The daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1863-1864, 1864-05-14
wendell Phillips Makes u
Speech ...He DenOunces Lin
c0In...EreedOm andsP eace.

C0lnsBsFIOC&kOAAu uW x
He commenced by presenting the follow
ing resolution: ~
Resolued That while we do lot recog.
nize the wishes of the administration, stu
as abol,tiouists, we feel bound 10 declare
that we see no evidence Of its purpose 10
put the freedom of the ngroes on such
basis as will secure it against every peril.
To this resolution Mr.. Phillips made
long and eloquent speech. He bore in mlho
that they met there as abolitionists, that
their platform was sacred to the claims OF
the negro; but it was hardly possible 10
forget that we have interest broader thar
those which concen merely the abolition oil
slavery. We must acknowledge that our
cause, sacred as it is, is to be secured oy
most economical means, by the slightest
mortgage on the industry of the future, ny
the shortest submission to the ineVi'aD ,,
despotism of war, accustomlng the puonc
mind to the liberal exercise OF desPotlc
power. until at last vigilance is bluhted and
the keen sense of individual right and the
sacredness of personal liberty is lost IN the
din of battle.
THE BURDENS OF THE WAR.
Even standing as we do this hour with
tho news-if it can be credited, OF the
greatest victory of the past three years
f ia still to be borne in mind that We have
already incurred o debt, that we have al"
ready sacrificed human life, that we nave
already blunted the old vigilance for indl-
vidual liberty to an extent that bids us, as
American citizens, to beware OF any second
struggle of this character. With the DEBT
which has been incurred and with the ex>
pense of a standing army which will be In
evitablc under any plan of reconstruction
A mortgage rests on the labor of the next
half century. Every living right hand is
mortgaged and every one TO be born for the
next twenty years. Hitherto the charm OF
American labor has been the surplusage o.
its means. One-third of the American ar
tizan's wages were left for use of books,
lectures, travel, the education of children.
But now, so long as the results of this war
lasts. so long as one-third if not one-half
of the average income OF the capital OF the
country must be asked to defray these ex-
penses, so long as the laboring man OF the
North is robbed of that surplus, the nucle-
Us of intellectual and moral progress.
THE ADMINISTRATION HABITUArED TO DEs-
POTIsM.
Over this picture looms the clond of a
government habituated to- the exercise Of
despotic power Well did Seward say to
Lord LYONS, Il but ring bell on this side,
and unchallenged l put In prison a New
Highlander, / ring one on that, aud equally
irresponsible consign n citizen OF Ohio to a
dungeon No such despotism this side the
wall of China! Necessary, inevitable, not
, to be found fault with in this death strug-
gle with t5c rebellion, but all the more
earnestly is it for us to remember that such
powers and such example, if perchance in
trusted to less worthy hands, may result IN
the speedy ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF the rcpubl'c
and the quick advance of despotlsm
THE WAR TO LAST MANY MONTHS LONGER.
recognize as gladly as any man the val
or and skill of the Army of the Potomac,
and its matchIess chief (Applause.) l
believe that Grant will 60 to the gull II he
plans 20 do it, but believe that it Will be
done over battle fields as bloody as that
which be treads to day; for though the re
bellion reels in Virginia, it is by no means
broken when it quits the Old Pomin'on
The sections have learned to respect each
other We know the unanimity of the South
its decided purpose, its willingness to die
for its ideas, its indomitable pride, lis read
mess for every sacrifice. Those elements
are not be- subdued by a single battle, or
three such. believe therefore, although
we beat the rebellion out Of Virginia, that
still the war is to last many, many months
longer.
THE RIGHT TO CRlTICisE THE ADMINISrRA-
TON.
NY esolution points the discriminating
Judgment of the abolitionists to The next
four wears, in full view OF the fact Of the
continuance of the war. and that this sum
mer the country is to say under what phi
losophy the war sail be carried on The
popular cry is "stand by the adminstra
ton" recognize it: it has broad deep,
patriotic meaning. Rut remember NC are
Americans and not Europeans. We live
under the Constitution of the United States
and not under French or English rule, and
and wsest principle uf government that
every four years the citizen shall summon
the government before him and try it and
record this verdict We are not fully at
liberty As American offensive are bound
to say to the pilot of the last four years
either you are CT you are not my pilot the
coming four Whoever raises the cry stand
by the administration" and does not take
into account ike conditional limitation that
all American citizen is bound 60 sta d by
the administration ST. far and SO lon the
Constitution allows him, and no longer, for
feits his franchise under the free institu-
tons OF the fathers, and iinds his lips like
a vassal "i thu car to a life long allegi-
snce.
WENDELL PHILLIPS INvoKEs THE CoNsrITU-
TION.
If you thick such privilege dang rous,
if you think the exercise of such right
inexpedent, there is the Constitution of
MT rod kY,f Ia.