Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1869-05-06
Boston Letter.
WENDELL PHILLIPS As AN ORATOR.

WENDELL PHILLIPS As AN ORATOR.
BosToN, April 27, 1869.
Let me say few words about person
who, from the long familiarity of his
name to the people of the country, may
be thought to be n subject pretty well
worn and fhreadbare. What Mr.. Wen
dell Phillips position = a. regards most
matters of public discussion affecting
politics and the society of the country, is
well known. No name among public
men is more widely known. But the inn
precision may prevail as widely that he is
something OF a fa4atia. chiefly upon the
subject of slavery, and more recently upon
temperance and woman's rights. He is
not exactly fanatic. He is rarely, if
ever, carried away with enthusiasm, emo
ton or passion. lie feels strongly, but
meyer loses self-control. He thorough "
commands his own RESOURCES u may
become identified with party by his
prominent acting a great part, but he
thus associated with them Mr. Phillips
is prohibitory temperance man or ad-
vocate, woman's rights man and an
eight hour law man. His views upon
these questions have been pretty well
known for some time but what his views
upon religion are or have been, has not
been so well known And for that rea-
son there was considerable curiosity
among his friends, the "Reformers," and
others, to know what he would have to
say in the lecture that he was invited to
noon lectures in the Horticultural Hall of
this city, his lecture being the last of the
course upon religious sabjooo~. Ills
theme one of his choice, or not, was,
"Christianity a Battle, not Dream"
which he managed to suit himself; and in
doing so succeeded in pleasing. most all
parties present, and ust certainly dis
pleasing them Mr.. Phillips said it called
for greater credulity on his part to believe
that Jesus Christ was mere man, than
to suppose him miracle, which state
ment, being given with an emphasis and
force unmistakable as to his sincerity,
could not find an echo in the hearts of
those who attend and sympathize
with these lectures. His appreciation
of those peculiar principles in religion
which Christ first made knewn to the
World more than eighteen centuries ago,
in the midst OF i pagan world, and yet
were as applicable then aud in the
same way, is rs clear-as his appr ehcnsion
of the laws of politics and any social evil.
There were philosophers and thinkers who
were ready to class the religion of Christ
with those prevailing the world over,
only as one of them, little better or
more complete. perhaps, but of no higher
origin than the rest But no other religion
of Europe or Asia prevailing at the time
or any time previously had ever bettered
the condition Of the people who held it,
and sooner or Later they always became
better i'll spite Of them. The religion of
Greece became 80 licontious that it could
not now be described to any audience of
both sexes, yet ut the same time Greece
was producing her greatest and most
moral men But the whole of modern
civilization that of Europe reared
upon those principles of mental and
spiritual life : principles of religious
belief that Christ, ont of the darkness of
despotism, sensuality and ignorance, first
made known to the world. Mr.. Philips
10 oks for and recognizes the christianity
in great public reforms, and has little
sympathy in the churches made up of
individual christians if they be not active
in agitation, not by preaching, but by
actual crusades against any public evil.
g Jesus Christ of Jerusalem was the first
aggitator of the centuries" and in his
watch for those who take part in the
agitations of this or any other time, he
oyerbooks the fact that the great mass of
people of any period must had a compar-
ative quiet and passive religion life.
OuuTCucs, dS CcutSiS Va oIoAaSpioh Civ
sympathy for individual christians, he
sees no necessity for. His christian is
found in the pubnc-in the field, and no
where else.
What other religion of the world had
taught the principle of sacrifice, "Bear
We one another's burden" or this, eff
man be chief among you, let him be a
servant" Another principle is that of
intelligent "ideas," "Go out and preach
the Gospel" Another feature of christ
ianity was its Ideal of Women"
One not acquainted with Mr.. Philips
peouliarities might put wrong estimate
upon many or most of his utterances, were
we to hear them for the first time, but
he is very like other men. He is impa-
tient when any Of his pet reforms drags
slowly along, and not very patient with
the churches Of the country that they
wers SO slow to afford him aid in his cru
ssde against slavery. So now, in his
greatest work on hand, that of temper
.aace, they are slow and hesitating, and il
= an easy thing for him to accuse them Of