspeciousnessmighthavetemptedavainman;thesilverofcompromise，whichmighthavedecidedthechoiceofamerelyacuteone;andtheleaden，——dullandhomely—looking，asprudencealwaysis，——yetwithsomethingaboutitsuretoattracttheeyeofpracticalwisdom。Mr。Lincolndalliedwithhisdecisionperhapslongerthanseemedneedfultothoseonwhomitsawfulresponsibilitywasnottorest，butwhenhemadeit，itwasworthyofhiscautiousbutsure—footedunderstanding。ThemoraloftheSphinx—riddle，anditisadeepone，liesinthechildishsimplicityofthesolution。Thosewhofailinguessingit，failbecausetheyareover—ingenious，andcastaboutforananswerthatshallsuittheirownnotionofthegravityoftheoccasionandoftheirowndignity，ratherthantheoccasionitself。
Inamatterwhichmustbefinallysettledbypublicopinion，andinregardtowhichthefermentofprejudiceandpassiononbothsideshasnotyetsubsidedtothatequilibriumofcompromisefromwhichaloneasoundpublicopinioncanresult，itisproperenoughfortheprivatecitizentopresshisownconvictionswithallpossibleforceofargumentandpersuasion;butthepopularmagistrate，whosejudgmentmustbecomeaction，andwhoseactioninvolvesthewholecountry，isboundtowaittillthesentimentofthepeopleissofaradvancedtowardhisownpointofview，thatwhathedoesshallfindsupportinit，insteadofmerelyconfusingitwithnewelementsofdivision。Itwasnotunnaturalthatmenearnestlydevotedtothesavingoftheircountry，andprofoundlyconvincedthatslaverywasitsonlyrealenemy，shoulddemandadecidedpolicyroundwhichallpatriotsmightrally，——andthismighthavebeenthewisestcourseforanabsoluteruler。Butinthethenunsettledstateofthepublicmind，withalargepartydecryingevenresistancetotheslaveholders\'
rebellionasnotonlyunwise，butevenunlawful;withamajority，perhaps，evenofthewould—beloyalsolongaccustomedtoregardtheConstitutionasadeedofgiftconveyingtotheSouththeirownjudgmentastopolicyandinstinctastoright，thattheywereindoubtatfirstwhethertheirloyaltywereduetothecountryortoslavery;andwitharespectablebodyofhonestandinfluentialmenwhostillbelievedinthepossibilityofconciliation，——Mr。Lincolnjudgedwisely，that，inlayingdownapolicyindeferencetooneparty，heshouldbegivingtotheothertheveryfulcrumforwhichtheirdisloyaltyhadbeenwaiting。
（1）OneofthethreeFates。
（2）Odysseus，orUlysses，theheroofHomer\'sOdyssey。
（3）SeeShakespeare\'s*MerchantofVenice。*
Itbehoovedaclear—headedmaninhispositionnottoyieldsofartoanhonestindignationagainstthebrokersoftreasonintheNorthastolosesightofthematerialsformisleadingwhichweretheirstockintrade，andtoforgetthatitisnotthefalsehoodofsophistrywhichistobefeared，butthegrainoftruthmingledwithittomakeitspecious，——thatitisnottheknaveryoftheleaderssomuchasthehonestyofthefollowerstheymayseduce，thatgivesthempowerforevil。Itwasespeciallyhisdutytodonothingwhichmighthelpthepeopletoforgetthetruecauseofthewarinfruitlessdisputesaboutitsinevitableconsequences。
ThedoctrineofStaterightscanbesohandledbyanadroitdemagogueaseasilytoconfoundthedistinctionbetweenlibertyandlawlessnessinthemindsofignorantpersons，accustomedalwaystobeinfluencedbythesoundofcertainwords，ratherthantoreflectupontheprincipleswhichgivethemmeaning。For，thoughSecessioninvolvesthemanifestabsurdityofdenyingtotheStatetherightofmakingwaragainstanyforeignpowerwhilepermittingitagainsttheUnitedStates;thoughitsupposesacompactofmutualconcessionsandguarantiesamongStateswithoutanyarbiterincaseofdissension;thoughitcontradictscommon—senseinassumingthatthemenwhoframedourgovernmentdidnotknowwhattheymeantwhentheysubstitutedUnionforconfederation;thoughitfalsifieshistory，whichshowsthatthemainoppositiontotheadoptionoftheConstitutionwasbasedontheargumentthatitdidnotallowthatindependenceintheseveralStateswhichalonewouldjustifytheminseceding;——yet，asslaverywasuniversallyadmittedtobeareservedright，aninferencecouldbedrawnfromanydirectattackuponit（thoughonlyinself—
defence）toanaturalrightofresistance，logicalenoughtosatisfymindsuntrainedtodetectfallacy，asthemajorityofmenalwaysare，andnowtoomuchdisturbedbythedisorderofthetimes，toconsiderthattheorderofeventshadanylegitimatebearingontheargument。ThoughMr。LincolnwastoosagacioustogivetheNorthernalliesoftheRebelstheoccasiontheydesiredandevenstrovetoprovoke，yetfromthebeginningofthewarthemostpersistenteffortshavebeenmadetoconfusethepublicmindastoitsoriginandmotives，andtodragthepeopleoftheloyalStatesdownfromthenationalpositiontheyhadinstinctivelytakentotheoldlevelofpartysquabblesandantipathies。Thewhollyunprovokedrebellionofanoligarchyproclaimingnegroslaverythecorner—stoneoffreeinstitutions，andinthefirstflushofover—hastyconfidenceventuringtoparadethelogicalsequenceoftheirleadingdogma，\"thatslaveryisrightinprinciple，andhasnothingtodowithdifferenceofcomplexion，\"hasbeenrepresentedasalegitimateandgallantattempttomaintainthetrueprinciplesofdemocracy。Therightfulendeavorofanestablishedgovernment，theleastonerousthateverexisted，todefenditselfagainstatreacherousattackonitsveryexistence，hasbeencunninglymadetoseemthewickedeffortofafanaticalcliquetoforceitsdoctrinesonanoppressedpopulation。
EvensolongagoaswhenMr。Lincoln，notyetconvincedofthedangerandmagnitudeofthecrisis，wasendeavoringtopersuadehimselfofUnionmajoritiesattheSouth，andtocarryonawarthatwashalfpeaceinthehopeofapeacethatwouldhavebeenallwar，—
—whilehewasstillenforcingtheFugitiveSlaveLaw，undersometheorythatSecession，howeveritmightabsolveStatesfromtheirobligations，couldnotescheatthemoftheirclaimsundertheConstitution，andthatslaveholdersinrebellionhadaloneamongmortalstheprivilegeofhavingtheircakeandeatingitatthesametime，——theenemiesoffreegovernmentwerestrivingtopersuadethepeoplethatthewarwasanAbolitioncrusade。Torebelwithoutreasonwasproclaimedasoneoftherightsofman，whileitwascarefullykeptoutofsightthattosuppressrebellionisthefirstdutyofgovernment。AlltheevilsthathavecomeuponthecountryhavebeenattributedtotheAbolitionists，thoughitishardtoseehowanypartycanbecomepermanentlypowerfulexceptinoneoftwoways，eitherbythegreatertruthofitsprinciples，ortheextravaganceofthepartyopposedtoit。Tofancytheshipofstate，ridingsafeatherconstitutionalmoorings，suddenlyengulfedbyahugekrakenofAbolitionism，risingfromunknowndepthsandgraspingitwithslimytentacles，istolookatthenaturalhistoryofthematterwiththeeyesofPontoppidan。（1）TobelievethattheleadersintheSoutherntreasonfearedanydangerfromAbolitionism，wouldbetodenythemordinaryintelligence，thoughtherecanbelittledoubtthattheymadeuseofittostirthepassionsandexcitethefearsoftheirdeludedaccomplices。Theyrebelled，notbecausetheythoughtslaveryweak，butbecausetheybelieveditstrongenough，nottooverthrowthegovernment，buttogetpossessionofit;foritbecomesdailyclearerthattheyusedrebelliononlyasameansofrevolution，andiftheygotrevolution，thoughnotintheshapetheylookedfor，istheAmericanpeopletosavethemfromitsconsequencesatthecostofitsownexistence？TheelectionofMr。