New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-05-10
BEFORE ALL THINGS A GENTLE
MAN.
WHAT AN ENGLISHNlAN SAYS ABOUT ABRA
HAM LINCOLN

HAM LINCOLN.
From the London Spectator
The English-speaking world will never read
the story of the Rebellion without a thrill Of
pride and eXultatiOn. Heroic and inspiring as
was the achievement Of the Puritans in throwing
in its place, not license or anarchy, but a wiss
and liberal polity the yelling hand of time dinhn-
ishes for modern men its distinctness and reality.
With the defence of the Union it is different. We
can almost hear the reverberatons of the cannon
at Vicksburg, and our hands may still clasp the
hands of those who overthrow embatted treason
at Gettysburg and Chattanooga. The glory won
by the English race Is so near, that il still srs
the blood Like trumpet to read Of the patriotism
of the men who fought at the call Of Lincoln
Nothing is more admirable as nothing is more dra-
matte in recorded history. than the manner in
which the North sprang 10 arms OF the news
that the Nations flag had been fred on at Fort
so much day and send them to the front with
saIutes and rejocings but the action Of the East
en and Western States meant great deal more
than this. 1t meant voluntary sacrifice on the
part Of men who bad nothing to gain and every
thing to lose by throwing over life of ease or
profit TO shoulder q musket or serve gun A
continent was on fire.
IL Is one of the greatest of Lincons claims 10
admiration, that though he sympathized with the
fervor and enthusiasm of his countrymen, he
not carried away by it. He was one Of
those rare men who can at once be Jealous and
moderate, who are kindled by great ideas, and
who yet retain complete control Of the critical
who could be reserved without the chill Of re-
serve. Again, he could make allowance for de-
merits in principle or O human instrument.
without ever falling into the purblindness of
cynicism. He often acted in his dealings with
men much as q professed cynic might have acted;
but his conduct was due, not TO any disbelief in
virtue, but to wide tolerance and a clear knowl-
edge Of human nature. He saw things as dis
illusonized man sees them, and Yet in the bad
sense he never suffered any dsillusonment For
suffusing and combining his other qualities was a
serenity which 10 Nyho ms
He viewed the world too much as a whole TO be
greatly troubled or perplexed over its accidents:
absence Of indignation in the ordinary sense
Generals might half-ruin the cause for the sake
of some trumpery quarrel or in order to gain some
petty personal advantage oficeseekers might wor-
~ at the very crisis of the Nations fate but none
Of the pettinesses, the spites, the foles could
rouse in Lincoln the impatence or the INDIGNATION
men. Pity, and nothing else, was
the feeling such exhibitions occasioned him.
Lincoln seems to have felt the excuse that tempers
the guilt Of every mortal transgression. His
largeness and tenderness Of nature made him 40
heart universal apologist. He was Of course too
practical and too great statesman 10 let this
sensibiity TO the excuses that can be made for
human conduct induce him to allow misdeeds 10 go
UNPUBLISHED or uncorrected. He acted as firmly
and as severely as If he had experienced the most
burning indignation; but the moment we come TO
Lincoln's real feelings we see that he is never
incensed, and that, even in its most legitimate
FORM the desire for retrbution Is absent from his
the secret OF his attitude toward human affairs.
That Is not the highest wisdom, but 1t errs on
the right and also on the rare side So much
for the intellectual side Of LincOln's nature Be-
hind it was personality Of singular charm Ten
derness and humOr were its main characteristics.
As he rode through forest In spring time he
would Keep on dism0untiDg TO put back the young
birds that had fallen from their nests. Th6fe
was not situation in life which could not afford
him the subject for kindly smile. II needed
character SO full Of genteness and good-temper
to sustain the intolerabe weight of responsibility
which the war threw upon the shoulders of the
President. Most men would have been crushed
by the burden. His serenity Of temper saved
Lincoln Except when the miserable necessity
of having TO sign the order for q military exc
cution took away bis sleep, he carried his work
without any visible sign Of over-strain
Not the least Of Lincons achievements is to
he found in the fact that though for four years
he welded power and personal authority
greater than that exercised by any monarch on
earth, he never gave satirist or carcaturist tho
slightest real ground for declaring that his sudden
rise 70 worldwide fame had turned the head Of
the backwoodsnan Under the circumstances
there would have been every excuse for Lincoln,
had he assumed to his subordinates somewhat OF
the bearing of the autocrat he was 1t is a SIGN
Of the absolute sincerity and good sense Of tho
President that he was under no sort of tempta-
ton TO do So Lincoln before all things q
gentleman, and the good taste inseparable from
that character made IL impossible for him 10 be
spoiled by power and position. This grace ana
strength Of character is never better shown than
in the letters To his generals, victorious or de-
feated. When they were beaten, lie was anxious
10 share the blame; when victorious he was III
slant TO deny by anticipation any rumor that he
had inspired the strategy OF tie campaign. II u
general had 10 be reprimanded, he did IL as only
the most perfect of gentlemen could do IL. lie
could convey the severest censure without infict-
ing any wound that would not heal. and this nOs
by using roundabout expressions, but in the plain
est language lie writes 10 me like father,
were the heartfelt words Of a commander who
had been reproved by the President. Throughout
these communications, the manner in which he
not only conceals but altogether sinks all sense
that the men 20 whom they were addressed werc
in effect his subordiEates is worthy OF special
note a breath could make them, as breath
had made" and yet Lincoln writes as IL his gen.
erals were absolutely independent.