New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1863-12-23
WENDELL PHILLIPS ON THE AM
MISTY PROCLAMATION.

The Hall Of the Cooper Institute was filled
at nm early honr last evening by select audience Of
ladies and gentlemen to listen to an address by Wen
dell Phillips. JOHN X. WILLIAMS was called upon to
preside and in few patriotic remarks introduced the
orator Of the evening.
WENDELL PHILLIPS, after the applause with which nc
was greeted had subsidized said
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: Four years ago this month
had the honor to assist III giving The Dody OF Joh
Brown 10 the keeping Of the hills he loved ,eishess
which calls itself Conservatism sneered al my ne as
ridiculous failure and who called themselves
his friends excused his attempt on the ground tat ne
was lunatic. Wa know better now Tho echoes Of
his rifles had hardly died away on the banks OF the
Shenandoah before South Carolina prepared FOR war III
defense Of her system -Four years rolled away ana
on the exact fourth anniversary day OF his burial inc
victorious President of the Nation offered eleven re-
conditions which John Brown would gladly have nc
cepted after twenty years hard fight Marvellous pro-
cress for four years Well might he say, as he did to
Theodore Parker may fail; may eApiate my rash.
ners ON the gibbet but 1 open q terrible phial;"
Bnt the terms which would have been glndly
accepted In 1859 naked, bald technical liberty Tor lc
negro not to be thought OF Tor moment III TOO
ApplauscJ Lot remind you Of the tine icgehu oi
Inc Roman Sybil She 10 Tarquin with her nine
volumes. and offered them for u Thousand crowns.
Turned away she came back WIN SIX DOCKS q, .hc sum
prlce--a thousand cTovns Refused she came thlrd
time with three books still for thousand crowns 30
the conscience Of the North in ls2l would glady hhve
granted peace only at the price OF the freedom OF .n
Territories In 1851 she demanded immediate and total
emancipation wherever the flag floats Both were con
temptuousy refused. After the gun at SUMTER followed
by three year. OF bloody and costly war there ~ no So
and admissible condition of peace but the substantial
practical protection Of the freedom Of the negro and me
clements 81 national life arranged ne to guaranty
peace and democracy within the borders OF 'o hhlvn'
IL IN in the light OF this rcmnscence that shi cru
cise ,o-uight tie Ncssace and Proclamation OF the
President Of the eth day Of the present month some
men say Why make any sef9us cii',,snI " w
laulaiioaf We know very well that M Lincoln does
moi expect that IL will 10 accepted. would NOT IN
suit the head Of great nation by Judging the act oi t
most momcntous hour Of his life, to be Ia snch n'uc
and purpose that he IN not willing TO have hceepei.
No nam who trusts either the sincerity or the honesty
Of Abraham Lincoln can look OH that Proclamation III
any other light than declaration OF the Terms
upon which the President Ia willing thnt the lnlon
slond he reconstructed. hut apart from that no Ht
Ter hat may be individual Judgment of the fIea
dents purpose. every man Knows that Tue masses nav
right Ia take and cannot avoid taxing mat d.'hIa
non Of The Government admissible and safe conditions
o, recouftrucon Every looks up 20 the President
A. uanted beyond any other indl'duA Win the III
bcul,es aid the details Of this question lhcy REGARD
him Al surveying IL from 0iter outlook than Is Per
mi,tod ,o sny other man. And should do him an IN
Iu,ice which the masses of the nation VIII never DO
him ~ say that In his deliberate Judgment III the ia
knowledge Of the fac. that proclamation GOES hol con
tain possible and guarantees for the future pesce
and integrity Of the Union. Others say; we kho"
very well that the President In growing man, VITA ms
face ZionwMd We know very well that IN the spIlns
81
too late while you can make good bargain that IN the
f OF that year he lad travelled on 10 the proclamation
OF September and hundred days after to the great
proclamation Of the Let OF January. 4 Know " ~
honor 10 the growing man. Applause. All honor "a
tho recipient intellect which lives 70 learn AID grow
betier But how did be learnt Why dd De grow
ss.s,, y. "'IEss a che A RsSa pu, S s
On Besidss. lso2 Is not l-c3 The terrible
evaporation q battle urged him on The blood,
months that followed. and the sore hesrs OF Indignant
a.f I'd President.
purpose But touch upon u. latter hslf % the VIZ
NE come 70 IN. worh no, of battle but of politics. w
CONS IN tbs cv strife where l7s and 1907 found M IN
the Revolutionary struggle. Now. as Washington said
ss sS 81 The country had gone and in IL every
low and selfish pamon claimed its purpose IL tooh az
the popularity OF Washington. Morris, Lee; Hancock
and Adam. 70 hold the people to ID,
promise is offered ct that era terms Of settlement are
proclnimed TO such people. ddded. one halt Of them
anti administration, ready 70 symp.thiLc Win ana
stretch out te hand % the Rebels. and the other hall
supporters OF Mr. Lincoln proud Of success, ngnsn'
imous in strength, feeling that the game IN Ia their
hands, willing 70 be mercifSL Al the head VI such a
dent the President. lays before the nation terms
Of rcconstructlOn. and they mean Infinitely
more than bis cropping, footsteps in lsoi and
Acknowledged head Of the Nation deliberately assuring
the world that certain proclaim will content the North
II he we're leader 1t would be dhereni should 80 to
him and not TO you. Win oil mtlltt anu thct hic
great-with all hs services. and thoy are mouentous-
the Pr,sent IN not leader and never protested TO BE-
leader The President is the agent of pubic opinion
He wants 10 know what you VIII allow MN, what you
demand tina, he shall do And here let me correct the
Of the prc In reference 10 my interview
witt the President last January What he really said
was that he viewed his September and January procla
nations az act and that judging them by the inter
y.niug elections he doubted whether they had done
more harm or good This he said otncideDtay Or care
essv but discussed az length And his state OF mind
tnlt M
.ae where in reference " the Emancipation roclana
lion he SAYS: Then followed dark and doubtful days
ut the Presidents anxiety In not South, over the bat
Tie field he believes In Northern cannon HIS anxiety
ia Northern opinion ~ know how much h. may trust
himself to AK Chattanooga Was brave sound at the
White House, and gave its tenant sound Sleep but the
election Of Schuyler Collar was Ten tunes ofasef ana
made him soep ton times better. lie knew tina. Grant
could 20 10 the Gulf when he chose; but he's did not
know whether the Northern people, eliminating In the
election Of the SpeakershP meant to say amen 70 IN:
most rsdicl dream Of the North. When he heard OF
that vote the House Of Representatives your ator
new al the White House dared than he Lad ever
dared before 1t IN that relation that u. ono OF to
people undertake to enter my protest against the
Proclamation and TO osk OF you 10 demand more o the
Government than that document covers Say not that
am doing injustice to Mr.. Lincoln My old Professor
nj the Law College used 10 say. "Gentlemen. Know
nv profession well that need not blush when say
no 10 question cannot answer" 80 Mr. Lincoln has
done such service In this Rebellion has carved for HIM
self u niche high IN the worlds history that ne
can well afford to have all his faults told.
There ure two kinds Of men in statesmanshp.
one 10 the servant Of the people and tho other
ia the molder Of tho people. To the brst
class belong our President and his Cabinet The last
class ia made up Of different material Andrew Jack
son was one when in defiance Of profits and merchants
be flung down his gauntlet OF Democracy and waited
until tho nation indorsed him. Butler was another
1appause when from the Bay Of Chesapeake he thnn'
dcred tho unheard word "Contraband" and waited ui
nj the nation Endorsed him. Fremont was another
loud appausel. when In the Summer Of lsol ne gave
he na,inn his watchword and breathed into missouri
the breath Of a righteous existence. My opinion IL
that ii that class Of had presided the destnies
of the nation tho Summer OF sGl could have nm
ished this war In two years. with all the advantages
that we shall get out OF n Olive. But fro'ldeDce
placed us as We are and all It demands ush vigilance
iho tenure of democratic liberty Is to be worthy Oh ~
BIT why crilicisc the Proclamation when slavery Is
dead and no man can revive it, In l7s7, the South
aJ and the North believed that Slavery had received