Autocracymayhavesomethinginitmoremelodramaticthanthis，butfallsfarshortofitinhumanvalueandinterest。
Experiencewouldhavebredinusarooteddistrustofimprovedstatesmanship，evenifwedidnotbelievepoliticstobeascience，which，ifitcannotalwayscommandmenofspecialaptitudeandgreatpowers，atleastdemandsthelongandsteadyapplicationofthebestpowersofsuchmenasitcancommandtomasterevenitsfirstprinciples。Itiscurious，that，inacountrywhichboastsofitsintelligencethetheoryshouldbesogenerallyheldthatthemostcomplicatedofhumancontrivances，andonewhicheverydaybecomesmorecomplicated，canbeworkedatsightbyanymanabletotalkforanhourortwowithoutstoppingtothink。
Mr。Lincolnissometimesclaimedasanexampleofaready—maderuler。Butnocasecouldwellbelessinpoint;for，besidesthathewasamanofsuchfair—mindednessasisalwaystherawmaterialofwisdom，hehadinhisprofessionatrainingpreciselytheoppositeofthattowhichapartisanissubjected。Hisexperienceasalawyercompelledhimnotonlytoseethatthereisaprincipleunderlyingeveryphenomenoninhumanaffairs，butthattherearealwaystwosidestoeveryquestion，bothofwhichmustbefullyunderstoodinordertounderstandeither，andthatitisofgreateradvantagetoanadvocatetoappreciatethestrengththantheweaknessofhisantagonist\'sposition。Nothingismoreremarkablethantheunerringtactwithwhich，inhisdebatewithMr。Douglas，hewentstraighttothereasonofthequestion;norhaveweeverhadamorestrikinglessoninpoliticaltacticsthanthefact，thatopposedtoamanexceptionallyadroitinusingpopularprejudiceandbigotrytohispurpose，exceptionallyunscrupulousinappealingtothosebasermotivesthatturnameetingofcitizensintoamobofbarbarians，heshouldyethavewonhiscasebeforeajuryofthepeople。Mr。
Lincolnwasasfaraspossiblefromanimpromptupolitician。Hiswisdomwasmadeupofaknowledgeofthingsaswellasofmen;
hissagacityresultedfromaclearperceptionandhonestacknowledgmentofdifficulties，whichenabledhimtoseethattheonlydurabletriumphofpoliticalopinionisbased，notonanyabstractright，butuponsomuchofjustice，thehighestattainableatanygivenmomentinhumanaffairs，asmaybehadinthebalanceofmutualconcession。Doubtlesshehadanideal，butitwastheidealofapracticalstatesman，——toaimatthebest，andtotakethenextbest，ifheisluckyenoughtogeteventhat。Hisslow，butsingularlymasculine，intelligencetaughthimthatprecedentisonlyanothernameforembodiedexperience，andthatitcountsforevenmoreintheguidanceofcommunitiesofmenthaninthatoftheindividuallife。Hewasnotamanwhohelditgoodpubliceconomytopulldownonthemerechanceofrebuildingbetter。Mr。Lincoln\'sfaithinGodwasqualifiedbyaverywell—foundeddistrustofthewisdomofman。perhapsitwashiswantofself—confidencethatmorethananythingelsewonhimtheunlimitedconfidenceofthepeople，fortheyfeltthattherewouldbenoneedofretreatfromanypositionhehaddeliberatelytaken。Thecautious，butsteady，advanceofhispolicyduringthewarwaslikethatofaRomanarmy。Heleftbehindhimafirmroadonwhichpublicconfidencecouldfollow;hetookAmericawithhimwherehewent;whathegainedheoccupied，andhisadvancedpostsbecamecolonies。Theveryhomelinessofhisgeniuswasitsdistinction。Hiskingshipwasconspicuousbyitsworkdayhomespun。Neverwasrulersoabsoluteashe，norsolittleconsciousofit;forhewastheincarnatecommon—senseofthepeople。Withallthattendernessofnaturewhosesweetsadnesstouchedwhoeversawhimwithsomethingofitsownpathos，therewasnotraceofsentimentalisminhisspeechoraction。Heseemstohavehadoneruleofconduct，alwaysthatofpracticalandsuccessfulpolitics，tolethimselfbeguidedbyevents，whentheyweresuretobringhimoutwherehewishedtogo，thoughbywhatseemedtounpracticalminds，whichletgothepossibletograspatthedesirable，alongerroad。