The climax of
his speech was when he spoke of the world-old struggle between right and
wrong. I was swept off my feet for the moment and seemed to see in his
face something of the genius of Pinturicchio. Now I wonder if I was not
befooled both as to the value of Lincoln's utterance and as to his
kinship with the great Italian artist. After all I do not know what is
right and wrong; and I do not believe any one else does. I see that
people get worked up into furies over what they think is right and
wrong, and kill each other on account of it. Later ages view the matter
as of no importance; and the lives that are lost in the struggle are as
forgotten as the multitudinous leaves which bestrew the ground of an
autumnal forest. I fear I am in a very bad state of mind. It is true, as
you intimate in your letter, that I am passing through a certain
humiliation of spirit; and I am thus inclined to speculate on the value
of all truths and philosophies. I seem to see that material things
control truths and influence our human natures in every way. Our
experience demonstrates this fact. And in the case of Douglas and
Lincoln, Douglas is quick to sense the moralistic hypocrisy with which
the Republicans are draping their trafficking ambitions. But, on the
other hand, I believe that Lincoln is as honest in his desire to keep
slavery out of the territories as Douglas is honest in his plan to let
the territories decide the matter for themselves.
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