ItisonthisspeculationthattheuniquegroupoftheintimateletterstoSpeedaredeveloped。TheywerewrittenafterLincoln’sreturntoSpringfield，whileSpeedwaswrestlingwiththedemonofself-analysis。Intheperiodwhichtheycover，LincolndeliveredhimselffromthatsamedemonandrecoveredSerenity。Beforelonghewaswriting：“Iknowwhatthepainfulpointwithyouisatalltimeswhenyouareunhappy；itisanapprehensionthatyoudonotloveherasyoushould。Whatnonsense!Howcameyoutocourther？Wasitbecauseyouthoughtshedeserveditandthatyouhadgivenherreasontoexpectit？Ifitwasforthat，whydidnotthesamereasonmakeyoucourtAnnTodd，andatleasttwentyothersofwhomyoucanthink，towhomitwouldapplywithgreaterforcethantoher？
Didyoucourtherforherwealth？Why，yousaidshehadnone。
Butyousayyoureasonedyourselfintoit。Whatdoyoumeanbythat？Wasitnotthatyoufoundyourselfunabletoreasonyourselfoutofit？“Andmuchmoreofthesameshrewdsensiblesort，——apictureunintentionallyofhisownstateofmindnolessthanofhisfriend’s。
ThisstrangeepisoderevealsalsothatamidLincoln’ssilences，whiletheoutwardmanappearedengrossedineverydaymatters，theinwardmanhadbeenseekingreligion。Hisfailuretoaccepttheformsofhismother’screeddidnotrestonanylackofthespiritualneed。Thoughundefined，hisreligionglimmersatintervalsthroughtheSpeedletters。WhenSpeed’sfianceefellillandhertorturedloverwasinaparoxysmofremorseandgrief，Lincolnwrote：“IhopeandbelievethatyourpresentanxietyanddistressaboutherhealthandherlifemustandwillforeverbanishthosehorriddoubtswhichIknowyousometimesfeltastothetruthofyouraffectionforher。IftheycanonceandforeverberemovedandIfeelapresentmentthattheAlmightyhassentyourpresentafflictionexpresslyforthatobjectsurelynothingcancomeintheirsteadtofilltheirimmeasurablemeasureofmisery……Shouldshe，asyoufear，bedestinedtoanearlygrave，itisindeedagreatconsolationtoknowsheissowellpreparedtomeetit。“
Againhewrote：“Iwasalwayssuperstitious。IbelieveGodmademeoneoftheinstrumentsofbringingyouandyourFannytogether，whichunionIhavenodoubtliehadforeordained。
WhateverHedesignsHewilldoformeyet。’StandstillandseethesalvationoftheLord’ismytextnow。“
Thedualityinself-tortureofthesespiritualbrethrenenduredinallaboutayearandahalf，andclosedwithSpeed’smarriage。Lincolnwasnowentirelydeliveredfromhisdemon。
HewroteSpeedacharmingletter，serene，affectionate，touchedwithgentlebanter，valiantthoughwithahintofdisillusionastotheircommontype。“Itellyou，Speed，ourforebodingsforwhichyouandIarepeculiararealltheworstsortofnonsense……Yousayyoumuchfearthatthatelysiumofwhichyouhavedreamedsomuchisnevertoberealized。Well，ifitshallnot，Idareswearitwillnotbethefaultofherwhoisnowyourwife。Ihavenodoubtthatitisthepeculiarmisfortuneofbothyouandmetodreamdreamsofelysiumfarexceedingallthatanythingearthlycanrealize。“[8]
V。PROSPERITY
HowLincoln’sengagementwaspatchedupisasdeliciousanuncertainty，fromgossip’spointofview，ashowithadbeenbrokenoff。Possibly，asmanypeoplehaveasserted，itwasbroughtaboutbyaneventofwhich，intheironyoffate，Lincolneverafterfeltashamed。[1]Animpulsive，notoverwisepolitician，JamesShields，amanofmanypeculiarities，wassaucilylampoonedinaSpringfieldpaperbysomejauntygirls，oneofwhomwasMissTodd。
Somehow，——thewholeaffairisverydim，——Lincolnactedastheirliteraryadviser。Shieldsdemandedthenameofhisdetractor；
Lincolnassumedtheresponsibility；achallengefollowed。
Lincolnwasinaridiculousposition。Heextricatedhimselfbyadevicewhichheusedmorethanoncethereafter；hegravelyproposedtheimpossible。Hedemandedconditionswhichwouldhavemadetheduelaburlesque——abutcher’smatchwithcavalrybroadswords。ButShields，whowasflawlesslyliteral，insisted。Thetwometandonlyontheduelinggroundwasthequarrelatlasttalkedintooblivionbytheseconds。WhetherthiswasthecauseofthereconciliationwithMissTodd，oraconsequence，orhadnothingtodowithit，remainsfortheloversoftheunimportanttodecide。TheonlysurefactinthisconnectionisthemarriagewhichtookplaceNovember4，1842。[2]
Mrs。Lincoln’scharacterhasbeenmuchdiscussed。Gossip，thoughwithverylittletogoon，hasbuiltupatraditionthatthemarriagewasunhappy。Ifoneweretobelievethehalfofwhathasbeenputinprint，onewouldhavetoconcludethatthewholebusinesswasawretchedmistake；thatLincolnfoundmarriedlifeintolerablebecauseofthefussilydictatorialself-importanceofhiswife。Buttheauthorityforallthesetalesismeager。Notoneistraceabletothepartiesthemselves。Probablyitwillneverbeknowntilltheendoftimewhatisfalseinthem，whattrue。AboutallthatcanbedisengagedfromthiscloudofillusivewitnessesisthatSpringfieldwonderedwhyMaryToddmarriedLincoln。Hewasstillpoor；sopoorthataftermarriagetheylivedattheGlobeTavernonfourdollarsaweek。Andtheladyhadbeensoughtbyprosperousmen!ThelowlinessofLincoln’soriginwentillwithherhighnotionsofherfamily’simportance。Shewasdownright，high-tempered，dogmatic，butsocial；hewasdevious，slowtowrath，tentative，solitary；hisveryappearance，thenasafterward，wasagainsthim。Thoughnotthehideousmanhewaslatermadeouttobe——the“gorilla“ofenemycaricaturists——hewasruggedoffeature，withalowerlipthattendedtoprotrude。Hisimmenseframewasthinandangular；
hisarmswereinordinatelylong；hands，feetandeyebrowswerelarge；skinswarthy；haircoarse，blackandgenerallyunkempt。
Onlytheamazing，dreamfuleyes，andafinenessinthetextureoftheskin，redeemedthefaceandgaveitdistinction。[3]Whydidprecise，complacentMissToddpickoutsostrangeamanforhermate？Thestorythatshemarriedhimforambition，diviningwhathewastobe——likeJaneWelshintheconventionalstoryofCarlyle——arguestoomuchofthegiftofprophecy。Whateverhermotive，itismorethanlikelythatshewaswhatthecommercialismofto-daywouldcallan“asset。“Shehadcertainqualitiesthatherhusbandlacked。Forone，shehadthatintuitionforthemainchancewhichshallowpeopleconfoundwithpracticaljudgment。Hersoulinhabitedtheobvious；butwithinthehorizonoftheobviousshewasshrewd，courageousandstubborn。NotanydangerthatMaryLincolnwouldgowanderingafterdreams，visions，presences，suchasweredriftingeverinaghostlyprocessionatthebackofherhusband’smind。Therewasadangerinhimthatwastogrowwiththeyears，adangerthattheouterlifemightbeswampedbytheinner，thattheghostswithinmightcarryhimawaywiththem，awayfromfact——seeking-seeking。Thatthisneveroccurredmaybefairlycredited，oratleastveryplausiblycredited，tothefirm-willed，theutterlymatter-of-factlittlepersonhehadmarried。Howfarheenjoyedthemodeofhissafe-guardingisafruitlessspeculation。
Anotherresultthatmay，perhaps，beduetoMaryLincolnwastheimprovementinhisfortunes。However，thismayhavehadnoothersourcethanadistinguishedlawyerwhosekeeneyeshadbeenobservinghimsincehisfirstappearanceinpolitics。
StephenT。Logan“hadthatold-fashioned，lawyer-likemoralitywhichwaskeenlyintolerantofanylaxityorslovenlinessofmindorcharacter。“Hehad，“ashedeserved，thereputationofbeingthebestnisipriuslawyerinthestate。“[4]Afterwatchingthegiftedbutill-preparedyoungattorneyduringseveralyears，observingthepowerhehadofsimplificationandconvincingnessinstatement，takingthemeasureofhisscrupuloushonesty——thesewereeverLincoln’sstrongcardsasalawyer——Loganmadehimthesurprisingofferofajuniorpartnership，whichwasinstantlyaccepted。Thatwaswhenhisinnerhorizonwasbrightening，shortlybeforehismarriage。A
periodofgreatmentalenergyfollowed，abouttheyears1842
and1843。LincolnthrewhimselfintothetaskofbecomingareallawyerunderLogan’sdirection。However，hiszealflaggedafteratime，andwhenthepartnershipendedfouryearslaterhehadtosomeextentfallenbackintoearlier，lessstrenuoushabits。“Hepermittedhispartnertodoallthestudyinginthepreparationofcases，whilehehimselftrustedtohisgeneralknowledgeofthelawandtheinspirationofthesurroundingstoovercomethejudgeorthejury。“[5]ThoughLincolnwastoundergostillanotherstimulationofthescholarlyconsciencebeforefindinghimselfasalawyer，thefouryearswithLoganwerehistruestudentperiod。Iftheenthusiasmofthefirstyeardidnotholdout，nonethelessheissuedfromthatseverecourseofstudyachangedman，onewhoknewthedifferencebetweenthelearnedlawyerandtheunlearned。Hisownmethods，tohesure，remainedwhattheyalwayscontinuedtobe，unsystematic，nottosayslipshod。
Evenafterhebecamepresidenthislackofsystemwasattimesthedespairofhissecretaries。[6]Herndon，whosucceededLoganashispartner，andwhoadmiredbothmen，hasabroadhintthatLoganandLincolnwerenotalwaysanharmoniousfirm。Aclashofpoliticalambitionsispartexplanation；businessmethodsanother。“Loganwasscrupulouslyexactandusedextraordinarycareinthepreparationofpapers。Hiswordswerewellchosen，andhisstyleofcompositionwasstatelyandformal。“[7]Hewasindustriousandverythrifty，whileLincolnhad“nomoneysense。“Itmusthaveannoyed，ifitdidnotexasperatehislearnedandformalpartner，whenLincolnsignedthefirmnametosuchlettersasthis：“Astorealestate，wecannotattendtoit。Wearenotrealestateagents，wearelawyers。WerecommendthatyougivethechargeofittoMr。IsaacS。
Britton，atrust-worthymanandonewhomtheLordmadeonpurposeforsuchbusiness。“[8]
Superficialobservers，thenandafterward，drewtheconclusionthatLincolnwasanidler。Longbefore，asafarm-hand，hehadbeencalled“boneidle。“[9]AndoftheouterLincoln，exceptunderstressofneed，orinspurtsofenthusiasm，asintheearlieryearswithLogan，thisrecklesscommenthaditsbaseoffact。ThemightyenergythatwasinLincoln，atireless，inexhaustibleenergy，wasinward，ofthespirit；itdidnotalwaysramifyintothesensibilitiesandinformhisouterlife。
Theconnectinglinkofthetwo，hismereintelligence，thoughconstantlyobedienttodemandsoftheouterlife，wasnotsusceptibleofgreatstrainexceptondemandofthespiritualvision。Hencehisattitudetowardthestudyofthelaw。Itthrilledandentrancedhim，calledintoplayallhispowers——observation，reflection，intelligence——justsolongasitappearedinhisimaginationavastcreativeeffortofthespiritualpowers，ofhumanitystrugglingperilouslytoseejusticedoneuponearth，toletreasonandthewillofGodprevail。Itlostitsholduponhimtheinstantitbecameathingoftechnicalities，ofmerelearning，ofstatutorydialectics。
Therestless，inwardLincoln，dwellingdeepamongspiritualshadows，foundotheroutletsforhisenergyduringtheseyearswhenhewasestablishinghimselfatthebar。Hecontinuedtobeavoraciousreader。Andhisreadinghadtakenaskepticalturn。VolneyandPainewerenowhisintimates。Thewaveofultra-rationalismthatwentoverAmericainthe’fortiesdidnotsparemanycornersoftheland。InSpringfield，asinsomanysmalltowns，ithadtwoeffects：thosewhowerenottouchedbyithardenedintojealouswatchfulness，andtheirreligionnaturallyenoughbecamefiercelycombative；thosewhorespondedtothenewinfluencebecamealittleaffectedphilosophically，abiteffervescent。Theyoungmen，whenofseriousmind，andallthosewhowerereformersbytemperament，tendedtoexaltthenew，topatronize，ifnottoridiculetheold。AtSpringfield，asatmanyanotherfrontiertownwrackedbyitsgrowingpains，aYoungMen’sLyceumconfessedtheworldtobeoutofjoint，andwenttoworkgliblytosetitright。
Lincolnhadcontributedtoitsachievements。Anorationofhison“PerpetuationofOurFreeInstitutions，“[10]amererhetorical“stunt“inhisworstveinnowdeservedlyforgotten，sodelightedtheyoungmenthattheyaskedtohaveitprinted——quiteasthesamesortofyoungmento-dayprintessaysoncubism，orexamplesoffreeversereadtopoetrysocieties。
Justwhatviewsheexpressedonthingsingeneralamongtheyoungmenandothers；howfarheairedhisacquaintancewiththeskeptics，isimperfectlyknown。[11]However，arumorgotabroadthathewasan“unbeliever，“whichwastheeasylabelforanyonewhodisagreedinreligionwiththepersonwhoappliedit。Therumorwasbasedinpartonapassageinanaddressontemperance。In1842，Lincoln，whohadalwaysbeenabstemious，joinedthatWashingtonSocietywhichaimedatareformationintheuseofalcohol。Hisaddresswasdeliveredattherequestofthesociety。Itcontainedthispassage，veryilluminatinginitslightuponthegenerosity，therealhumilityofthespeaker，butscarcelytactful，consideringthereligioussusceptibilityofthehour：“Ifthey[theChristians]
believeastheyprofess，thatOmnipotencecondescendedtotakeonhimselftheformofsinfulman，andassuchdieanignominiousdeath，surelytheywillnotrefusesubmissiontotheinfinitelylessercondescensionforthetemporalandperhapseternalsalvationofalarge，erringandunfortunateclassoftheirfellowcreatures!Noristhecondescensionverygreat。Inmyjudgmentsuchofusashaveneverfallenvictimshavebeensparedmorefromtheabsenceofappetitethanfromanymentalormoralsuperiorityoverthosewhohave。Indeed，###第7章
believe，ifwetakehabitualdrunkardsasaclass，theirheadsandtheirheartswillbearanadvantageouscomparisonwiththoseofanyotherclass。“[12]Howlikethatremarkattributedtoanothergreatgenius，onewhomLincolninsomerespectsresembled，thefounderofMethodism，whenhesaidofapassingdrunkard：“TheregoesJohnWesley，exceptfortheGraceofGod。“Butthefrontierzealotsofthe’fortieswerenotoftheWesleytype。ThestoriesofLincoln’sskepticalinterests，theinsinuationswhichwerepromptlyreadintothistemperanceaddress，thefactthathewasnotachurch-member，allthesewereseizeduponbyagoodbutverynarrowman，adevoted，illiterateevangelist，PeterCartwright。
In1846，thisreligiousissuebecameapoliticalissue。TheWhigsnominatedLincolnforCongress。Itwasanotherinstanceofpersonalpolitics。ThelocalWhigleadershadmadesomesortofprivateagreement，thedetailsofwhichappeartobelost，butaccordingtowhichLincolnnowbecametheinevitablecandidate。[13]Hewasnominatedwithoutopposition。TheDemocratsnominatedCartwright。
TwochargeswerebroughtagainstLincoln：thathewasaninfidel，andthathewas——ofallthingsintheworld!——anaristocrat。Onthesechargesthecampaignwasfought。ThesmallmatterofwhathewoulddoatWashington，orwouldnotdo，wasbrushedaside。Personalpoliticswithavengeance!ThesecondchargeLincolnhumorouslyandabundantlydisproved；thefirst，hemetwithsilence。
RememberingLincoln’sunfailingtruthfulness，rememberingalsohisrestlessambition，onlyoneconclusioncanbedrawnfromthissilence。HecouldnotcategoricallydenyCartwright’saccusationandatthesametimesatisfyhisownunsparingconceptionofhonesty。Thattherewasnorealtruthinthechargeofirreligion，theallusionsintheSpeedlettersabundantlyprove。Thetoneistoosinceretobedoubted；
nevertheless，theygivenocluetohistheology。AndformenlikeCartwright，religionwastieduphandandfootintheology。HerewaswhereLincolnhadpartedcompanyfromhismother’sworld，andfromitsderivatives。Thoughheheldtenaciouslytoallthatwasmysticalinherbequesttohim，herejectedearlyitsformulations。Theevidenceoflateryearsreaffirmsthisdoublefact。Thesenseofaspiritualworldbehind，beyondtheworldofphenomena，grewonhimwiththeyears；thepowertoexplain，toformulatethatworldwasdeniedhim。Hehadnobentfordogma。Ethically，mystically，hewasalwaysaChristian；dogmaticallyheknewnotwhathewas。
Therefore，tothechallengetoprovehimselfaChristianonpurelydogmaticgrounds，hehadnoreply。Toattempttoexplainwhatseparatedhimfromhisaccusers，toshowhowfromhispointofviewtheywereallChristian——although，rememberingtheirpointofview，hehesitatedtosayso——todrawthelinebetweenmysticismandemotionalism，wouldhaveresultedonlyinaworseconfusion。Lincoln，thetentativemystic，thechildofthestarlitforest，wasasinexplicabletoCartwrightwithhisperfectlydownrightreligion，hiscreedofheavenorhell——takeyourchoiceandbequickaboutit!——aswasLincolnthespiritualsufferertoNewSalem，orLincolnthepoliticalscientisttohisfriendsintheLegislature。
Buthewasnotinjuredbyhissilence。Thefaithinhimheldbytoomanypeoplewastoowellestablished。Then，asalwaysthereafter，whateverhesaidorleftunsaid，mostthoughtfulpersonswhocameclosetohimsensedhimasareligiousman。
Thatwasenoughforhealthy，generousyoungSpringfield。HeandCartwrightmightfightouttheirreligiousissueswhentheypleased，AbeshouldhavehisterminCongress。Hewaselectedbyagoodmajority。[14]
Lincoln’scareerasaCongressman，1847-1849，wasjustwhatmighthavebeenexpected——hiscareerintheIllinoisLegislatureonalargerscale。Itwasapleasant，companionable，unfruitfulepisode，withnopoliticalsignificance。Theleadersofthepartydidnottakehimseriouslyasapossibleinitiatetotheirranks。HiscoursewasthatofaloyalmemberoftheWhigmass。Inthepartystrategy，duringthedebatesovertheMexicanWarandtheWilmotProviso，hedidhisfullpartyduty，votingjustastheothersdid。Onlyoncedidheattemptanythingoriginal——abilltoemancipatetheslavesoftheDistrict，whichwaslittlemorethanarestatementofhisprotestoftenyearsbefore——andonthispointCongresswasasindifferentastheLegislaturehadbeen。ThebillwasdeniedahearingandnevercametoavotebeforetheHouse。[1]
AndyetLincolndidnotfailentirelytomakeanimpressionatWashington。AndagainitwastheSpringfieldexperiencerepeated。Hiscompanionablenesswasrecognized，hismodesty，hisgoodnature；aboveall，hisstory-telling。Menlikedhim。
Plainlyitwashishumor，hisdrollways，thatwonthem；
togetherwithinstantrecognitionofhissterlingintegrity。
“DuringtheChristmasholidays，“saysBenPerleyPoore，“Mr。
LincolnfoundhiswayintothesmallroomusedasthePostOfficeoftheHouse，whereafewgenialreconteursusedtomeetalmosteverymorningafterthemailhadbeendistributedintothemembers’boxes，toexchangesuchnewstoriesasanyofthemmighthaveacquiredsincetheyhadlastmet。Aftermodestlystandingatthedoorforseveraldays，Mr。Lincolnwasremindedofastory，andbyNewYear’shewasrecognizedasthechampionstory-telleroftheCapital。Hisfavoriteseatwasattheleftoftheopenfireplace，tiltedbackinhischairwithhislonglegsreachingovertothechimneyjamb。“[2]
Inthewordsofanothercontemporary，“CongressmanLincolnwasveryfondofhowlingandwouldfrequently……meetothermembersinamatchgameatthealleyofJamesCasparus……Hewasanawkwardbowler，butplayedthegamewithgreatzestandspiritsolelyforexerciseandamusement，andgreatlytotheenjoymentandentertainmentoftheotherplayers，andbyreasonofhiscriticismsandfunnyillustrations……
Whenitwasknownthathewasinthealley，therewouldassemblenumbersofpeopletowitnessthefunwhichwasanticipatedbythosewhoknewofhisfundofanecdotesandjokes。Wheninthealley，surroundedbyacrowdofeagerlisteners，heindulgedwithgreatfreedominthesportofnarrative，someofwhichwereverybroad。“[3]
Once，atleast，heentertainedCongresswithanexhibitionofhishumor，andthis，oddlyenough，isalmosttheonlydisplayofitthathascomedowntous，firsthand。Lincoln’shumorhasbecomeatradition。Likeeverythingelseinhisoutwardlife，itchangedgraduallywithhisslowdeviousevolutionfromthestory-tellerofPigeonCreektotheauthoroftheGettysburgOration。Itisknownchieflythroughtranslation。
The“LincolnStories“arestoriessomeoneelsehastoldwhomayormaynothaveheardthemtoldbyLincoln。Theyarelikealltranslations，theyexpressthetranslatornottheoriginal——finalevidencethatLincoln’sappealasahumoristwasinhismanner，hismethod，notinhissubstance。“Hislaughwasstriking。Suchawkwardgesturesbelongedtonootherman。
Theyattracteduniversalattentionfromtheoldsedatedowntotheschoolboy。“[4]Hewasafamousmimic。
Lincolnishimselftheauthoritythathedidnotinventhisstories。Hepickedthemupwhereverhefoundthem，andclothedthemwiththepeculiardrolleryofhistelling。Hewasawagratherthanawit。Allthatlivesinthesecond-handrepetitionsofhisstoriesisthemerecore，theoriginalappropriatedthingfromwhichtheinimitabledecorationhasfallenoff。Thatiswhythecollectionsofhisstoriesaresuchdrearyreading，——likeCarey’sDante，orBryant’sHomer。
Andstrangetosay，thereisnohumorinhisletters。Thismanwhowasfamousasawagwritestohisfriendsalmostalwaysinperfectseriousness，oftensadly。ThebitofhumorthathasbeenpreservedinhisonecomicspeechinCongress，——aburlesqueoftheDemocraticcandidateof1848，LewisCass，——shornasitisofhismanner，histricksofspeechandgesture，ishardlyworthrepeating。[5]
LincolnwasdeeplyhumiliatedbyhisfailuretomakeaseriousimpressionatWashington。[6]Hiseyesopenedinastartledrealizationthattherewereworldshecouldnotconquer。TheWashingtonofthe’fortieswasfarindeedfromagreatcapital；
itwasasfriendlytoconventionaltypesofpoliticianaswasSpringfieldorVandalia。Themanwhocoulddealinideasaspoliticalcounters，theothermanwhoknewthesubtletiesoftheartofgraft，boththesewerenationalaswellaslocalfigures。PersonalpoliticswerealsoasviciousatWashingtonasanywhere；nevertheless，therewasadifference，andinthatdifferencelaythesecretofLincoln’sfailure。Hewaskeenenoughtograspthedifference，toperceivethecluetohisfailure。Inathousandways，largeandsmall，thedifferencecamehometohim。Itmayallbesymbolizedbyaclosingdetailofhisstay。AnoddbitofincongruitywastheinclusionofhisnameinthelistofmanagersoftheInauguralBallof1849。
Nothingofthesorthadhithertoenteredintohisexperience。
AsMrs。Lincolnwasnotwithhimhejoined“asmallpartyofmutualfriends“whoattendedtheballtogether。Asoneofthemrelates，“hewasgreatlyinterestedinallthatwastobeseenandwedidnottakeourdepartureuntilthreeorfouro’clockinthemorning。“[7]Whatanironicpicture——thisworthyprovincial，thelastwordforawkwardness，sociallyasstrangetosuchasceneasalittlechild，spendingthewholenightgazingintentlyateverythinghecouldsee，atthebarbaricdisplayofwealth，thesumptuousgowns，thebrilliantuniforms，thedistinguishedforeigners，andtheleadersofAmerica，menlikeWebsterandClay，withtheirairofassuredpower，themenhehadfailedtoimpress。ThiswashisvaledictoryatWashington。HewenthomeandtoldHerndonthathehadcommittedpoliticalsuicide。[8]Hehadmettheworldandtheworldwastoostrongforhim。
Andyet，whatwaswrong？HehadbeenpopularatWashington，inthesamewayinwhichhehadbeenpopularatSpringfield。WhyhadthesamesortofsuccessinspiredhimatSpringfieldandhumiliatedhimatWashington？Theanswerwasinthedifferencebetweenthetwoworlds。Companionableness，story-telling，atSpringfield，ledtoinfluence；atWashingtonitledonlytoapplause。AtSpringfielditwasameans；atWashingtonitwasanend。Thenarrowcirclegavethegoodfellowanopportunitytorevealathisleisureeverythingelsethatwasinhim；thelargercircleruthlesslyputhiminhisplaceasagoodfellowandnothingmore。ThetruthwasthatintheWashingtonofthe’forties，neithertheinnernortheouterLincolncouldbyitselffindlodgment。Neitherthelonelymysticalthinkernorthecaptivatingbuffooncoulddomorethanrippleitssurface。
AssuperficialasSpringfield，itlackedSpringfield’simpulsivegenerosity。Tothelongrecordofitsobtusenessithadaddedanotheritem。Thegodshadsentitagreatmanandithadnoeyestosee。Itwasdestinedtorepeattheperformance。
AndsoLincolncamehome，disappointed，disillusioned。Hehadnotsucceededinestablishingtheslightestclaim，eitheruponthecountryorhisparty。Withoutsuchclaimhehadnogroundforattemptingreelection。ThefrivolityoftheWhigmachineintheSangamonregionwasevincedbytheirrotationagreement。
OutofsuchgrosslypersonalpoliticsLincolnhadgonetoWashington；intothisessentiallycorruptsystemherelapsed。
Hefaced，politically，ablankwall。Andhehadwithinhimasyet，noconsciousnessofanypowerthatmightcleavethewallasunder。Whatwashetodonext？
Atthisdangerousmoment——soplainlytheendofachapter——hewasofferedthegovernorshipofthenewTerritoryofOregon。Forthefirsttimehefoundhimselfatadefinitepartingoftheways，whereasheeractofwillwastodecidethings；wherethepressureofcircumstancewasofsecondaryimportance。
Inresponsetothiscrisis，anoverlookedpartofhimappeared。
Theinheritancefromhismother，fromtheforest，hadalwaysbeenobvious。But，afterall，hewasthesonnotonlyofNancyandofthelonelystars，butalsoofshifty，driftyThomastheunstable。Ifitwasnothispaternalinheritancethatrevivedinhimatthismomentofconfessedfailure，itwassomethingofthesamesort。JustasThomashadalwaysbywayofextricatinghimselffromafailuretakentotheroad，nowAbraham，atapsychologicalcrisis，feltthesamewanderlust，andhethreatenedtogoadrift。Someofhisfriendsurgedhimtoaccept。“Youwillcapturethenewcommunity，“saidthey，“andwhenOregonbecomesaState，youwillgotoWashingtonasitsfirstSenator。“WhataglorifiedapplicationofthetrueThomasianlineofthought。Lincolnhesitated——hesitated——
Andthentheforciblelittleladywhohadmarriedhimputherfootdown。Goouttothatfar-awaybackwoods，justwhentheywerebeginningtogetonintheworld；whenrealprosperityatSpringfieldwassurelywithintheirgrasp；whentheywereatlastbecomingpeopleofimportance，whoshouldbeabletokeeptheirowncarriage？Notmuch!
HerhusbanddeclinedtheappointmentandresumedthepracticeoflawinSpringfield。[9]