not oFtEn in thE story oF mAnkinD DoEs A mAn ArrivE on EArth who is Both stEEl AnD vElvEt, who is As hArD As roCk AnD soFt As DriFting Fog, who knows in his hEArt AnD minD thE pArADox oF tErriBlE storm AnD pEACE unspEAkABlE AnD pErFECt. hErE AnD thErE ACross CEnturiEs ComE rEports oF mEn AllEgED to hAvE thEsE ContrAsts AnD thE inCompArABlEABrAhAm linColn, Born 150 yEArs Ago this DAy, is An ApproACh iF not A pErFECt rEAlizAtion oF this ChArACtEr.
in thE timE oF thEApril lilACs in thE yEAr 1865, linColn’s DEAth, thE CAskEt with his BoDy wAs CArriED northwEst A thousAnD milEs AnD thEAmEriCAn pEoplE wEpt As nEvEr BEForE.During thE Four yEArs hE wAs prEsiDEnt, hE At timEs, EspECiAlly in thE First thrEE months, took to himsElF thE powErs oF A DiCtAtor. hE CommAnDED thE most powErFul ArmiEs thEn AssEmBlED in moDEm wArFArE. hE EnForCED AnD CruisED ConsCription oF solDiErs For thE First timE inAmEriCAn history.
AnD unDEr impErAtivE nECEssity, hE ABolishED thE writ oF hABEAs Corpus. hE DirECtED politiCAlly AnD spirituAlly thE wilD, mAssivE turBulEnt ForCEs lEt loosE inCivil wAr, A wAr truly As timE hAs shown, oF BrothErs. hE ArguED AnD plEADED For CompEnsAtED EmAnCipAtion oF thE slAvEs. thE slAvEs wErE propErty. thEy wErE on thE tAx Books Along with horsEs AnD CAttlE, thE vAluAtion oF EACh slAvE writtEn nExt to his nAmE on thE tAx AssEssor’s Books.AnD FAiling to gEt ACtion oF CompEnsAtED EmAnCipAtion, hE took thE only othEr CoursE.As AChiEFExECutivE hAving wAr powErs hE issuED thE pApEr By whiCh hE DEClArED thE slAvEs to BE FrEE unDEr militAry. pEoplE, pEoplE in mAny othEr CountriEs tAkE linColn now For thEir own. hE BElongs to thEm. hE stAnDs For DECEnCy, honEst DEAling, plAin tAlk AnD Funny storiEs. look whErE hE CAmE From, Don’t you know hE wAs A strugglEr AnD wAsn’t hE A kinD oF tough strugglEr All his liFE right up to thE Finish somEthing likE thAt you CAn hEAr in A nEArBy nEighBorhooD AnD ACross thE sEAs. millions thErE ArE who tAkE linColn As A pErsonAl trEAsurE. hE hAD somEthing thEy woulD likE to sEE sprEAD EvErywhErE All ovEr thE worlD—DEmoCrACy. wE CAn’t FinD thE worDs to sAy ExACtly whAt it is, But hE hAD it. in his BlooD AnD BonEs hE CArriED it. in thE BrEAth oF his spEEChEs AnD writings it is thErE. populAr govErnmEnt, rEpuBliCAn institutions govErnmEnt whErE thE pEoplE hAD thE sAy so, onE wAy or AnothEr tElling thEir ElECtED lEADErs whAt thEy wAnt. hE hAD thE iDE
A、hE EmBoDiED it. it’s thErE in thE lights AnD shADows oF his pErsonAlity, A mystEry thAt CAn BE livED But nEvEr Fully spokEn in worDs.
toDAy, whEn wE sAy pErhAps thAt wEll AssurED AnD most EnDuring mEmory onto linColn is invisiBly thErE toDAy, tomorrow AnD For A long timE yEt to ComE, it is thErE in thE hEArts oF thE lovErs oF liBErty. mEn AnD womEn in this Country hAvE AlwAys hAD thEm in CrisEs—mEn AnD womEn who unDErstAnD thAt whErEvEr thErE is FrEEDom, thErE hAvE BEEn thosE who hAvE Fought, toilED AnD sACriFiCED For it.
thE pAssAgE inDiCAtEs thAtABrAhAm linColn wAs thE EmBoDimEnt oF ______.
A、DEmoCrACyB、monArChy C、litErACy D、powEr