MeanwhilehemustsolvetheriddleofthisnewSphinx，orbedevoured。ThoughMr。Lincoln'spolicyinthiscriticalaffairhasnotbeensuchastosatisfythosewhodemandanheroictreatmentforeventhemosttriflingoccasion，andwhowillnotcuttheircoataccordingtotheircloth，unlesstheycanborrowthescissorsofAtropos，（1）ithasbeenatleastnotunworthyofthelong—headedkingofIthaca。（2）Mr。LincolnhadthechoiceofBassanio（3）
　　offeredhim。Whichofthethreecasketsheldtheprizethatwastoredeemthefortunesofthecountry？Therewasthegoldenonewhoseshowyspeciousnessmighthavetemptedavainman;thesilverofcompromise，whichmighthavedecidedthechoiceofamerelyacuteone;andtheleaden，——dullandhomely—looking，asprudencealwaysis，——yetwithsomethingaboutitsuretoattracttheeyeofpracticalwisdom。Mr。Lincolndalliedwithhisdecisionperhapslongerthanseemedneedfultothoseonwhomitsawfulresponsibilitywasnottorest，butwhenhemadeit，itwasworthyofhiscautiousbutsure—footedunderstanding。ThemoraloftheSphinx—riddle，anditisadeepone，liesinthechildishsimplicityofthesolution。Thosewhofailinguessingit，failbecausetheyareover—ingenious，andcastaboutforananswerthatshallsuittheirownnotionofthegravityoftheoccasionandoftheirowndignity，ratherthantheoccasionitself。
　　Inamatterwhichmustbefinallysettledbypublicopinion，andinregardtowhichthefermentofprejudiceandpassiononbothsideshasnotyetsubsidedtothatequilibriumofcompromisefromwhichaloneasoundpublicopinioncanresult，itisproperenoughfortheprivatecitizentopresshisownconvictionswithallpossibleforceofargumentandpersuasion;butthepopularmagistrate，whosejudgmentmustbecomeaction，andwhoseactioninvolvesthewholecountry，isboundtowaittillthesentimentofthepeopleissofaradvancedtowardhisownpointofview，thatwhathedoesshallfindsupportinit，insteadofmerelyconfusingitwithnewelementsofdivision。Itwasnotunnaturalthatmenearnestlydevotedtothesavingoftheircountry，andprofoundlyconvincedthatslaverywasitsonlyrealenemy，shoulddemandadecidedpolicyroundwhichallpatriotsmightrally，——andthismighthavebeenthewisestcourseforanabsoluteruler。Butinthethenunsettledstateofthepublicmind，withalargepartydecryingevenresistancetotheslaveholders'
　　rebellionasnotonlyunwise，butevenunlawful;withamajority，perhaps，evenofthewould—beloyalsolongaccustomedtoregardtheConstitutionasadeedofgiftconveyingtotheSouththeirownjudgmentastopolicyandinstinctastoright，thattheywereindoubtatfirstwhethertheirloyaltywereduetothecountryortoslavery;andwitharespectablebodyofhonestandinfluentialmenwhostillbelievedinthepossibilityofconciliation，——Mr。Lincolnjudgedwisely，that，inlayingdownapolicyindeferencetooneparty，heshouldbegivingtotheothertheveryfulcrumforwhichtheirdisloyaltyhadbeenwaiting。
　　（1）OneofthethreeFates。
　　（2）Odysseus，orUlysses，theheroofHomer'sOdyssey。
　　（3）SeeShakespeare's*MerchantofVenice。*
　　Itbehoovedaclear—headedmaninhispositionnottoyieldsofartoanhonestindignationagainstthebrokersoftreasonintheNorthastolosesightofthematerialsformisleadingwhichweretheirstockintrade，andtoforgetthatitisnotthefalsehoodofsophistrywhichistobefeared，butthegrainoftruthmingledwithittomakeitspecious，——thatitisnottheknaveryoftheleaderssomuchasthehonestyofthefollowerstheymayseduce，thatgivesthempowerforevil。Itwasespeciallyhisdutytodonothingwhichmighthelpthepeopletoforgetthetruecauseofthewarinfruitlessdisputesaboutitsinevitableconsequences。
　　ThedoctrineofStaterightscanbesohandledbyanadroitdemagogueaseasilytoconfoundthedistinctionbetweenlibertyandlawlessnessinthemindsofignorantpersons，accustomedalwaystobeinfluencedbythesoundofcertainwords，ratherthantoreflectupontheprincipleswhichgivethemmeaning。For，thoughSecessioninvolvesthemanifestabsurdityofdenyingtotheStatetherightofmakingwaragainstanyforeignpowerwhilepermittingitagainsttheUnitedStates;thoughitsupposesacompactofmutualconcessionsandguarantiesamongStateswithoutanyarbiterincaseofdissension;thoughitcontradictscommon—senseinassumingthatthemenwhoframedourgovernmentdidnotknowwhattheymeantwhentheysubstitutedUnionforconfederation;thoughitfalsifieshistory，whichshowsthatthemainoppositiontotheadoptionoftheConstitutionwasbasedontheargumentthatitdidnotallowthatindependenceintheseveralStateswhichalonewouldjustifytheminseceding;——yet，asslaverywasuniversallyadmittedtobeareservedright，aninferencecouldbedrawnfromanydirectattackuponit（thoughonlyinself—
　　defence）toanaturalrightofresistance，logicalenoughtosatisfymindsuntrainedtodetectfallacy，asthemajorityofmenalwaysare，andnowtoomuchdisturbedbythedisorderofthetimes，toconsiderthattheorderofeventshadanylegitimatebearingontheargument。ThoughMr。LincolnwastoosagacioustogivetheNorthernalliesoftheRebelstheoccasiontheydesiredandevenstrovetoprovoke，yetfromthebeginningofthewarthemostpersistenteffortshavebeenmadetoconfusethepublicmindastoitsoriginandmotives，andtodragthepeopleoftheloyalStatesdownfromthenationalpositiontheyhadinstinctivelytakentotheoldlevelofpartysquabblesandantipathies。Thewhollyunprovokedrebellionofanoligarchyproclaimingnegroslaverythecorner—stoneoffreeinstitutions，andinthefirstflushofover—hastyconfidenceventuringtoparadethelogicalsequenceoftheirleadingdogma，"thatslaveryisrightinprinciple，andhasnothingtodowithdifferenceofcomplexion，"hasbeenrepresentedasalegitimateandgallantattempttomaintainthetrueprinciplesofdemocracy。Therightfulendeavorofanestablishedgovernment，theleastonerousthateverexisted，todefenditselfagainstatreacherousattackonitsveryexistence，hasbeencunninglymadetoseemthewickedeffortofafanaticalcliquetoforceitsdoctrinesonanoppressedpopulation。
　　EvensolongagoaswhenMr。Lincoln，notyetconvincedofthedangerandmagnitudeofthecrisis，wasendeavoringtopersuadehimselfofUnionmajoritiesattheSouth，andtocarryonawarthatwashalfpeaceinthehopeofapeacethatwouldhavebeenallwar，—
　　—whilehewasstillenforcingtheFugitiveSlaveLaw，undersometheorythatSecession，howeveritmightabsolveStatesfromtheirobligations，couldnotescheatthemoftheirclaimsundertheConstitution，andthatslaveholdersinrebellionhadaloneamongmortalstheprivilegeofhavingtheircakeandeatingitatthesametime，——theenemiesoffreegovernmentwerestrivingtopersuadethepeoplethatthewarwasanAbolitioncrusade。Torebelwithoutreasonwasproclaimedasoneoftherightsofman，whileitwascarefullykeptoutofsightthattosuppressrebellionisthefirstdutyofgovernment。AlltheevilsthathavecomeuponthecountryhavebeenattributedtotheAbolitionists，thoughitishardtoseehowanypartycanbecomepermanentlypowerfulexceptinoneoftwoways，eitherbythegreatertruthofitsprinciples，ortheextravaganceofthepartyopposedtoit。Tofancytheshipofstate，ridingsafeatherconstitutionalmoorings，suddenlyengulfedbyahugekrakenofAbolitionism，risingfromunknowndepthsandgraspingitwithslimytentacles，istolookatthenaturalhistoryofthematterwiththeeyesofPontoppidan。（1）TobelievethattheleadersintheSoutherntreasonfearedanydangerfromAbolitionism，wouldbetodenythemordinaryintelligence，thoughtherecanbelittledoubtthattheymadeuseofittostirthepassionsandexcitethefearsoftheirdeludedaccomplices。Theyrebelled，notbecausetheythoughtslaveryweak，butbecausetheybelieveditstrongenough，nottooverthrowthegovernment，buttogetpossessionofit;foritbecomesdailyclearerthattheyusedrebelliononlyasameansofrevolution，andiftheygotrevolution，thoughnotintheshapetheylookedfor，istheAmericanpeopletosavethemfromitsconsequencesatthecostofitsownexistence？TheelectionofMr。