Which of these best characterizes the logic used by the author of the editorial "It's Time for a Nation to Return the Favor"?

This dust was once the manthis dust was once the man,gentle, plain, just and resolute, under whose cautious hand,against the foulest crime in history known in any land or age,was saved the union of these states walt whitman who is "the man" the dust now represents? the narrator a criminal whitman lincoln