Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-08-25
ABRAHAM

Il
Lincoln is sometimes claimed as an
example of a ready.made ruler. But NO
case could we'll. be less in point; for, be-
sides that he was q man Of such fair
mindeduess as is always the raw ma
terial of wisdom, he had in his profess
sion a training precisely the opposite OF
that to which a partisan is subjected.
his experience as a lawyer compelled
him not only to see that there is o priu-
ciple underlying every phenomenon in
human affairs, but that there are always
two sides to every question, both
Of which must be fully understood 10
order to understand either, and that 1t
is Of greater advantage to an advocate
to appreciate the strength than tho
weakness of his antagonists position.
Nothing is more remarkable than the
unerring tact with which, in his debate
with Douglas, he went straight to the
reason of the question nor have we
ever had a more striking lesson in po-
litical tactics than the fact that, opposed
to a man exceptionally adroit in using
popular prejudice and bigosry to his
purpose, exceptionally INSCRIPTIONS in
appealing to those baser motives that
turn a meeting of citizens into a mob
Of barbariaus, he should yet have won
his case before a jury of the people.
Lincoln was as far as possible from an
impromptu politician. His wisdom was
made up of a knowledge Of things as
we'll as men ; his sagacity resulted from
a clear perception and honest acknowl.
edgment Of difficulties, which enabled
him to see that the only durable triumph
of public opinion is based not upon any
abstract right, but upon so much OF
Justice, the highest attainable at any
given moment in human affairs, as may
DO hadIu the balance Of mutual concus-
sion. Doubtless he had an ideal, but 1t
was the ideal of q practical statesman
to aim at the best, and to take the next
best, if he was lucky enough to get even
that. His slow but singularly mascu-
line intelligence taught him that pre-
cedent is only another name for embed.
led experience, and that it counts for
even more in the guidance of commune
n ties of mon than in that of the individ'
ual life. He was not o man who held
it good public economy to pail down on
the mere chance of rebuilding a better,
Liucoln's faith in God Was qualified by
a very we'll founded distrust Of the wis
dom Of man. Perhaps it was his wan
of self confidence that more than any.
thing else won him the unlimited conf
denoe Of the people, for they felt thai
there would be no need Of retreat frou
any position he had deliberately taken
The cautious, but steady advance of biz
policy during the war was like that o.
a Roman army. He left behind him 4
firm road on which public confidence
could follow he took America with hin
where he went what he gained he oc
cupied, and his advanced posts became
colonies. The very homeliness Of hi
genius was its distinction. His kingsbiE
was conspicuous by its workday home
spun. Never was ruler so absolute al
, he, nor 80 little conscious of it for hi
was the i~ncarnate common sense of the
people. With all that tenderness o
nature whose sweet sadness touched
whoever saw him with something Of it
own pathos, there was no trace of sen
timentalism in his speech or action
= He seems to have had but one rule o
conduct, always that of practical ant
successful politics, to let himself b
I guided by events, when they were SURF
to bring him out where he wished to 60
though by what seemed to impractical
minds, which let 20 tho possible e
grasp at the desirable, a longer read.