We cannot follow this contest.  You know its gigantic proportions; that it lasted four years instead of three months; that in its progress, instead of 75,000 men, more than 2,000,000 were enrolled on the side of the government alone; that the aggregate cost and loss to the nation approximated to 1,000,000,000 pounds sterling, and that not less than 300,000 brave and precious lives were sacrificed on each side.  History has recorded how Lincoln bore himself during these four frightful years; that he was the real President, the responsible and actual head of the government, through it all; that he listened to all advice, heard all parties, and then, always realizing his responsibility to God and the nation, decided every great executive question for himself.  His absolute honesty had become proverbial long before he was President.  “Honest Abe Lincoln” was the name by which he had been known for years.  His every act attested it.

In all the grandeur of the vast power that he wielded, he never ceased to be one of the plain people, as he always called them, never lost or impaired his perfect sympathy with them, was always in perfect touch with them and open to their appeals; and here lay the very secret of his personality and of his power, for the people in turn gave him their absolute confidence.  His courage, his fortitude, his patience, his hopefulness, were sorely tried but never exhausted.

He was true as steel to his generals, but had frequent occasion to change them, as he found them inadequate.  This serious and painful duty rested wholly upon him, and was perhaps his most important function as Commander-in-Chief; but when, at last, he recognized in General Grant the master of the situation, the man who could and would bring the war to a triumphant end, he gave it all over to him and upheld him with all his might.  Amid all the pressure and distress that the burdens of office brought upon him, his unfailing sense of humor saved him; probably it made it possible for him to live under the burden.  He had always been the great story-teller of the West, and he used and cultivated this faculty to relieve the weight of the load he bore.

It enabled him to keep the wonderful record of never having lost his temper, no matter what agony he had to bear.  A whole night might be spent in recounting the stories of his wit, humor, and harmless sarcasm.  But I will recall only two of his sayings, both about General Grant, who always found plenty of enemies and critics to urge the President to oust him from his command.  One, I am sure, will interest all Scotchmen.  They repeated with malicious intent the gossip that Grant drank.  “What does he drink?” asked Lincoln.  “Whiskey,” was, of course, the answer; doubtless you can guess the brand.  “Well,” said the President, “just find out what particular kind he uses and I’ll send a barrel to each of my other generals.”  The other must be as pleasing to the British as to the American ear.  When pressed again on other grounds to get rid of Grant, he declared, “I can’t spare that man, he fights!”