Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1855-06-30
Dtsunion.
SPEECH OF WENDELL PHILLIPS.
AT THE NEW ENGLAND CONVENTION

Mr.. Phillips, on coming forward, was greeted
with loud and repeated cheers. When the storm
of applause had subsi5ed, he addressed the audi
ence as foows:--"
Mr.. Chairman: Our distinctive policy is the
necessity of q dissolution of the American Union,
in order to the abolition of slavery: and although
the subject has been very thoroughly discussed
to day. yet trust the audience, some Of whom,
perhaps may not have been in attendance during
the morning and afternoon sessions, will tolerate
some further remarks from me, because,-if for
no other reason,-in my opinion, it is the one
essential point of the anti.slavery movement
the one principle which needs to be firmly fixed,
out of which conduct and purpose and system
must grow.
In the first place, l would clear away some of
the mistakes, it seems to me, which have been
made in tho objections urged against the doctrine
of Disunion, This is an AntI-Slavery Society.
We are bound, therefore, to show that the dissolu-
ton of the American Union is a measure leading
to the Abolition of slavery. think we are bound
to show more than that we are bound to show
that it is not only probably to lead in that direction
but that it is an essential preliminary to the aboli-
tion of slavery. at least the only probable meth
cd of ending it, No man has right to disturb
the government of his country, even by discuss
ion, unless for grave reasons. The abolition of
slavery is the one thing sufficient to justify move
ment to rend these States asunder. We have moth
ing to do here to- benefit the.whtc man we are not
Massachusetts; we are not here to raise her to
the higher level Of a safe government; we not
here to critcise the churches Of Mass achusetts in
orderthat they may be better religious institutions
for us-that may be very good purpose for indl-
yiduals, and for other organizations, but not for
u.s. Our purpose is sngle-the .Abdtittdn Of iSlGre-
ry The only aim, therefore, for which can
critcise the condition of Massachusetts churches,
Massachusetts, politics. or Massachusetts govern
ment, is in order to remoddle and direct III such II
81, ol,,1,t ttn1 1fl oil hny
not demonstrated my problem, if | do not show
that must abolish this Union first, in order to
get the means to abolish slavery. We do not tear
down merely because we ourselves are trodden
down. Patriotism might dictate that-many other
motives--but not anti-slayery motives. tear the
parchment of the Union asGhder because it stands
between me and my duty to the Carolina slave.
(Cheors.) For that reason alone-in order to get
at HMM order to right him--in order to do my
duty under God to him-that is my reason for ad.
vocating the dissolution of the Union.
1t was observed this afternoon, that there was IL
time when the first Aboitionst for the first moment
awoke to the real character of the Constitution,
and it seemed to be intimated that therefore we
ought to be patient with those who are in the same
position that such an Abolitonist was before he
came to that conviction. Doubtless we ought to
be and the very object of this meeting is patience;
the object of all this discussion is patience with
our brethren Of the community, to cndeavOr to
drag them up. down, to the right, or to the left
to our own postion-to convince tncIu' MAJ
have we done! Argued, tried to argue, this
question. Weare rs patient with the community
as it is possible for men thoroughly convinced to
be- That is why we devote day and night, all our
energies, purses, our voices, our lives, to the
incubation Of the doctrine wlicE has seen brought
home to our convictions. We do Lnot suppose or
expect that community like this will receive 50
radical doctrine to lerantly, much less gratefully.
We presup1ose from the beginning that it will
create repulsion that in many minds 1t will close
the door almost against argument, that others Will
listen to- i: hositutinglv, iNltorlngly. PWch says
that u cat; even if she be most kindly, never APP
proachcs you in straight lne-sho comes up side
ways turning round your stupdtles, rubbing
against your anti pathios and when she reaches
you, perhaps she begins to scratch. (Lrughter.
So it is with truth. lt comes up sideways; 1t
turns round cld habits, makes its way through
narrow views Egoted attachments to things we
have never exarl;ned, faith in words, not thrgs,-
catch-,eOrds, that have kept our infant minds i'll
leading g-strngs, though We be eighty years old
and when it gets near u.s. we repei 1t. | was
alluding last night to this point in connection with
the touching story told us by Mr.. Hgginson OF
the last words of John Davis, uttered almost tear
fully in his private room at Washngton--the oon
vction of his life. What was it? With his arms
resting on the table, and his face half covered in
his hands, he said-'Mr'Sumner do You wish to
know the experience Of my long official life! 1t Is
that slavery rules everything here What said
Adams? The same. Your venerable father, Mr.
President, (EDMUND QUINoy, after a life that had
uttered the same truth with eighty years on his
brow, comes to tell us, in his recent letter. that
with the capital, and the prejudces, and the Con
stution Of the country against the anti-slavery
movement, he hardly sees where there is any
ground for hope of its success. These are remark
able testimonies. They are not young men, turnec
aside by present interests or led aSray by passion
They have reached the epoch when, as Chancellor
Kent says, Men begin act less from the prom
tings of ambition, and more from profound sense
of duty As Young said of of the value Of time
so may we of the character Of politics
Ask the -beds-they can tell
Ask the octogenaricns, wko have cutlved ambition
outlived everything but the love of countryside,
can tell you. It is from voices like these that w
learn the hidden disease that cats out the nation
life.
Dissolution then is proposed by us solely as tn
means towards the abolition Of slavery. In tn
first place, it is the simple dictate of experience
nothing more. In politics. there is no testimon'
like that of experience The country has liveC
under this government sixty seventy years
with us good men as we cen hope in times to come
We have had every variety of QUESTIONS, foreigi
and internal, the enactment of laws, pecuniar'
policy, and all Others Is there a man here VIII
can point to single question,-one single question
where the South has put forth its strength, il
which it has not been victorious? l said tn
South; mean the Stare Pooer which resides n
much in State street as IN hlchmonu; III lhe Dosoh
of Lemuel Shaw, as in South Carolinia Tha
poem to which you have Just listened# is the voic
of q triumphant hearb opsr the notification o
Massachusetts, Massachusetts cannot nuiiify
Lemuel Shaw rests like anightmGre On her Judi
ciary, and the Legislature itself cannot get oye
the colossal institution. the Judciary-the Su
preme Court, anchored N the pref licos OF pas
generation, and which neither the discussions, no
the change of sentiment of the present day, Cal
reach. We must elect our judges, before the
will answer back to the enactnlents Of the people
tLoud and repeated cheers.) The Massachusett
of 1872 and l820-the Massachusetts, of Prescott
and Cabot, and Story--the Massachusetts Of tn
last gcneration-is dead and buried, and scale
-eu the Perseua Liberty Dll' By George ". Putnam,