abraham lincoln-第6部分

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vanity；　like　a　dry　northeast　wind；　to　a　goose…flesh　of　opposition　and

hostility。　　Mr。　Lincoln　has　never　studied　Quintilian；（1）　but　he　has；　in

the　earnest　simplicity　and　unaffected　Americanism　of　his　own

character；　one　art　of　oratory　worth　all　the　rest。　　He　forgets　himself

so　entirely　in　his　object　as　to　give　his　*I*　the　sympathetic　and

persuasive　effect　of　*We*　with　the　great　body　of　his　countrymen。　

Homely；　dispassionate；　showing　all　the　rough…edged　process　of　his

thought　as　it　goes　along；　yet　arriving　at　his　conclusions　with　an

honest　kind　of　every…day　logic；　he　is　so　eminently　our

representative　man；　that；　when　he　speaks；　it　seems　as　if　the　people

were　listening　to　their　own　thinking　aloud。　　The　dignity　of　his

thought　owes　nothing　to　any　ceremonial　garb　of　words；　but　to　the

manly　movement　that　comes　of　settled　purpose　and　an　energy　of

reason　that　knows　not　what　rhetoric　means。　　There　has　been

nothing　of　Cleon；　still　less　of　Strepsiades（2）　striving　to　underbid

him　in　demagogism；　to　be　found　in　the　public　utterances　of　Mr。

Lincoln。　　He　has　always　addressed　the　intelligence　of　men；　never

their　prejudice；　their　passion；　or　their　ignorance。



（1）　A　famous　Latin　writer　on　the　*Art　of　Oratory。*

（2）　Two　Athenian　demagogues；　satirized　by　the　dramatist

Aristophanes。



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On　the　day　of　his　death；　this　simple　Western　attorney；　who

according　to　one　party　was　a　vulgar　joker；　and　whom　the

*doctrinaires*　among　his　own　supporters　accused　of　wanting　every

element　of　statesmanship；　was　the　most　absolute　ruler　in

Christendom；　and　this　solely　by　the　hold　his　good…humored　sagacity

had　laid　on　the　hearts　and　understandings　of　his　countrymen。　　Nor

was　this　all；　for　it　appeared　that　he　had　drawn　the　great　majority；

not　only　of　his　fellow…citizens；　but　of　mankind　also；　to　his　side。　　So

strong　and　so　persuasive　is　honest　manliness　without　a　single

quality　of　romance　or　unreal　sentiment　to　help　it！　　A　civilian　during

times　of　the　most　captivating　military　achievement；　awkward；　with

no　skill　in　the　lower　technicalities　of　manners；　he　left　behind　him　a

fame　beyond　that　of　any　conqueror；　the　memory　of　a　grace　higher

than　that　of　outward　person；　and　of　a　gentlemanliness　deeper　than

mere　breeding。　　Never　before　that　startled　April　morning　did　such

multitudes　of　men　shed　tears　for　the　death　of　one　they　had　never

seen；　as　if　with　him　a　friendly　presence　had　been　taken　away　from

their　lives；　leaving　them　colder　and　darker。　　Never　was　funeral

panegyric　so　eloquent　as　the　silent　look　of　sympathy　which

strangers　exchanged　when　they　met　on　that　day。　　Their　common

manhood　had　lost　a　kinsman。











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