New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-01-28
hoRTHERy REVoL UrIoN.IRY cOYVEN-
TON
sPEECH or WENDELL PHILLIPS.
Fl TNa Y Y Tribupe
NtfE''isEasI'r' II nv y II 49, -
WORCESTER, Mass, Jan. 10, 1897.

WENDELL PHILLIPS on DIsUNIoN.
WySpyLL PHILIPS said that be supposed the OBJ
BE-, az tha; Convention 20 be the dissolution OF the
Union, Dotwi;hstar ding the csl snj was to inquire
INTO ire ,ypedency OF that ksue. For his part, he
WAS for dissolution Of the Cnion, 50 so Alb )tonlst
His rst motive % protect the slave and secondy
10 prutes, the white race No Jsu hiss rigAt 10 say
he will save anything humon rather than rse the
.lavs ifbe "a an Aboli;ian NJ. Wis N il not at
leader in the AntSlavery enterprise, becsrse ne lays
down the principle that IN no presl6ie contingency va.
be allow the Union 10 be touched. he Mr. I. dld
To, know where his opp, sihon 10 slavery would Iead
him: but wherever it led him. there he would 90, until
be reached the slave IChees The great question
under our Govelpmel is that OF &bor-that Of races
No can perceive what Sacrlhces VIII De reQuueu
or ~ha. combinations will be necessary to SET
lie that question and secure justice; but tni. pledge
thew could make 10 each other that this slave ques-
top tmbodyirg the highest justice and the most per-
feet libertp, thsy W. ud sacrifice anything Ii man
net ready 10 do that, he was not N 10 be an 400
htions' The fate of four millions OF slaves, linked IS
IL is with The welfare OF twenty millions OF whites with
the purity of religion. with civil liberty, with an i'm
partial Judiciary, with personal character, with all
civil rights is question deserving OF every sacrhce
What is this Union 10 which every possible Importance
of tire slave question is to be sacrificed What has II
ever done lie knew Of but enc thing-it had pre-
served pt ace between hrtyone States. lhst was its
OF " virtue: and when Massachusetts, calling herself
yirtuOus undertook 10 be the yassa OF South Caro-
lins in order that there might be peace between
he two States, peace was an e1eed!ngIy
d, ubtful virtue Applause Possibly the Union
may have facilitated the acquisition OF wealth,
can be claimed it, He disputed at the outset the
value of the Upion-he did not believe in It. One
thing 1t cersuly had not done-it had not produced
men. Daniel Webster said thst the virtue OF the 20
onial institutions was. that they produced Washing.
ton The sin OF the Union liz, that It manufactured
Webster Laughter ana cheers. Carlyle ssys, the
test of Governments is the men they make-where are
our men The highest test of Govern nent Is a. 9
H.. 90 rNlai warn NM
where are they The education OF the milton, what
has amounted tot He did not consider that kety
machiI ct Washington ss the Government The Gov.
eminent is in the elements which produce the national
character and these eemt nt far il has had any
power the Union has shaped to the result of producing
such people as now covers these thiItyoDe States
He held the popular idea with regard TO
the value of the Union 10 be wild deu-
sion. Lopgfellow sugs of it as a tight. rugged
fgate that oulIi1es the storm. Ii never did-neyer
Ii has aIed only on smooth seas, where even Chi
n. Sc Junk would Fail with perfect ssiety Iss.s the
frs storm that il has encountered and now men trem
Bile for the result Ii s free discussion OF great moral
due,tion that endsugers the Union then the sooner
goes 10 pieces the better As John Quincy Adams said
TO CT sIks Sumner; "I want 10 90 back to Washing
"ton in order 10 teach this Mr. Daniel Webster that
n, re Is something better than the Constitution of the
United States and that is, the justice and liberty
"wss intended to preserve Appiausel. The Union
has ro.tituted the pulpit made the people towards
made Slavery Triumphant made literature vasssl and
corrupt egfaded tse nty millions of people to the level
ofgslayCt We started with the popular dett rmiI aou
that the territory of the Union should be secured to
Freedom. We came down to 49,, and It wa all
given up to Slavery. The Fugitive Slave law was
rot possible and could not have been executed in
Boston in 1850; Il WAS executed in 1850. John
Jay, Luther Martin, Patrick Henry, would have
been ashamed to make the speeches Daniel Webster
made the two last years OF his hie. That the re-
suit of the Union. What is its value
Another result that had flowed from the Union was
the saut on Mr. Sumner which the speaker said had
no parallel in It's circuu stances, in all history Every
English historian had described the time when Oliver
Cromwell set his military boot on the speakers mace
in the House of Commons as the very lowest point
that Engsh history ever touched but the very same
thing was done in Kansas lately and 1t did not STIR
ripple on the calm sea of American HE. Such had
been the results of Union TO which men
were willing to sacrifice justice, liberty honor,
and the welfare of the slave lie did not tremble
10 touch the Union. He had no timd balancing
of arguments. His nmost soul penetrated with
the conviction that il is a magnificent conspiracy
against Justice and accursed OF God AppauseI IL IA
rotten all Ii has proved on colossal scale as
written by the finger Of God between Orion and the
Pl.ades that mar fastens chain on the foot
his brother that God does not fssten the other end
rt und the neck of the OppressOr Loud applause lie
went for dissolution OF the Union, as an AbSayery
measr re- first He did not believe there was Repub-
lean who heard him who, If called upon now TO vote
on the Constitution, would adopt it, however ready
they might be 10 bolster up AZ an Instrument framed
by their fathers His opposition TO the Union was one
OF persona homer and duty, in the FIST place. sud thai
was bis strongest point; all the Others were second
My. He could not vote under the Constitution
because, matter what construction was put upon II
In theory, it was practically an Instrument Tor strength
snipg ard perpetuating the Slave Power. South Caro-
lima cannot breathe a day without the Union. She
talks OF waking out of the Union; lot her got the
oney 10 buy the clutches 10 stand on hrs Laughter
and cheersl. He thanked God, when he looked mo
the face Of Anthony Burns and was Obliged to confess
n at he could do nothing for him. that at least he could
bar cd IN hui
Government that was resting upon his heart. M
Philips then passed TO criticism of the Republican
party maintaining that they could only secure tue tn
umph OF their principles by turning the whole power
ana patronage of the Government to the support
of FREEDOM. But this they did not propose 10
DO. Mr.. Greeley, in The TRIBusE. had declared
that he never expected the tlne would come
wien he should lay down the principle OF refusing to
vote for STAKEHOLDER for Office Even If they should
adopt this principle il would take nany years 70 make
il Elective. He believed tina. sudden. conclusive
dissoluion of the Union would be lesser eyll than
ilow faterDg diseased, gradual dying out OF Slavery
He wanted 10 die solve the Union, in order that New
Orleans and Charletton might have no more influence
on Onr statesmen eur dyines and our judges than Law
erpool and II ndon have. We thOuld have just n
close com ection Of commerce, We should have the
ZANE common language, the same common faith, the
same common social life; bat the inhaecec OF the
South would be comparatively nothing. Break the
political link that binds New York to New Orleans,
end she will splfDg up like an elastic osn ana
assume her place on q level with decent cities
II was ssked how they would begin. II they could not
commence anywhere else, he would go back TO Ply.
mouth Rock and begin again, and see If We could not
DO as much in 80 years a. our fathers dId-create
,ieat nation and not make the sad mihtake OF com
m.ncpg with slaye-whip for our emblem. de
waited to put cur public men out OF the reach OF
Temptation. Henry Wilson was much more dsinter-
tsied nan when he was not tall enough 70 look over
the fence. Of Massachusetts, than when he med hs
ewes on Washington; then bis head turned slightly,
and Now he values Washington far more than when
biz ambition wac limited 70 the little Commonwealth oil
MasfscLuselts. y.