The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-03
L1NCoLN's INAUGURAL.
The Part Seward Took in It's Prepare
.tion for the Public.
From the Century.

From the Century.
Mr.. Seward only suggested two important
changes: ~ To omit the reference to the
Chicago platform mentioned in his letter,
with the announcement that tho President
would follow the principles therein declared.
~ Instead of declaration of intention to
reclaim, hold, occupy ard possess the places
and property belonging to the Government,
to speak ambiguously about the exercise Of
power and to hint rather at forbearance.
The other notifications in his list were
simple changes of phraseology-aif affecting
only the style, but changing no argument
or proposition of policy. Whether these
were on the whole an improvement depends
perhaps upon the taste of the reader and
critic, whether he prefers full and formal
or a direct and sententious dction. The
literary STYLE of Mr. Seward and Mr.
Lincoln differed essentially. Mr.. Seward
was strongly addicted to and unusually
felicitous in long, sonorouS sentences, am
plifyng his thought to general application
and to philosophic breadth. Mr. Lincoln
liked to cOndense his ideas into short SEN
teuce with legal concisenesS and specific
point. In the present crisis Mr. Stewards
policy, as announced in his 18TH of January
speech, was ito meet prejudice with con-
citation, exacJiou with concession which
surrenders no principles, and violence with
the right hand of peace.n Mr. LincolnS
was without prejudice or passion t. state pol
icy frankly and maintain firmly the position
and doctrines assumed by the American
people in the late Presidential election. Mr.
Seward believed himself to be the past and
the coming peacemaker, and thus mis- whole
effort was to soften, to postpone, TO use
diplomacy. His corrections of the inaugural
were in this view: more careful QualiiCa-
ton of statement, greater ambiguity of
phrase, a gain IN SmoOthneSS, but loss III
brevity ami force. Mr. Lincoln adopted
either in whole or in part nearly all the
amendments proposed by MIR. Seward. But
those which he himself modified aud such
further alterations as he added of his own
accord, show that whatever the inaugural
gained in form and style iii these final
touches came as much through his own
power OF literary criticism as from the more
practiCed pen of Mr.. Seward. The most vital
change in the document was III adopting a
suggestion of his friend Browning. not TO
announce a purpose to recapure Sumter
and other forts and places so2,d by the
rebels, but for the present to declare only
that he would hold those yet III the posses
sion of the Government. One other some
what important change Nj. Llcom himself
made. In the original draft any dra of an
amendment of the constitution was rather
repalled than invited In the revision Mr.
Lincoln Sdll ne SlOuiu IdNpl lHtleT luH1
oppose fair opportunity being afforded the
people to act upon it, and further expressed
his willingness to accept the amendment
recently proposed by Congress. All these
various alterations, proposed or adopted,
are added as notes to the text of the inaugu-
raj and the critical student will compare
them with special interest.
1t was III the closing paragraph Of the
inaugural that Mr.. Lincoln's mastery IN
literary art clearly revealed itself Mr.
Seward as we have seen i'll the postscript
OF his letter. thought that ''somc words OF
aflection-some of calm and cheerful con-
tiience," Ito meet and remove prejudice and
passion in the South and deSpondency and
fear in the East Dug It to be added In the
original draft the concluding sentence, adj
dressing itself to ''my dissatisiie fellow couE-
men" was: with you and no, with me is
The solemn question, Shall it be peace or a
sword" TINS ending Nh Seward proposed
to strike out, and submitted two drafts Of a
closing paragraph TO take its pace. One of
them was long and commonplace; under the
other lurked fine poetic thought. awkward
ly expressed. This Mr.. Lincoln took, buC his
more artistic sense transformed it into an
illustration of perfect and tender beauty.