Abraham Lincoln was until the end a harmoniously complete historical personality of the kind that is a rarity in world history. He reminds us of the greatest archetypes from ancient times. Through subtle brilliance, but above all through his well-tested civil honesty, tenacity, industriousness, intelligence, charitableness and courage was this man able to attain the highest goal of sovereignty, the finest laurels of history. He led the most difficult war to a victorious end; he stifled and crushed the most terrible revolution; he saved the expanse of his country, healed humanity from one of its most burning wounds through the eradication of slavery and in the pursuit of life goals he left the world state unblemished and clean unlike almost any other world historical figure. He became the last sacrifice of his powerful battle, his glorious victory. Every country should envy the Americans for such a historical personality, for such personalities are true standards for the edification of all peoples. Americans already have in Washington and Franklin two archetypes, who attain the height of role models for individuals. The Honorable Abraham Lincoln is a third. The murderer, whose bullet struck him in life's path just traveled to victory, thought to harm the purpose Lincoln defended, but has secured his spotless model that will now show through his example the right path to America's youth for the coming centuries.
And so the assassin has rendered an incalculable service, against his will and through a miscalculation: he has delivered the deathblow to his cause. Who now will dare stand up for the slaveholders? Their best friends crowd among the rows of mourners at Lincoln's casket. Defeats can be borne, overcome; the dishonor of an assassin injures forever the cause that a person harbors. So the Italian brigades, through their misdeeds against the Pope and the Bourbons, have been more harmed in public opinion than anything else could have done. Assassination is an open declaration of bankruptcy of every cause it seeks to declare. Wilkes Booth's atrocity has delivered the last, irredeemable blow to the slaveholders' cause.