Abraham Lincoln : a biographical essay . ir prejudices andtheir noble impulses, their weaknesses and theirstrength, as he understood himself, and his sym-pathetic nature was apt to draw their sympathy tohim. His inaugural address foreshadowed his officialcourse in characteristic manner. Although yield-ing nothing in point of principle, it was by nomeans a flaming anti-slavery manifesto, such aswould have pleased the more ardent was rather the entreaty of a sorrowing fatherspeaking to his wayward children. In the kindliestlanguage he pointed out to the secessionists howill-advise
Abraham Lincoln : a biographical essay . ir prejudices andtheir noble impulses, their weaknesses and theirstrength, as he understood himself, and his sym-pathetic nature was apt to draw their sympathy tohim. His inaugural address foreshadowed his officialcourse in characteristic manner. Although yield-ing nothing in point of principle, it was by nomeans a flaming anti-slavery manifesto, such aswould have pleased the more ardent was rather the entreaty of a sorrowing fatherspeaking to his wayward children. In the kindliestlanguage he pointed out to the secessionists howill-advised their attempt at disunion was, and why,for their own sakes, they should desist. Almostplaintively he told them that, while it was not theirduty to destroy the Union, it was his sworn duty topreserve it; that the least he could do, under theobligations of his oath, was to possess and hold theproperty of the United States; that he hoped to dothis peaceably; that he abhorred war for any pur-pose, and that they would have none unless they. 1 N J r > ^ ABRAHAM LINCOLN 95 themselves were the aggressors. It was a master-piece of persuasiveness; and while Lincoln hadaccepted many valuable amendments suggested bySeward, it was essentially his own. Probably Lin-coln himself did not expect his inaugural addressto have any effect upon the secessionists, for he musthave known them to be resolved upon disunion atany cost. But it was an appeal to the waveringminds in the North, and upon them it made a pro-found impression. Every candid man, howevertimid and halting, had to admit that the Presidentwas bound by his oath to do his duty; that underthat oath he could do no less than he said he woulddo; that if the secessionists resisted such an appealas the President had made, they were bent uponmischief, and that the government must be sup-ported against them. The partisan sympathy withthe Southern insurrection which still existed in theNorth did indeed not disappear, but it diminishedpercep
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