This selection is a sermon that begins with an
illustration. The text is the title. The whole
incident of Lincoln's letter to Hooker is used to
enforce the text, whose title might be "Loyalty."
Why?
Elbert Hubbard (1859-1915) is an American writer of
essays and biography. He was interested in the
revival of the old handicrafts, especially in the
art of printing and binding books.
If all the letters, messages, and speeches of Lincoln were
destroyed except that one letter to Hooker, we should
still have a good index to the heart of "The Rail-splitter."
In this letter we see that Lincoln ruled his own spirit;
and we also behold the fact that he could rule others. 5
The letter shows frankness, kindliness, wit, tact, wise
diplomacy, and infinite patience.
Hooker had harshly and unjustly criticized Lincoln,
his commander in chief, and he had embarrassed Burnside,
his ranking officer. But Lincoln waives all this in deference 10
to the virtues that he believes Hooker possesses, and promotes
him to succeed Burnside. In other words, the man
who had been wronged promotes the man who had wronged
him, over the head of a man whom the promotee had wronged
and for whom the promoter had a warm personal friendship. 15
But all personal considerations were sunk in view of the
end desired. Yet it was necessary that the man promoted
should know the truth, and Lincoln told it to him in a way
that did not humiliate nor fire to foolish anger, but which
certainly prevented the attack of cerebral elephantiasis to 20
which Hooker was liable.
Perhaps we had better give the letter entire, and so here
it is:
"Executive Mansion, Washington, January 26, 1863.
Major-General Hooker: