Lincoln，whichitwasclearlyintheirpowertopreventhadtheywished，wastheoccasionmerely，andnotthecauseoftheirrevolt。
Abolitionism，tillwithinayearortwo，wasthedespisedheresyofafewearnestpersons，withoutpoliticalweightenoughtocarrytheelectionofaparishconstable;andtheircardinalprinciplewasdisunion，becausetheywereconvincedthatwithintheUnionthepositionofslaverywasimpregnable。Inspiteoftheproverb，greateffectsdonotfollowfromsmallcauses，——thatis，disproportionatelysmall，——butfromadequatecausesactingundercertainrequiredconditions。Tocontrastthesizeoftheoakwiththatoftheparentacorn，asifthepoorseedhadpaidallcostsfromitsslenderstrong—
box，mayserveforachild\'swonder;buttherealmiracleliesinthatdivineleaguewhichboundalltheforcesofnaturetotheserviceofthetinygerminfulfillingitsdestiny。Everythinghasbeenatworkforthepasttenyearsinthecauseofanti—slavery，butGarrisonandPhillipshavebeenfarlesssuccessfulpropagandiststhantheslaveholdersthemselves，withtheconstantlygrowingarroganceoftheirpretensionsandencroachments。TheyhaveforcedthequestionupontheattentionofeveryvoterintheFreeStates，bydefiantlyputtingfreedomanddemocracyonthedefensive。But，evenaftertheKansasoutrages，therewasnowide—spreaddesireonthepartoftheNorthtocommitaggressions，thoughtherewasagrowingdeterminationtoresistthem。Thepopularunanimityinfavorofthewarthreeyearsagowasbutinsmallmeasuretheresultofanti—slaverysentiment，farlessofanyzealforabolition。Buteverymonthofthewar，everymovementofthealliesofslaveryintheFreeStates，hasbeenmakingAbolitionistsbythethousand。
Themassesofanypeople，howeverintelligent，areverylittlemovedbyabstractprinciplesofhumanityandjustice，untilthoseprinciplesareinterpretedforthembythestingingcommentaryofsomeinfringementupontheirownrights，andthentheirinstinctsandpassions，oncearoused，doindeedderiveanincalculablereinforcementofimpulseandintensityfromthosehigherideas，thosesublimetraditions，whichhavenomotivepoliticalforcetilltheyarealliedwithasenseofimmediatepersonalwrongorimminentperil。ThenatlastthestarsintheircoursesbegintofightagainstSisera。Hadanyonedoubtedbeforethattherightsofhumannatureareunitary，thatoppressionisofonehuetheworldover，nomatterwhatthecoloroftheoppressed，——hadanyonefailedtoseewhattherealessenceofthecontestwas，——theeffortsoftheadvocatesofslaveryamongourselvestothrowdiscredituponthefundamentalaxiomsoftheDeclarationofIndependenceandtheradicaldoctrinesofChristianity，couldnotfailtosharpenhiseyes。
（1）ADanishantiquaryandtheologian。
Whileeverydaywasbringingthepeoplenearertotheconclusionwhichallthinkingmensawtobeinevitablefromthebeginning，itwaswiseinMr。Lincolntoleavetheshapingofhispolicytoevents。
Inthiscountry，wheretheroughandreadyunderstandingofthepeopleissureatlasttobethecontrollingpower，aprofoundcommon—senseisthebestgeniusforstatesmanship。HithertothewisdomofthePresident\'smeasureshasbeenjustifiedbythefactthattheyhavealwaysresultedinmorefirmlyunitingpublicopinion。
OneofthethingsparticularlyadmirableinthepublicutterancesofPresidentLincolnisacertaintoneoffamiliardignity，which，whileitisperhapsthemostdifficultattainmentofmerestyle，isalsonodoubtfulindicationofpersonalcharacter。Theremustbesomethingessentiallynobleinanelectiverulerwhocandescendtothelevelofconfidentialeasewithoutlosingrespect，somethingverymanlyinonewhocanbreakthroughtheetiquetteofhisconventionalrankandtrusthimselftothereasonandintelligenceofthosewhohaveelectedhim。Nohighercomplimentwaseverpaidtoanationthanthesimpleconfidence，thefiresideplainness，withwhichMr。
LincolnalwaysaddresseshimselftothereasonoftheAmericanpeople。Thiswas，indeed，atruedemocrat，whogroundedhimselfontheassumptionthatademocracycanthink。\"Come，letusreasontogetheraboutthismatter，\"hasbeenthetoneofallhisaddressestothepeople;andaccordinglywehaveneverhadachiefmagistratewhosowontohimselftheloveandatthesametimethejudgmentofhiscountrymen。Tous，thatsimpleconfidenceofhisintheright—mindednessofhisfellowmenisverytouching，anditssuccessisasstronganargumentaswehaveeverseeninfavorofthetheorythatmencangovernthemselves。Heneverappealstoanyvulgarsentiment，heneveralludestothehumblenessofhisorigin;itprobablyneveroccurredtohim，indeed，thattherewasanythinghighertostartfromthanmanhood;andheputhimselfonalevelwiththoseheaddressed，notbygoingdowntothem，butonlybytakingitforgrantedthattheyhadbrainsandwouldcomeuptoacommongroundofreason。Inanarticlelatelyprintedin*TheNation，*Mr。BayardTaylormentionsthestrikingfact，thatinthefoulestdensoftheFivePointshefoundtheportraitofLincoln。
Thewretchedpopulationthatmakesitshivetherethrewallitsvotesandmoreagainsthim，andyetpaidthisinstinctivetributetothesweethumanityofhisnature。Theirignorancesolditsvoteandtookitsmoney，butallthatwasleftofmanhoodinthemrecognizeditssaintandmartyr。
Mr。Lincolnisnotinthehabitofsaying，\"Thisis*my*opinion，or*my*theory，\"but\"Thisistheconclusiontowhich，inmyjudgment，thetimehascome，andtowhich，accordingly，thesoonerwecomethebetterforus。\"Hispolicyhasbeenthepolicyofpublicopinionbasedonadequatediscussionandonatimelyrecognitionoftheinfluenceofpassingeventsinshapingthefeaturesofeventstocome。
OnesecretofMr。Lincoln\'sremarkablesuccessincaptivatingthepopularmindisundoubtedlyanunconsciousnessofselfwhichenableshim，thoughunderthenecessityofconstantlyusingthecapital*I*，todoitwithoutanysuggestionofegotism。Thereisnosinglevowelwhichmen\'smouthscanpronouncewithsuchdifferenceofeffect。Thatwhichoneshallhideaway，asitwere，behindthesubstanceofhisdiscourse，or，ifhebringittothefront，shallusemerelytogiveanagreeableaccentofindividualitytowhathesays，anothershallmakeanoffensivechallengetotheself—
satisfactionofallhishearers，andanunwarrantedintrusionuponeachman\'ssenseofpersonalimportance，irritatingeveryporeofhisvanity，likeadrynortheastwind，toagoose—fleshofoppositionandhostility。Mr。LincolnhasneverstudiedQuintilian;（1）buthehas，intheearnestsimplicityandunaffectedAmericanismofhisowncharacter，oneartoforatoryworthalltherest。Heforgetshimselfsoentirelyinhisobjectastogivehis*I*thesympatheticandpersuasiveeffectof*We*withthegreatbodyofhiscountrymen。
Homely，dispassionate，showingalltherough—edgedprocessofhisthoughtasitgoesalong，yetarrivingathisconclusionswithanhonestkindofevery—daylogic，heissoeminentlyourrepresentativeman，that，whenhespeaks，itseemsasifthepeoplewerelisteningtotheirownthinkingaloud。Thedignityofhisthoughtowesnothingtoanyceremonialgarbofwords，buttothemanlymovementthatcomesofsettledpurposeandanenergyofreasonthatknowsnotwhatrhetoricmeans。TherehasbeennothingofCleon，stilllessofStrepsiades（2）strivingtounderbidhimindemagogism，tobefoundinthepublicutterancesofMr。
Lincoln。Hehasalwaysaddressedtheintelligenceofmen，nevertheirprejudice，theirpassion，ortheirignorance。
（1）AfamousLatinwriteronthe*ArtofOratory。*
（2）TwoAtheniandemagogues，satirizedbythedramatistAristophanes。
Onthedayofhisdeath，thissimpleWesternattorney，whoaccordingtoonepartywasavulgarjoker，andwhomthe*doctrinaires*amonghisownsupportersaccusedofwantingeveryelementofstatesmanship，wasthemostabsoluterulerinChristendom，andthissolelybytheholdhisgood—humoredsagacityhadlaidontheheartsandunderstandingsofhiscountrymen。Norwasthisall，foritappearedthathehaddrawnthegreatmajority，notonlyofhisfellow—citizens，butofmankindalso，tohisside。Sostrongandsopersuasiveishonestmanlinesswithoutasinglequalityofromanceorunrealsentimenttohelpit！Acivilianduringtimesofthemostcaptivatingmilitaryachievement，awkward，withnoskillinthelowertechnicalitiesofmanners，heleftbehindhimafamebeyondthatofanyconqueror，thememoryofagracehigherthanthatofoutwardperson，andofagentlemanlinessdeeperthanmerebreeding。NeverbeforethatstartledAprilmorningdidsuchmultitudesofmenshedtearsforthedeathofonetheyhadneverseen，asifwithhimafriendlypresencehadbeentakenawayfromtheirlives，leavingthemcolderanddarker。Neverwasfuneralpanegyricsoeloquentasthesilentlookofsympathywhichstrangersexchangedwhentheymetonthatday。Theircommonmanhoodhadlostakinsman。