they are allied with a sense of immediate personal wrong or
imminent peril. Then at last the stars in their courses begin to fight
against Sisera. Had any one doubted before that the rights of
human nature are unitary, that oppression is of one hue the world
over, no matter what the color of the oppressed,--had any one
failed to see what the real essence of the contest was,--the efforts of
the advocates of slavery among ourselves to throw discredit upon
the fundamental axioms of the Declaration of Independence and the
radical doctrines of Christianity, could not fail to sharpen his eyes.

(1) A Danish antiquary and theologian.

While every day was bringing the people nearer to the conclusion
which all thinking men saw to be inevitable from the beginning, it
was wise in Mr. Lincoln to leave the shaping of his policy to events.
In this country, where the rough and ready understanding of the
people is sure at last to be the controlling power, a profound
common-sense is the best genius for statesmanship. Hitherto the
wisdom of the President's measures has been justified by the fact
that they have always resulted in more firmly uniting public opinion.
One of the things particularly admirable in the public utterances of
President Lincoln is a certain tone of familiar dignity, which, while
it is perhaps the most difficult attainment of mere style, is also no
doubtful indication of personal character. There must be something
essentially noble in an elective ruler who can descend to the level of
confidential ease without losing respect, something very manly in
one who can break through the etiquette of his conventional rank
and trust himself to the reason and intelligence of those who have
elected him. No higher compliment was ever paid to a nation than
the simple confidence, the fireside plainness, with which Mr.