During the next few days a torrent of congratulations came pouring in.  What most impressed the secretaries was his complete freedom from elation.  “He seemed to deprecate his own triumph and sympathize rather with the beaten than the victorious party.”  His formal recognition of the event was a prepared reply to a serenade on the night of November tenth.  A great crowd filled the space in front of the north portico of the White House.  Lincoln appeared at a window.  A secretary stood at his side holding a lighted candle while he read from a manuscript.  The brief address is justly ranked among his ablest occasional utterances.  As to the mode of the deliverance, he said to Hay, “Not very graceful, but I am growing old enough not to care much for the manner of doing things."(14)

XXXV.  THE MASTER OF THE MOMENT

In Lincoln’s life there are two great achievements.

One he brought to pass in time for him to behold his own victory.  The other he saw only with the eyes of faith.  The first was the drawing together of all the elements of nationalism in the American people and consolidating them into a driving force.  The second was laying the foundation of a political temper that made impossible a permanent victory for the Vindictives.  It was the sad fate of this nation, because Lincoln’s hand was struck from the tiller at the very instant of the crisis, to suffer the temporary success of that faction he strove so hard to destroy.  The transitoriness of their evil triumph, the eventual rally of the nation against them, was the final victory of the spirit of Lincoln.

The immediate victory he appreciated more fully and measured more exactly, than did any one else.  He put it into words in the fifth message.  While others were crowing with exaltation over a party triumph, he looked deeper to the psychological triumph.  Scarcely another saw that the most significant detail of the hour was in the Democratic attitude.  Even the bitterest enemies of nationalism, even those who were believed by all others to desire the breaking of the Union, had not thought it safe to say so.  They had veiled their intent in specious words.  McClellan in accepting the Democratic nomination had repudiated the idea of disunion.  Whether the Democratic politicians had agreed with him or not, they had not dared to contradict him.  This was what Lincoln put the emphasis on in his message:  “The purpose of the people within the loyal States to maintain the Union was never more firm nor more nearly unanimous than now. . . .  No candidate for any office, high or low, has ventured to seek votes on the avowal that he was for giving up the Union.  There have been much impugning of motive and much heated controversy as to the proper means and best mode of advancing the Union cause; but on the distinct issue of Union or No Union the politicians have shown their instinctive knowledge that there is no diversity among the people.  In affording the people the fair opportunity of showing one to another and to the world, this firmness and unanimity of purpose, the election has been of vast value to the national cause."(1)