1865 What was the main content of Emerson's speech at Lincoln's funeral?

When the bad news travels across the ocean, across the land and from one country to another, we gather in the shadow of disaster, hanging over the world like an unexpected solar eclipse, casting a shadow over the hearts of good people in the whole civilized world. Although human history is so long and tragedies are so diverse, I doubt whether anyone's death has caused such great sorrow to mankind as this time, or it has caused such great sorrow to mankind when the news was announced. This is not so much because modern art closely links all ethnic groups as because of the mysterious hopes and fears related to the name and system of the United States today. In this country, last Saturday shocked everyone. When they meditate on this terrible blow, they are only conscious in the deepest part of their hearts at first. Perhaps, at this moment, when the coffin containing the president's body is being transported back to his hometown in Illinois, and mourning activities are being held in various States along the way, we should be silent and let the roar of time torment us.

However, this initial despair is short-lived, and we can't mourn him like this. He used to be the most active and promising person. His career has not been ruined. Praise and applause for his works have become a victory, and even people's sad tears can't drown it. The president is a member of the people in front of us. As a native American, he has never crossed the ocean, nor has he been eroded by British partiality or French debauchery. Like an acorn on an oak tree, he is a gentle, simple and native person who neither worships foreign things nor flatters foreign things. Born and raised in Kentucky, he used to be a flat-bottomed sailor, a captain during the Black Hawk War, a village lawyer and a representative of the rural legislature in Illinois-his great reputation was built on this humility. After a very slow and pleasant preparation stage, he entered his position! We all remember-just five or six years ago-people's surprise and disappointment when he was first nominated in Chicago. Mr. Seward enjoyed a high reputation at that time. He was a red man in the eastern states. When the new and strange name Lincoln was announced (although there were cheering reports), we looked on coldly and listened to the result sadly. At such a worrying moment, it seems premature to give a person such a big responsibility just because of his reputation in a certain field. The topic people talk about is naturally political agnosticism. However, the result is not like this. People in Illinois and the west praised him. They share these views with their colleagues in order to prove their correct views in their respective hometown constituencies. All this is not too hasty, although they have not realized the full value of this person.

He is an ordinary man, but he has unusual luck. Lord Bacon said, "Showing virtue makes people gain fame and hides luck." When you meet for the first time, you can't see anything dazzling about him; But the superiority of others will not make him feel inferior. His face and manner can dispel doubts, improve self-confidence and ensure good feelings. He is a man without bad habits. He has a strong sense of responsibility and is easy to obey the overall situation. He is also what farmers call a smart man, who is good at calculating, defending his own views and convincing the other side fairly and firmly. Later, it was found that he was also a great speaker with amazing working ability. He works easily. Good employees are very rare because everyone has some kind of problem. But this man is optimistic and persistent from the inside out, very suitable for work, and he himself loves work the most. He has a very good personality, tolerant spirit and approachable style; As a fair man, he treats the torture caused by countless visitors kindly, not neurotically, according to the wishes of the requester; As president, he could have let others do these things. In many tragedies caused by the war, his good character turned into noble humanitarianism. Everyone will remember how he became more and more kind and careful when he pitied a race. The poor black man said of him on an unforgettable occasion: "Mr. Lincoln is everywhere."

His broad and good sense of humor is another advantage of this wise man. He can have a humorous conversation with others easily and naturally, and he is good at doing so and has fun from it. This allows him to keep secrets and contact people from all walks of life, even the most serious decisions are not so sharp-edged, thus covering up his goals, testing colleagues and instinctively capturing the emotions of various audiences. Moreover, most importantly, this kind of good personality is a natural restorative for people struggling in the crisis of worry and exhaustion, just as effective as sleep; This is also a vaccine to prevent the overworked brain from becoming irritable or crazy. He said many excellent aphorisms, but they were all expressed in a humorous way. At first, they will never be famous, but just be treated as jokes. It was not until these proverbs were read by thousands of people that people discovered that they were famous sayings of the times. I believe that if this man came to power during the period when the printing industry was not so developed, he could become a mythical figure in a few years with his fables and aphorisms, just like Aesop, Peirce or one of Seven Tessa. In the future, many weighty and profound paragraphs in his letters, documents and speeches will certainly win a high reputation, but now, it is precisely because of the application of these ideas that they are obscure. What a meaningful definition, how perfect common sense, how far-reaching knowledge, how noble and simple human feelings are displayed at important moments!

His election as president is a victory of human virtue and public trust. This middle-class country finally has a middle-class president. Here refers to his demeanor, his compassion, not his power, because his power is supreme. He knows the problems that happen every day. With the development of the problem, his understanding of the problem is also deepening. Few people are so capable. In panic and jealousy, in the noise between defenders and clients, he worked tirelessly, trying to find out the needs of the people and how to meet them. If anyone has really been tested by justice, then he is this person. This evaluation of him can be said to be no exaggeration. There are also many people who resist, slander and ridicule. In our time, there are no state secrets: the country has experienced such a huge riot that we must give it great trust and not keep secrets. Every door is half open so that we can see what is going on inside. Then we met the whirlwind of war, what a moment it was! There are no government officials here, and there are no sailors who are only suitable for good weather; In the whirlwind, the new driver was hurried to the rudder. In four years and four wars, his tenacity, resourcefulness and magnanimity have withstood the painful test and never found any unqualified phenomenon. Therefore, through his courage, justice, good character, resourcefulness and humanitarian spirit, he became a hero in the new era of history. He was the true history of the American people at that time. He walked in front of them step by step, slowing down and speeding up as they did. He is a true representative of this continent and a very enthusiastic public welfare person. As the father of our country, the pulse of 20 million people is beating in his heart, and their thoughts are clearly expressed through his mouthpiece.

Adam Smith said that in Huo Brecon's portraits of English kings and celebrities, the axe was carved under those who had been hacked, which added some noble charm to the portrait. Even in the tragedy that just happened, who can't see how the horror and destruction of assassination quickly swallowed up the glory of the victims? This fate is much happier than living in hope, witnessing the decline of one's faculties, witnessing the ingratitude of (perhaps even) a famous politician, and watching the villain rise to power. Didn't he keep his promise before he died? This is a man's greatest promise to his compatriots-the real abolition of slavery. He saw Tennessee, Missouri and Maryland liberate their slaves. He saw Savannah, Charleston and Richmond surrender; See the main force of the rebels lay down their weapons. He conquered public opinion in Canada, Britain and France. In luck, only Washington can compare with him. If we expand things a little further, the result is that he has reached the end. This historic rescuer can no longer serve us; The rebellion has reached the point where it should be stopped; The following work needs to be undertaken by independent newcomers-a new spirit born on the ruins of war. At the same time, in order to show the world a perfect benefactor, God wants him to serve his country better with death instead of living. Just as a submissive and flattering king is not a good king, so is a submissive and flattering country. The king's kindness lies in justice and strength. The easy-going character of the Republic of China is a dangerous weakness, so we must let the enemy commit atrocities and force us to achieve unusual firmness to ensure that this country will be saved in the future.