The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-12-20

he aislcs boing flled--..id SlsA NJ. Phillips
entered, he was received with the loudest ap.
plauso.
A gentleman announced that on Thurds1
evening next, Theodore Tilton would speak z
tho same place, on the latest questions Ct tbs
war, and, probably, during the week following
William Lloyd Garrison would give his views On
the same subject.
DR.. II. A. HART introduced the speaker Of the
evening with a few eloquent and oulogistio 70
marks. lie referred to the history Of long
and faithful struggle, without hope OF reward,
On the part Of this brilliant orator. who now APP
pesred before them, M never before, in favor OF
the Union and Constitution, believing that from
the present struggle they would come forth
purified ffom all stain or aishonor
WeIden Phillips was received with cnthusi
astio applause for some seconds, and tsien thros
hearty cheers were given for him.
He Logan his speech by the inquiry 80 to
what uecs the great forces now at the disposal
Of the Government are to bo applied, and how
far the people are responsible for the course Of
evtnts. In times Ike these said the spesk~,
the Cabinet is merely as a Pine shineie in the
rapiGs Of Niagara, borne whichever way tn,
national purpose and heart may direct. Itis
now too late to attempt TO create public opuiO.
and educate public opinion.
We arc now to show the world. il possible,
that democratic institutions arc strong enough
for such an hour as this that terrible as is the
conspiracy, momentous as is the peril, demora-
cy welcomes the struggle-(applause)- conf
| dent that she stands like no delicately-
| poised throne in tho Old World, but like
pyramid on its broadest base. whenos
came this WARP We need not closely
investigate or hesitate, when Mr. Everett aud
Mr.. Sumner sgree We may take for granted
the agreement Of two such opposite statcsmen'
that slavery is the root Of this war. (Applsuse)
Some affect to believe that il was CAUSED by
disappointed politicians. The cause WAS not
4 equal to the result. Moro men than jefferson
Davis and Gov. Wise have boon disappointed
in gaining the Presidency Clay, Webster and
Douglas were disappointed, but great as thoy
were, could they have marshsllcd the twenty
millions Of the North to ayonso their defeau
Why, them were the pigmies of the South able
to do what the giants Of tho North could not as-
oomplsh2 Simply from the great point of diff
ference between the states. That difference Is
slavery. (Applauso) Party feeling may have
been the occasion Of the war, not its CAUSE.
tea chest thrown into Boston harbor was tho
occasion of the Revolution, but not its cause,
nor is Jefferson Davis any moro tho cause Of The
present war.
Those Of you who krow me, know m, simply
as an abolitionist. am proul and & sd that
you should have known mo as such. Zap
plsuse) In the quarter Of century which has
gone by, could find no place whore an Amsri-
can could stand with decent self-rospoct except
with the constant and unremitting protest
against the sin Of his native land. But do not
imagine that come here tonight to speak sim
ply and exclusively as an abolitionist MY In
terest in this war, simply rs an abolitionist, is
about as moch ended as yours is in a novel
when the hero has won the lady and the
marriage is comfortably celebrated. | know
the dangers of political prophecy, klleido-
scope of which not even Yankee could
guess the next combination, vet | yon-
turc to predict that on this continent tho
system Of slavery has received its death
blow. Cloud and long continued applauso.)
There are but three paths out Of this
War-tho North conquers tho South, or tas
South eonquers, or q compromise Is asreoI
upon. II the North conquers, or n compno.
mise is effected, either tho old consti ution or
now one must come, and believe that 80 far
as the slave clauses of the constitution of 90 arc
concerned, it is dead. (Applause.) 1t seems
to me impossible that the thrifty aud pains-
taking North, after keeping 100000 mea lilo
for two or three years, at the cost Of two mill
lions OF dollars per day, after our flag has boon
| lowed at Sumter, our soldiers have given their
lives to quell the rebellion, and our Msssachu-
sets boys have been murdered in the streets
Of Baltimore, cannot believe in North so
lost, SO craven, that she can put slavery back
| whore it stood on the 4th of March.
The speaker remarked that he would not refer
to tho cost Of the war, althou Oh it should leave
a debt Of two thousand millions, but would al
lude TO the humiliation of the rights of hd5eas
corpus, Of free speech and FREQ press, which
| now existed.
The Secretary Of State-Mr. Phillips eontin-
ued-puts in his Bastiles whomsooyer he pleasos
and neither press nor person dare venture 10
censure the actions Of tho Government without
being silenced. ! do not complain. 1t is neces-
sary. Let us hesitate at naught to save the ship.
1t is a mere question whether we prefer the
despotism of Washington or that of Richmond,
and prefer that of Washington. (Applause.)
Nevertheless, its tendency is the same towards
that strong government which frightened JEFF
ierson. We have already those alien and
scdition laws which wrecked the Federal party
and summoned the Democratic into existence.
For the first time we have tho passport system
and government spies in our great cities, and
this strong government is, il you re- construct
it on the old basis, to be given into the hands Of
whom ? OF compromisers. 1t is the same POI
siton England held in the times OF Eldon and
Fox, when tho latter said he despairod of Eng
lish liberty but for the power of instruction;
and Sidney Smith said no man was onti. led to an