Government of, by, and for the people? Had ever a great man said anything so entirely unrealistic, not to mention, literally, demagogic? The people played no part at all in the government of the United States in Lincoln's time, and even less now. Lincoln had tended to rule by decree, thanks to the all-purpose "military necessity" which gave legitimacy to his most arbitrary acts. The people, of course, were always more or less there; they must be flattered from time to time; exhorted to do battle, or whatever the Augustus in Washington wanted them to do. The result was a constant tension between the people at large and a ruling class that believed in the necessity of concentrating wealth in the hands of the few while keeping the few as virtuous as possible, at least in appearance.
—Gore Vidal
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