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