The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1864-11-04
Wendell Phillips on Abraham
Lincoln.
BE is Faithless, Inlbecile
and Despotic.
His Reelection the Greatest Dan
ger TO the Country.
Lincoln and Seward More Despotic
than Napoleon.

Last Wednesday evening Cooper Institute,
New York, was crowded, on the occasion of
an Grafton from Wendell Phillips on the Pres
idential election. Rev. DR.. Cheevcr opened
the meeting and proceeded, before introducing
Mr.. Phillips, to read long speech which he
had written for the occasion. As usual, with
that gentleman's efforts, 1t was very tedious,
and the audience after listening patiently for
about three-quarters of an hour, concluded they
had enough, and called from all parts of the
house for Phillips, Phillips" Dr. Chcever
was unable to proceed for some moments, and
when comparative silence was restored, said he
had but one more sentence to speak, and they
might rest assured that he would not leave that
stage until he had said 1t. This he did, and
then introduced the orator Of the evening.
Mr.. Phillips proceeded N his usual graceful
pies of his abolition faith. For thirty years,
he said, he had labored to break up the Union
In the interest of justice, and now he labOrcd
to save it in the same interest. The same curse
he invoked Oh the old Union he would invoke
on new Union If it is not founded ON justice
to the negro. Science must either demonstrate
that the negro Is not man, or politics must
accord to him equality at the ballot box, and in
offices OF trust. We are not fighting for Un.
Ion. AS Lincoln proclaimed to Niagara's thun-
der, we are fighting for Union and liberty.
Applause. He judged Mr.. Lincoln by his
words and Deeds :nd so Judging, he was not
willing, 80 far as he could prevent it, to trust
Abraham Lincoln with the future of this coun-
try Misses and applause, long continued.
for that go on" and misses. lie was go
lug to look over the record OF Mr.. Lincoln
Not from any wish to Criminate him for the
past. There is an old phrase of "indemnt,
for the past and security for the future" He
was willing TO forgive The past and ask only.
security for the future.
? Let it be granted that Mr. Lincoln is honest
II they would, and that he only made mistakes.
They would remind him that Mr.. Lincoln is
pledged to liberty and Union. He would not
say what he thought. that that pledge was
wrung out of him by the Cleveland movement
and was a mere electioneering pledge ITSELF
Mr.. Lincoln is politician Politicians arc like
the bones of a horses Observation-Disclosures a
straight one in it. reformer is like o Doric
column of irOn-straight, strong and immova-
BILE. 1t is momentons responsibility to trust
Mr.. Lincoln, where We want Doric column,
to stand stern and strong for the nation.
Mr.. Phillips then proceeded to review the
early history Of the war, saying that never be-
fore did people go lavishly pour out their
strength and treasure, and never did rulers
prove so incompetent to use and direct it. He
thought the President done right in imprison.
ing discontinued men in military forts sup
pressing newspapers and the like. That was
not the despotism he complained Of But he
complained that on the 11th OF Nav, Arguel-
lea, the Cuban, was arrested in his room. so
much by stealth that his wife Gid not know for
three days what had become of him and by
order of Mr.. Lincoln consigned To Spanish
dungeon. 1t was well settled principle that
criminal should not be surrendered to an
other nation unless through the provisions OF
treaty, and no treaty exists with Spain. Null
Ter was accused on examination before q great
nation surrendered that bloody right hand to
England, with whom we have treaty.
Mr.. Seward had not 4 little evidence to show
against Arguelles, but seized him by stealth in
the dusky morning, and hurried him away,
gagged and unaccused. Napoleon did nothing
worse, constitutionaily speaking when he
kidnapped the deputies. Kidnapper 10 the
only word for the man who ordered Arguelles
caught, and sent 10 Cuba Kisses and ap-
plause. A voice-"Who do you want elected
President7" Other voices-''Speak right out"
Who's you man for President, that's what
electeda" Cheers for ''Old Abe" Kisses and
confusion. Mr.. Phillips continuing. Sup
pose next 9Th of November Geo. B. Mcclellan
was elected President. Suppose he waa to as-
sert the right, without law. judge or jury, 70
arrest whom he pleased and send them where
he pleased, and when you find fault with him.
turned round and said gentlemen, am only
decessOr whose footsteps you cheered in
Cooper Institute in this particular instance.
L'Oh, ""Ah." Kisses. applause and great con-
fusion. You have sealed your eyes tighter in
confidence in Abraham Lincoln, but suppose
Democratic successor follows him, where Is
our liberty then3 Hisses, applause and con-
fusion.
Frank Blair commands corps Of the United
States army without q commission There was
not greater act Of despotism committed in the
coup d'etdt Of Paris than the sending Of Frank
Blair to the army. Third, there Is one Hahn
acting as Govelnsr of Louisiana. What is his
authority piece Of paper signed, Abraham
Lincoln. A reconstruction cannot begin until
the war ends. The moment war ends, the au-
thority of Congress intervenes. The President,
therefore, when he stretched forth his FORE
finger in this direction, broke the Constitution.
He calls In certain sham boards in Louisiana
and dubs them States, and they are to vote for
Abraham Lincoln. am, said Nr. Phillips, an
aboIitionist, but am also citizen, watchfhl
Of constitutional liberty, and / say if President
Lincoln Is inaugurated for tho next term on the
votes Of Tennessee, Louisiana and Arkansas,
every citizen is bound to resist him. Great
confusion. Kisses and applause. Cries OF
"Good."l Are you willing to sacrifice the
constitutional rights Of seventy years for your
fondness for an individual? | say these are
great acts of despotism. If George B. NcClel
Ian or any Otnor democrat entof the tfeSlQcn
tial chair and follows in these footsteps, woe
be to the American Union, and you know it
And this, in the President, is al example thu,
every true lover of liberty should resist.
| Mr.. Phillips then went on to gay how mucl
| quicker Nessrs. Lincoln and Seward were Il
| stop northern newspapers and to "ring tn,
| little bell for hundred more men to go t
, Fort Lafayette than they were to touch thu
southern slave. They could only see tina
! slavery is more sacred than the northern RICH
| to free speech or that they dreaded southern
| slavery opinion. Again, in 1861, that horri,
| wretch Lamon, who kept slaves confined il
his brutal den in Washington, and even ha
the impudencc to refuse admission into it, t
senator's of the United States, though the cout
| try has shaken with Indignation at the horribl
illegalities be practiced on the negro, yet Pres
ident Lincoln refused to remove that man. /
jar alry, 1868, Nh Lincoln summoned the IL
gre his aid The first lawyers in lie Ian
=. begged him to pay the negro soldier the sam
/ as the white man. Nj. Lincoln answered theI
with ieers. The attorney general says there
not and never has been, any law making a di
tinction between the white and black, and "
the President refuses TO pay the negro his Leg
WAGES SHAME shame. Is that the ma
to be trusted with the rights OF the negro
this critical hour? eyes. Mol