hero tales from american history-第29部分

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they　call；　the　swaying　mass；　their　eager　faces　turning；　O　captain。　Dear　father。　This　arm　I　push　beneath　you；　It　is　some　dream　that　on　the　deck；　You've　fallen　cold　and　dead。

My　captain　does　not　answer；　his　lips　are　pale　and　still；　My　father　does　not　feel　my　arm；　he　has　no　pulse　nor　win：　But　the　ship；　the　ship　is　anchor'd　safe；　its　voyage　closed　and　done；　From　fearful　trip；　the　victor　ship；　comes　in　with　object　won：　Exult　O　shores；　and　ring；　O　bells。　But　I　with　silent　tread；　Walk　the　spot　the　captain　lies；　Fallen　cold　and　dead。　　　　　　　　　　　　　Walt　Whitman。



LINCOLN

As　Washington　stands　to　the　Revolution　and　the　establishment　of　the　government；　so　Lincoln　stands　as　the　hero　of　the　mightier　struggle　by　which　our　Union　was　saved。　He　was　born　in　1809；　ten　years　after　Washington；　his　work　done　had　been　laid　to　rest　at　Mount　Vernon。　No　great　man　ever　came　from　beginnings　which　seemed　to　promise　so　little。　Lincoln's　family；　for　more　than　one　generation；　had　been　sinking；　instead　of　rising；　in　the　social　scale。　His　father　was　one　of　those　men　who　were　found　on　the　frontier　in　the　early　days　of　the　western　movement；　always　changing　from　one　place　to　another；　and　dropping　a　little　lower　at　each　remove。　Abraham　Lincoln　was　born　into　a　family　who　were　not　only　poor；　but　shiftless；　and　his　early　days　were　days　of　ignorance；　and　poverty；　and　hard　work。　Out　of　such　inauspicious　surroundings；　he　slowly　and　painfully　lifted　himself。　He　gave　himself　an　education；　he　took　part　in　an　Indian　war；　he　worked　in　the　fields；　he　kept　a　country　store；　he　read　and　studied；　and；　at　last；　he　became　a　lawyer。　Then　he　entered　into　the　rough　politics　of　the　newly…settled　State。　He　grew　to　be　a　leader　in　his　county；　and　went　to　the　legislature。　The　road　was　very　rough；　the　struggle　was　very　hard　and　very　bitter；　but　the　movement　was　always　upward。

At　last　he　was　elected　to　Congress；　and　served　one　term　in　Washington　as　a　Whig　with　credit；　but　without　distinction。　Then　he　went　back　to　his　law　and　his　politics　in　Illinois。　He　had；　at　last；　made　his　position。　All　that　was　now　needed　was　an　opportunity；　and　that　came　to　him　in　the　great　anti…slavery　struggle。

Lincoln　was　not　an　early　Abolitionist。　His　training　had　been　that　of　a　regular　party　man；　and　as　a　member　of　a　great　political　organization；　but　he　was　a　lover　of　freedom　and　justice。　Slavery；　in　its　essence；　was　hateful　to　him；　and　when　the　conflict　between　slavery　and　freedom　was　fairly　joined；　his　path　was　clear　before　him。　He　took　up　the　antislavery　cause　in　his　own　State　and　made　himself　its　champion　against　Douglas；　the　great　leader　of　the　Northern　Democrats。　He　stumped　Illinois　in　opposition　to　Douglas；　as　a　candidate　for　the　Senate；　debating　the　question　which　divided　the　country　in　every　part　of　the　State。　He　was　beaten　at　the　election；　but；　by　the　power　and　brilliancy　of　his　speeches；　his　own　reputation　was　made。　Fighting　the　anti…slavery　battle　within　constitutional　lines；　concentrating　his　whole　force　against　the　single　point　of　the　extension　of　slavery　to　the　Territories；　he　had　made　it　clear　that　a　new　leader　had　arisen　in　the　cause　of　freedom。　From　Illinois　his　reputation　spread　to　the　East；　and　soon　after　his　great　debate　he　delivered　a　speech　in　New　York　which　attracted　wide　attention。　At　the　Republican　convention　of　1856；　his　name　was　one　of　those　proposed　for　vice…president。

When　1860　came；　he　was　a　candidate　for　the　first　place　on　the　national　ticket。　The　leading　candidate　was　William　H。　Seward；　of　New　York；　the　most　conspicuous　man　of　the　country　on　the　Republican　side；　but　the　convention；　after　a　sharp　struggle；　selected　Lincoln；　and　then　the　great　political　battle　came　at　the　polls。　The　Republicans　were　victorious；　and；　as　soon　as　the　result　of　the　voting　was　known；　the　South　set　to　work　to　dissolve　the　Union。　In　February　Lincoln　made　his　way　to　Washington；　at　the　end　coming　secretly　from　Harrisburg　to　escape　a　threatened　attempt　at　assassination；　and　on　March　4；　1861　assumed　the　presidency。

No　public　man；　no　great　popular　leader；　ever　faced　a　more　terrible　situation。　The　Union　was　breaking；　the　Southern　States　were　seceding；　treason　was　rampant　in　Washington；　and　the　Government　was　bankrupt。　The　country　knew　that　Lincoln　was　a　man　of　great　capacity　in　debate；　devoted　to　the　cause　of　antislavery　and　to　the　maintenance　of　the　Union。　But　what　his　ability　was　to　deal　with　the　awful　conditions　by　which　he　was　surrounded；　no　one　knew。　To　follow　him　through　the　four　years　of　civil　war　which　ensued　is；　of　course；　impossible　here。　Suffice　it　to　say　that　no　greater；　no　more　difficult；　task　has　ever　been　faced　by　any　man　in　modern　times；　and　no　one　ever　met　a　fierce　trial　and　conflict　more　successfully。

Lincoln　put　to　the　front　the　question　of　the　Union；　and　let　the　question　of　slavery　drop；　at　first；　into　the　background。　He　used　every　exertion　to　hold　the　border　States　by　moderate　measures；　and；　in　this　way；　prevented　the　spread　of　the　rebellion。　For　this　moderation；　the　antislavery　extremists　in　the　North　assailed　him；　but　nothing　shows　more　his　far…sighted　wisdom　and　strength　of　purpose　than　his　action　at　this　time。　By　his　policy　at　the　beginning　of　his　administration；　he　held　the　border　States；　and　united　the　people　of　the　North　in　defense　of　the　Union。

As　the　war　went　on；　he　went　on；　too。　He　had　never　faltered　in　his　feelings　about　slavery。　He　knew；　better　than　any　one；　that　the　successful　dissolution　of　the　Union　by　the　slave　power　meant；　not　only　the　destruction　of　an　empire；　but　the　victory　of　the　forces　of　barbarism。　But　he　also　saw；　what　very　few　others　at　the　moment　could　see；　that；　if　he　was　to　win；　he　must　carry　his　people　with　him；　step　by　step。　So　when　he　had　rallied　them　to　the　defense　of　the　Union；　and　checked　the　spread　of　secession　in　the　border　States；　in　the　autumn　of　1862　he　announced　that　he　would　issue　a　proclamation　freeing　the　slaves。　The　extremists　had　doubted　him　in　the　beginning；　the　con　servative　and　the　timid　doubted　him　now；　but　when　the　Emancipation　Proclamation　was　issued；　on　January　1；　1863；　it　was　found　that　the　people　were　with　him　in　that；　as　they　had　been　with　him　when　he　staked　everything　upon　the　maintenance　of　the　Union。　The　war　went　on　to　victory；　and　in　1864　the　people　showed　at　the　polls　that　they　were　with　the　President；　and　reelected　him　by　overwhelming　majorities。　Victories　in　the　field　went　hand　in　hand　with　success　at　the　ballot…box；　and；　in　the　spring　of　1865；　all　was　over。　On　April　9；　1865；　Lee　surrendered　at　Appomattox；　and　five　days　later；　on　April　14；　a　miserable　assassin　crept　into　the　box　at　the　theater　where　the　President　was　listening　to　a　play；　and　shot　him。　The　blow　to　the　country　was　terrible　beyond　words；　for　then　men　saw；　in　one　bright　flash；　how　great　a　man　had　fallen。

Lincoln　died　a　martyr　to　the　cause　to　which　he　had　given　his　life；　and　both　life　and　death　were　heroic。　The　qualities　which　enabled　him　to　do　his　great　work　are　very　clear　now　to　all　men。　His　courage　and　his　wisdom；　his　keen　perception　and　his　almost　prophetic　foresight；　enabled　him　to　deal　with　all　the　problems　of　that　distracted　time　as　they　arose　around　him。　But　he　had　some　qualities；　apart　from　those　of　the　intellect；　which　were　of　equal　importance　to　his　people　and　to　the　work　he　had　to　do。　His　character；　at　once　strong　and　gentle；　gave　confidence　to　every　one；　and　dignity　to　his　cause。　He　had　an　infinite　patience；　and　a　humor　that　enabled　him　to　turn　aside　many　difficulties　which　could　have　been　met　in　no　other　way。　But　most　important　of　all　was　the　fact　that　he　personified　a　great　sentiment；　which　ennobled　and　uplifted　his　people；　and　made　them　capable　of　the　patriotism　which　fought　the　war　and　saved　the　Union。　He　carried　his　people　with　him；　because　he　knew　instinctively；　how　they　felt　and　what　they　wanted。　He　embodied；　in　his　own　person；　all　their　highest　ideals；　and　he　never　erred　in　his　judgment。

He　is　not　only　a　great　and　commanding　figure　among　the　great　statesmen　and　leaders　of　history；　but　he　personifies；　also；　all　the　sadness　and　the　pathos　of　the　war；　as　well　as　its　triumphs　and　its　glories。　No　words　that　any　one　can　use　about　Lincoln　can；　however；　do　him　such　justice　as　his　own；　and　I　will　close　this　volume　with　two　of　Lincoln's　speeches；　which　show　what　the　war　and　all　the　great　deeds　of　that　time　meant　to　him；　and　through　which　shines；　the　great　soul　of　the　man　himself。　On　November　19；　1863；　he　spoke　as　follows　at　the　dedication　of　the　National　cemetery　on　the　battle…field　of　Gettysburg：

Fourscore　and　seven　years　ago　our　fathers　brought　forth　on　this　continent　a　new　nation；　conceived　in　liberty；　and　dedicated　to　the　proposition　that　all　men　are　created　equal。

Now　we　are　engaged　in　a　great　civil　war；　testing　whether　that　nation；　or　any　nation　so　conceived　and　so　dedicated；　can　long　endure。　We　are　met　on　a　great　battle…field　of　that　war。　We　have　come　to　dedicate　a　portion　of　that　field　as　a　final　resting　place　for　those　who　here　gave　their　lives　that　that　nation　might　live。　It　is　altogether　fitting　and　proper　that　we　should　do　this。

But　in　a　larger　sense；　we　cannot　dedicatewe　cannot　consecratewe　cannot　hallowthis　ground。　The　brave　men；　living　and　dead；　who　struggled　here；　have　consecrated　it　far　above　our　poor　power　to　add　or　detract。　The　world　will　little　note　or　long　remember　what　we　say　here；　but　it　can　never　forget　what　they　did　here。　It　is　for　us；　the　living；　rather；　to　be　dedicated　here　to　the　unfinished　work　which　they　who　have　fought　here；　have　thus　far　so　nobly　advanced。　It　is　rather　for　us　to　be　here　dedicated　to　the　great　task　remaining　before　usthat　from　the　honored　dead　we　take　increased　devotion　to　that　cause　for　which　they　gave　the　last　full　measure　of　devotion；　that　we　here　highly　resolve　that　these　dead　shall　not　have　died　in　vain；　that　this　nation；　under　God；　shall　have　a　new　birth　of　freedom；　and　that　government　of　the　people；　by　the　people；　for　the　people；　shall　not　perish　from　the　earth。


On　March　4；　1865；　when　he　was　inaugurated　the　second　time；　he　made　the　following　address：

Fellow…Countrymen：　At　this　second　appearing　to　take　the　oath　of　presidential　office；　there　is　less　occasion　for　an　extended　address　than　there　was　at　the　first。　Then　a　statement；　somewhat　in　detail；　of　a　course　to　be　pursued；