THEREhavebeenmanypainfulcrisessincetheimpatientvanityofSouthCarolinahurriedtenprosperousCommonwealthsintoacrimewhoseassuredretributionwastoleavethemeitheratthemercyofthenationtheyhadwronged，oroftheanarchytheyhadsummonedbutcouldnotcontrol，whennothoughtfulAmericanopenedhismorningpaperwithoutdreadingtofindthathehadnolongeracountrytoloveandhonor。Whatevertheresultoftheconvulsionwhosefirstshockswerebeginningtobefelt，therewouldstillbeenoughsquaremilesofearthforelbow—room;butthatineffablesentimentmadeupofmemoryandhope，ofinstinctandtradition，whichswellseveryman\'sheartandshapeshisthought，thoughperhapsneverpresenttohisconsciousness，wouldbegonefromit，leavingitcommonearthandnothingmore。Menmightgatherrichcropsfromit，butthatidealharvestofpricelessassociationswouldbereapednolonger;thatfinevirtuewhichsentupmessagesofcourageandsecurityfromeverysodofitwouldhaveevaporatedbeyondrecall。Weshouldbeirrevocablycutofffromourpast，andbeforcedtosplicetheraggedendsofourlivesuponwhatevernewconditionschancemightleavedanglingforus。
Weconfessthatwehadourdoubtsatfirstwhetherthepatriotismofourpeoplewerenottoonarrowlyprovincialtoembracetheproportionsofnationalperil。Wefeltanonlytoonaturaldistrustofimmensepublicmeetingsandenthusiasticcheers。
Thatareactionshouldfollowtheholidayenthusiasmwithwhichthewarwasenteredon，thatitshouldfollowsoon，andthattheslackeningofpublicspiritshouldbeproportionatetothepreviousover—tension，mightwellbeforeseenbyallwhohadstudiedhumannatureorhistory。Menactinggregariouslyarealwaysinextremes;
astheyareonemomentcapableofhighercourage，sotheyareliable，thenext，tobaserdepression，anditisoftenamatterofchancewhethernumbersshallmultiplyconfidenceordiscouragement。Nordoesdeceptionleadmoresurelytodistrustofmen，thanself—deceptiontosuspicionofprinciples。Theonlyfaiththatwearswellandholdsitscolorinallweathersisthatwhichiswovenofconvictionandsetwiththesharpmordantofexperience。
Enthusiasmisgoodmaterialfortheorator，butthestatesmanneedssomethingmoredurabletoworkin，——mustbeabletorelyonthedeliberatereasonandconsequentfirmnessofthepeople，withoutwhichthatpresenceofmind，nolessessentialintimesofmoralthanofmaterialperil，willbewantingatthecriticalmoment。WouldthisfervoroftheFreeStatesholdout？Wasitkindledbyajustfeelingofthevalueofconstitutionalliberty？Haditbodyenoughtowithstandtheinevitabledampeningofchecks，reverses，delays？
Hadourpopulationintelligenceenoughtocomprehendthatthechoicewasbetweenorderandanarchy，betweentheequilibriumofagovernmentbylawandthetussleofmisruleby*pronunciamiento？*Couldawarbemaintainedwithouttheordinarystimulusofhatredandplunder，andwiththeimpersonalloyaltyofprinciple？Thesewereseriousquestions，andwithnoprecedenttoaidinansweringthem。
Atthebeginningofthewartherewas，indeed，occasionforthemostanxiousapprehension。APresidentknowntobeinfectedwiththepoliticalheresies，andsuspectedofsympathywiththetreason，oftheSouthernconspirators，hadjustsurrenderedthereins，wewillnotsayofpower，butofchaos，toasuccessorknownonlyastherepresentativeofapartywhoseleaders，withlongtraininginopposition，hadnoneintheconductofaffairs;anemptytreasurywascalledontosupplyresourcesbeyondprecedentinthehistoryoffinance;thetreeswereyetgrowingandtheironunminedwithwhichanavywastobebuiltandarmored;officerswithoutdisciplineweretomakeamobintoanarmy;and，aboveall，thepublicopinionofEurope，echoedandreinforcedwitheveryvaguehintandeveryspeciousargumentofdespondencybyapowerfulfactionathome，waseithercontemptuouslyscepticaloractivelyhostile。Itwouldbehardtoover—estimatetheforceofthislatterelementofdisintegrationanddiscouragementamongapeoplewhereeverycitizenathome，andeverysoldierinthefield，isareaderofnewspapers。ThepeddlersofrumorintheNorthwerethemosteffectivealliesoftherebellion。Anationcanbeliabletonomoreinsidioustreacherythanthatofthetelegraph，sendinghourlyitselectricthrillofpanicalongtheremotestnervesofthecommunity，tilltheexcitedimaginationmakeseveryrealdangerloomheightenedwithitsunrealdouble。
Andevenifwelookonlyatmorepalpabledifficulties，theproblemtobesolvedbyourcivilwarwassovast，bothinitsimmediaterelationsanditsfutureconsequences;theconditionsofitssolutionweresointricateandsogreatlydependentonincalculableanduncontrollablecontingencies;somanyofthedata，whetherforhopeorfear，were，fromtheirnovelty，incapableofarrangementunderanyofthecategoriesofhistoricalprecedent，thatthereweremomentsofcrisiswhenthefirmestbelieverinthestrengthandsufficiencyofthedemocratictheoryofgovernmentmightwellholdhisbreathinvagueapprehensionofdisaster。Ourteachersofpoliticalphilosophy，solemnlyarguingfromtheprecedentofsomepettyGrecian，Italian，orFlemishcity，whoselongperiodsofaristocracywerebrokennowandthenbyawkwardparenthesesofmob，hadalwaystaughtusthatdemocracieswereincapableofthesentimentofloyalty，ofconcentratedandprolongedeffort，offar—
reachingconceptions;wereabsorbedinmaterialinterests;impatientofregular，andmuchmoreofexceptionalrestraint;hadnonaturalnucleusofgravitation，noranyforcesbutcentrifugal;werealwaysonthevergeofcivilwar，andslunkatlastintothenaturalalmshouseofbankruptpopulargovernment，amilitarydespotism。
Herewasindeedadrearyoutlookforpersonswhoknewdemocracy，notbyrubbingshoulderswithitlifelong，butmerelyfrombooks，andAmericaonlybythereportofsomefellow—Briton，who，havingeatenabaddinnerorlostacarpet—baghere，hadwrittento*TheTimes*demandingredress，anddrawingamournfulinferenceofdemocraticinstability。NorweremenwantingamongourselveswhohadsosteepedtheirbrainsinLondonliteratureastomistakeCockneyismforEuropeanculture，andcontemptoftheircountryforcosmopolitanbreadthofview，andwho，owingalltheyhadanalltheyweretodemocracy，thoughtithadanairofhigh—breedingtojoinintheshallowepicediumthatourbubblehadburst。
Butbesideanydishearteninginfluenceswhichmightaffectthetimidorthedespondent，therewerereasonsenoughofsettledgravityagainstanyover—confidenceofhope。Awar——which，whetherweconsidertheexpanseoftheterritoryatstake，thehostsbroughtintothefield，orthereachoftheprinciplesinvolved，mayfairlybereckonedthemostmomentousofmoderntimes——wastobewagedbyapeopledividedathome，unnervedbyfiftyyearsofpeace，underachiefmagistratewithoutexperienceandwithoutreputation，whoseeverymeasurewassuretobecunninglyhamperedbyajealousandunscrupulousminority，andwho，whiledealingwithunheard—ofcomplicationsathome，mustsootheahostileneutralityabroad，waitingonlyapretexttobecomewar。Allthiswastobedonewithoutwarningandwithoutpreparation，whileatthesametimeasocialrevolutionwastobeaccomplishedinthepoliticalconditionoffourmillionsofpeople，bysofteningtheprejudices，allayingthefears，andgraduallyobtainingthecooperation，oftheirunwillingliberators。Surely，ifevertherewereanoccasionwhentheheightenedimaginationofthehistorianmightseeDestinyvisiblyinterveninginhumanaffairs，herewasaknotworthyofhershears。