his Inaugural Address, a letter
withdrawing his acceptance of office. By some not clearly recorded
exercise of that great power over men, which, if with some failures, was
generally at his command, he forced Seward to see that the unconditional
withdrawal of this letter was his public duty. It must throughout what
follows be remembered that Lincoln's first and most constant duty was to
hold together the jarring elements in the North which these jarring
elements in his own Cabinet represented; and it was one of his great
achievements that he kept together, for as long as was needful, able but
discordant public servants who could never have combined together without
him.

On February 11, 1861, Lincoln, standing on the gallery at the end of a
railway car, upon the instant of departure from the home to which he
never returned, said to his old neighbours (according to the version of
his speech which his private secretary got him to dictate immediately
after): "My friends, no one, not in my situation, can appreciate my
feeling of sadness at this parting. To this place, and the kindness of
these people, I owe everything. Here I have lived for a quarter of a
century, and have passed from a young to an old man. Here my children
have been born and one is buried. I now leave, not knowing when or
whether ever I may return, with a task before me greater than that which
rested upon Washington. Without the assistance of that Divine Being who
ever attended him, I cannot succeed. With that assistance, I cannot
fail. Trusting in Him who can go with me, and remain with you, and be
everywhere for good, let us confidently hope that all will yet be well.
To His care commending you, as I hope in your prayers you will commend
me, I bid you an affectionate farewell."

He was, indeed, going to a task not less great than Washington's, but he
was going to it with a preparation in many respects far inferior to his.
For the last eight years he had laboured as a public speaker, and in a
measure as a party leader, and had displayed and developed comprehension,
perhaps unequalled, of some of the larger causes which mould public
affairs. But, except in sheer moral discipline, those years had done
nothing to supply the special training which he had previously lacked,
for high executive office. In such office at such a time ready decision
in an obscure and passing situation may often be a not less requisite
than philosophic grasp either of the