To Lincoln, the Constitution was of no value if the Union it governed came apart, so he positioned himself as its chief arbiter, relegating the other branches of government to supporting roles.

• 对林肯来说，如果联邦破裂，宪法就会失去价值，所以他任命自己为国家首席决策者，把政府的其他机构降低至辅助的角色。