The Memphis union appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1862-1862, 1862-07-17
Wendell Philips oa ths late Reverses.


Wendell Phillips, on July 8, delivered an
address before TIE Twenty-eighth Oongrega-
Z ional Society at Music Hall. "a
/ Mr.. Phillips, in beginning, said thai last
fall they opened their house in 3 season of
great doubt as regards national affairs; they
were about to close for the summer with j
clsud still resting on the future, he proposed
to improve the hour by trying TO find the rea-
son of this delay in what seemed to him
efficient action on the part Of th government.
When Fremont went to open q road across
the Rocky Mountains, he started in the winter
so as to ascertain the worst features of the
route. When Fulton's steamer first crossed
the water, he selected moment of the great
est difficulty to examine the machinery. Our
institutions now are undergoing their first
great radical triumph. Hitherto democracy
has foated on summer sea; now for the first
time the experiment of the peoples rule meets
within its own bosom the great obstacles
which threaten to disunite its territory and
discredit it in Europe. He took this moment
therefore, look into the machinery and see
where the difficulty exists.
Every mar should exert all the influence he
can. He is bound not only TO accept what
comes to him, but plan how bes: to influence
those about him. They were tainted some
/ times with the amount of influence this pulpit,
established by Theodore Parker, had in bring
ing about the present difficulties. But it
seemed to him that it had not all the influence
that it ought to have attained. There were
four kinds of infiuence-social, intellectual re-
| lgious and political. This pulpit was not po-
ten. because of the numbers which it attracted,
but because it was the place where unpopular
truths found utterance and where hunted free-
dom found refuge. The New York IFibt0Ie
was strong, not because OF its editors, but be-
/ cause it molds opinion to stand behind it. Tie
/ Evening Post and Tribune furnished the cen
/ stituency of Owen Lovejoy. When Greeley
/ speaks, a hundred thousand persons listen, and
/ his words fall on them with the power of
/ leader. Why does the President go to hear
Mr.. Greeley? Because, when he speaks, the
/ great w sst hangs on his words. Mr.. Lincoln
! stands hesitating to-day Why? Because he
/ is Honest Abe The speaker believed that
the President believed that the result of the
war would be the abolition of slavery. But
the President was not leader. Under re-
publican government like ours, it was doubtful
if leader could ev " fill the first place in the
government. MI. Lincoln was second-rate
mantle servant of the people, he says--and
] he stands asking What do you want me
to do?" If the Union is saved we owe it to
John Ericsson, and not to Abraham Lin
coin; he is a leader What is the present Off
cial voice of America? We are under the
government of a minority of men in Congress,
whose intellects are of the lowest type. Sum-
ner, Wade and Lovejoy are about the only
men there who do not represent minorities.
President Lincoln, when every hour is risking
the integrity of the Union, knows no other
power but what comes from the halls of Con-
gress, and majority of hose in Congress re-
present the dough-faces of the North What's
the remedy2 The remedy is in doing away
with the district system of choosing men. Bos-
ton should not be confined to choosing rep
resentative from among her own citizens.
There should be no limit of locality. If Mas
sachusetts don like Charles S INNER, million
of men the country over may elect him. 4
this theory had been carried out, the orations
which Theodore Parker delivered in Music
Hall would b. se been spoken from Washing
ton to the whole nation !; instead of Con-
gress to-day made up of men who represen:
nobody-who have no opinions-we should
have body truly representing the anti-slayery
sentiments Of the northern people.
The representatives from the border States
say to the President, advance one step TO
. ward the Hunter proclamation, and we leave
you" The Republican member, looking al
his constituency just saved from voting fol
, Benz. E. Thomas, just saved from being delu-
ded by the Courier and the defamation of Mr.
George I. Curtis, dares not do it. The gov
eminent wants three hundred thousand men
!
or dollar until you proclaim policy" That
will open the eyes of the President and the
cabinet to the true sentiment of the North
Fremont has been degraded by the border
States, but let US hope that, like Charles the
Second, he may die on his rightful throne.
dc not, said Mr.. Phillips, think that N a.
jority of the North are ready to accept the
policy Of emancipation, but / think that Pres
ident Lincoln knows that he can take any st On
~, NhAAl \ Al II
will follow him. What they want is a leader
Republicans are in the saddle; let them say to
the border States, e The war means Hunters
and Fremonts proclamations-votea against it,
if you dare"
Jefferson Davis does less to break up this
Union with his armies than Lincoln in his in
fidelity and delay to proclaim emancipation
Applause. Mr.. Curtis might as well de-
claim against the east wind as against New
!, England character and purpose, out of which
have grown the anti-slayery enterprise. New
England, for two hundred years, has lived I'M
der the influence of ideas. The slavery system
crossed her path, and she marked it infamous
and nailed it to the counter.
was U nlonist for sixteen years. The A DO.
lition enterprise was started in 1881. Until
1916 we thought it possible to kill slavery and
save the Union; we then said, ''over the ruins
of the American church and the Union is the
only way to Freedom" From '46 to '6l we
preached that lesson. In April, '6l, the guns
sounded from Fort Sumter, and the whole
North starte to its feet. We found that we
had long mistaken the sentiment of the North
that it was for liberty. (Applause.) Four
teen months TIL to-day, We have supported the
Government with our whole moral influence
The news goes to Europe to-day that we are
defeated-that the North is standing at bay,
unequal to the contest. How soon, then, viii
Europe interfere If the Union is saved
John Ericsson has saved it. If Congress can
do nothing more than it has, we should thanh
God ifa Cromwell appeared.
CHAEDLER.--The most pestiferous of tbs
T factionists of the Senate of the United States
. SIS the Hon Zachariah Chandler. of Michigan