Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-12-02
THE QUESTION OF To-MORRo VI.
Lecture by Wendell Phillips.

Wen1,- II Phillips delivered a lecture
in New York on Tuesday evening, of
which the following is e full report:
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: The time
was when the Gyceum confined its
choice of subjects entirely to literature,
to travel, to biography, to science. 1t
undertook to paint some representative
portrait as symbolic of its epoch; it I'M
.iertook to report the last invention, the
latest discovery; to bring 10 those VINO
stay at home, as DIR. Hall will bring TO
YOU, the impressions of foreign travel
And certainly it had then and there q
great value. In the last ten years the
Lyceum has undertaken the province OF
axitator; it has undertaken to discuss
the great civil and political issues OF the
day, to teach civil duty, to tear open
the great questions of public interest,"
Nv interest for the Lyceum platform is
derived chiefly from this later develop
ment of its purpose, and the lecture
which | have to offer you tonight be-
longs, in the gravity of its purpose, to
this later section of the lyceum. A man
studies his own country in the essays of
lawyers, the eulogoies of statesmen, and
he arrives often at an adult age before
he realizes the nature of'the institution
i'm which he lives. l had grown to be
man, gone through the university, been
admitted to the bar, had the eulogies of
Webster by heart, before | got my first
lesson in the essential principles of the
Government under which / had been
born; aud that L got in the streets. 1t
was thirty-four years ago, in October,
that came down from q law office, at
tracted by the unusual crowd, onto the
pavements OF Boston. and [ saw man
dragged by cord around his waist in
mon of three thousand gentlemen in
broadcloth in the streets. L saw the
Mayor the representative, of law and
magistracy, entreating. suing like
spaniel, beseeching like beggar this
crowd Of his social companions to respect
the law. I saw the turbulent defiance,
the derisive laugh with which his good
natured appeals were received. | saw
him descend lower and lower in his ap-
peals to the mercy ofthe mob, that they
would spare his office. | was hot from
the study of constitutional law, fresh
and keen, with young lawyers in
= incts for the technical rights of indi-
vidual speech and safety. All my soul
was kindled with constitutional indig-
nation. was no abOlitionist; l had no
sympathy with and no knowledge of
the idea whirh the victim represented.
All SAW before me was the sacred name
of the magistrate brawling in the streets.
[ then bore a commission in regiment
| said to my comrades: why don't the
Mayor call us out? There are muskets
in the hall. Why don't be call the reg
i;nent mere? We will scatter this crowd
in ten minutes.n Then got my first
lesson in republican government. Point
ing 10 the mass, MY elder by ten years
said 10 me: You fool! Don't you see
the regiment. is here? The men that
would bear those muSkets are here be-
fore you. The regiment is the mOb!''
And then for the first time it flashed
me that there was no statute
book, no Legislature making laws, no
with civil force behind him;
but the statutes were made in the streets.
The law, in a critical encounter-in the
moment OF keen quarrel-consisted of
the purpose of the mob, whatever it
might be-. Then [ came up to the truth
of what the Frenchman, De Tocquevilie,
told me: ''In America there is the least
possible dependence of thought, and the |
least possible frankness of speech" L |
saw another scene many years later that
deeply moved my impressions, and burn |
wore holding society meeting in the |
fremont Temple in Boston. The mob |
of the city reeied into our gallery from |
the open bars of the fremont II Iuse and |
the Parker House, and, headed by the |
Mayor, they turned us into the street.
We went to the Legislature then in ses-
sion. We said, Don't let another sun
rise in Boston till you vindicate the sa-
oredness Of free speech Shelter us in
your hall! Give us the Capitol as a
refuge from the mobw The Legisla
ture were just about 10 vote us their hall
for our sessions when the most loved
Governor in Boston, the man who in
that hour of danger, 1861, had welded to
himself the hearts of IA million of Massa-
chusetts men and women, lie most low
ad magistrate since Winthrop, John y.
Andrew [applausel, sent word privately
to the Senate, Don't you open your
doors TO the Anti-Slavery Society !
Don't you dare TO shelter them from the
fury of the streets! [ have not the
means of protecting the Senate Cham
Der from the grogshops OF the Capitol!-
Don't provoke a quarrel with the drunk
ards in the streets | can not protect
the State HouSe!" In the State House
were not made the laws, for in the last
resort when the law was defed it was
in the hands Of the masses. And so, in
thirty years, l learned this lesson: The
Lord gives us what we work for and
earn. He gives US no wealth to stand