Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-10-20
WENDELL PHILLIPS.
Impeachment of the President
Congress to Rule the Country.


BosToN, October l8.-The second lee
ture of the old Bay State was delivered
to crowded audience in the fremont
Temple this evening by Wendell Phillips
upon the peril of the hour. The appear
ance of Mr.. Phillips was the signal for
prolonged applause. Qs.
One year ago, he said, when he told
an audience in that hall that the South
meant TO accomplish by diplomacy what
she had failed to do by arms, and that
the Executive was not a power to be
conciliated, but an enemy TO be watched,
there were as many there who thought
him unduly suspicious as there were
few now to deny it. The great weakness
Of democratic government, he contin-
ued, was that the masses were impa-
tent to succeed, and it was the duty of
all leaders to engrait into the body poll
tic the virtue of its opponents.
He said that one year ago he expressed
il as his belief that jeff Davis never
meant to rebel, never intended to fight
the flag, or to desert Washington; that
the fatal mistake of the Southern move
ment was that it lost the sure, anchored
element of neutrality Fifty years
hence, he believed the evidence would
be ample that that was true. They
meant that the North should be the
rebels, while they held the Government
The great danger of the present day was
the same as during the war, When the
power of the South was bugbear there
was no strength outside the national
lines to be feared like the cowardly I'M
readiness of the Northern masses to ac-
cept their proper stand
As long ago as last June the Govern
ment planned, with the aid of the Exec
utive, to place herself just where the re-
treat from Washington failed 10 place her
in 1861. She has not given up the inten-
ton yet Fifty years hence, he believes,
there would be no doubt OF that
Mr.. johnson may surrender. a point
but the great purpose behind him lives,
and what had the North with which to
meet it? He said the unanimity dis
played in the recent elections was an ey-
idence of their power to oppose the dan
ger; the unanimity also of the leading
Republicans of the day, who to a man
are pledging themselves as thoroughly
convinced Of the necessity OF impartial
suffrage. All these men were speaking
in favor Of impartial suffrage, but why, he
asked, did they not enact their belief
into fact. The remedy for that was
to send those back to Congress and tell
them to act their entire belief He
wanted Congress to commence its next
session as a perpetual one. Every mo-
ment that it was not in session the South
was ruling the Government, and he would
have the next Congress enact that they
should assemble in March, 1867, and be
the Government. In concur
sion he said, five yers ago we had man
in the White House who called himself
a public fnnetionary who has been en-
gagged in the last year in explaining to
the world why treason did not succeed.
Do your duty We have got traitor in
the White House who calls himself an
humble individual" Do your duty, and
he will be explaining five years hence
why he did not succeed. He would say
to the New York Tribune, the National
Committee, and Congress,
itself, 90 back and set down in the House
of Representatives and govern the Re
public, and for the first act Of that
impeach the President
He would have the House Of Repre-
impeach the President, place
the President of the Senate in his Office,
then the people would run the machine.
Applause. The great trouble Of our
Government was that the pivotal men Of
the Republic can have his policy I'M
changed for four years. In this connec-
lion, he stated that Henry Wilson said
he knew, in January last, that the Presi-
dent meant to betray them. IL he knew,
said Mr.. Phillips, why did you allow the
storm TO beat upon few men who were
standing on the outposts, and proclaim
ing what be already knew that was not
service Of the Republic A great fault
IN the part had been the foolish fear OF
letting the people know the real fact He
believed the people could govern them
reconstruction which he
wanted TO have, so as to begin immedi-
ltely. 1t would begin when it was safe
Tor a Massachusetts, man TO walk the
streets Of New Orleans. They might
Gil the House of Representatives with
men like Alexander II. Stephens, and q
would not commence.
He would have the South and South
west made like the victorious North.
There was no hurry-the South would |
wait Speaking of the Constitutional
he denounced the insertion |
Of the word male as a base libe. on the |
century tAlH
The desertion Of the negro made Il
not only an unjust but Infamous pr0p0- |
'ition. He asked whose fault 1t was
hat blood had been split in the streets
IF Memphis and New Orleans. He as
serted that the policy Of the President
lad something to do with il, but that was
lot all Il was Gen. Grant Applause
md Kisses
The most humiliatory position occa-
,ied on this continent, be said, was By |
D. S. Grant II they had conquered,
Why we're not the streets Of New Orleans