The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-05-13
SPEECH OF WENDELL PHILLIPS.

SPEECH OF WENDELL PHILLIPS.
We referred in our last issue to the signif-
cant speech of MIR. Speaker CoLFAx, declaring
the duty and intention of the Republican party
to be the prompt admission Of the Southern
States to Congress upon the fulfllment of the
conditions of the Reconstruction Act
The papers of the next day brought speech
of very different character from man who
has been more of an influence at the North
than any of the Republican political notabili-
ties. WENDELL PHILLIPS has really been the
apostle of Radical agitation. A man Of great
ability and unwearied energy, he has devoted
his life 20 preaching an idea in the old apos-
tolic sense. He has deliberately, and apps,
rently without regret, excluded himself from
the honors that most political agitators cannot
resist, and in obscurity as in fame, in the
fullness of triumph as in the disappointment Of
| defeat. has sought and obtained that influence
over mems minds, which is, perhaps, mans
highest achievement.
Thirty years ago he was considered foolish
babbler; little later he was denounced as
mischievous agitator; then he became the rep
resentative of growing power, which every
body disliked but nobody could despise, anc
finally he has reached that position in which
he spoke the convictions and intentions Of 9
great party For the last few yeers what Mr.
Phillips has announced as the policy of the
Republican party, however it may have been
denied, has proven, in very short time, the
true indication of their legislation.
And to-day he has avowed policy in direct
antaeonism both to the conditions Of the Re-
construction Act and to the expressed opinions
| of the most eminent Republican leaders He
says plainly that he does not believe in the sin-
cerity of Southern reconstruction--that God
has never yet converted an adult generation,
and that until at least one-half Of the living
Southern people have gone to their graves the
work of the Republican party will not only not
be accomplished but may yet be undone.
| He insists that not only must the freedmen
have the ballot in his hand aud the school
house at his back, but he must have forty
! acres under his feet. And that not until seven
years of repentance have passed shall tho
Southern States be re-admitted.
He denounces such men as SHERMAN and
FEssENpEN as traitors, GRANT as imbecile, and
the Congress who failed to impeach the Presi-
dent as towards.
We have no doubt that SUMNER, and STEVENS,
and BUTLER who, as practical politicians, trans
late Mr.. PHILLIPS ideas into Congressional
acts, will endeavor to carry out some such pol
ICY as is indicated, but we have almost as little
doubt that they will fail. Mr.. PHILLIPS must,
like all great agitators, pay the penalty of sue
cess. A man whose profession it is to correct
abuses, like ratcatcher or destroyer Of YER
min, is dismissed when his work is done. And
Mr. PHILLIPS, at the head of the Abolition
party, has certainly cleared the political prem
ises of their pet stnuisance," which was sla-
very. 1t is not difficult to gather crowd to
| assist in the work Of destruction, it appeals so
temptingly to the strongest instincts of'human-
| ity. But the work of reconstruction is harder
and much less tempting. The great mass Of
the American people were undoubtedly in ear
nest in desiring the abolition Of slavery, but
the great mass of the American people, now
that they have made the negro free, intend
him to take care of himself. They have given
him freedom and the ballot, and there we be-
lieve they willstop. They are just becoming
satisfied that they have paid enough for ."the
whistle" and Mr.. PHILLIPS may, if he pleases,
keep on. playing upon it, but, as the Scripture
says, he may pipe unto them but they will not
dance any longer.
We refer to this speech, however, that our
people may understand the very great i'm
portance to their future of their own conduct
for the next few months. All the expression
of public opinion at the North indicates, we
think clearly, that the influence Of the extreme
and violent Radicals i5 waning; that the great
mass of the people have determined that this
| question of reconstruction must be settled;
and all the men who fairly represent the in
tellect, the social power, the organization of
the Republican party have openly and explicit
ly declared their adhesion to the reconstruction
act as finally. Everything depends upon the
way in which we executed it. The conduct of
the Southern States, SO far, has excited the sur
prise and won the admiration of all the think
ing men of the North. There is a marked in
crease both of respect and kindness in ell the
language of public men and of the press, and
at home we think it equally evident that diff
culies do not look as insuperable as they did
two or three months ago. As yet have seen
nothing to discourage the hope that the vote of
the State will not be used for the general good
of the State, and we earnestly trust that
throughout the State every effort will be made
to complete faithful registration and to direct
the public mind to those questions of domestic
policy which in the coming Convention will,
we hope, be discussed fairly, temperately,