Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1870-10-11
Wendell Phillips.


was issued On the 1st of January,
1881. The anti-slavery debate, un-
sparingly urged by the Abolitionists,
provoked the intensest feeling, and
on the afternoon of the 21st Of Octo-
Der, 1885, mob assalled the build
ing in Boston in which the Female
Anti-Slavery Society was to meet.
The object of the mob, in which were
many so-called respectable persons,
was George Thompson, an eloquent
English AbolitioniSt. But he had
left the city, and Mr.. a Garrison, who
was present, was their next prey.
The mayor Of the city had but few
constables at his command, and his
only further authority under the law
was to summon by ISLANDERS to his
aid, and, if the riot became unman-
ageable, to appeal to the Governor
of the State. Mr.. Garrison in leaving
the building was seized by the mob,
and was hurried along the street
with rope around his waist. He
was finally rescued from the mob by
the mayor, and to save his life was
committed to the Jail, where he passed
the night. At.the height of the tumult
young lawyer, twenty-four years
old, who had been admitted to the
Boston bar a year before, after grad
uating at Cambridge in the brilliant
class Of the historian Motley, Charles
Eames, William Fl. Simmons, and
others, stopped in the street and
watched the riot. He had no SYM
pathy with the Abolitionists, but he
had very clear perception Of the
rights of American citizens, and the
dastardly attempt to stiAe free speech
in the town of James Otis and Samuel
Adams so stirred his manhood, that
he investigated the question which
Boston was afraid to hear discussed,
and joined the Abolitionists. 1t was
like one of the Medici becoming a
Lutheran. In college a chief among
the chiefs, a fencer, a boxer, and a
lover of horses, yet so given to chem
istry and mechanics that his mother
said, when he became a lawyer, that
a good carpenter was spoiled, already
a graceful and persuasive orator; ii
was incredible that, with all the ordin.
airy prizes of life within his grasp
position, ease, fame-he should sur.
render them, and turl away to join
those odious fanatics, the AbolitioniStS
But there was no doubt that he had
done so after the evening Of the Sth
of December, 1887. Upon that even
ing there was meeting OF the citi
zens of Boston, to express their senti
ment8 upon the murder of E. P
Loyejoy, at Alton, on the 7th O.
| November. DR.. Charming had spOk
en-, and some resolutions becoming
honorable men and honest American:
had been offered, when James I. Aus
tin, the AttorEey,G General of Massa
chusetts, yehemently justified the
Alton murder, declaring that Lovejoy
died as the fool dieth. The excite
ment was intense, and the feeling O
the audience was evidently strongly
divided, when Mr.. Phillips, ther
twenty-siX years old, appeared upor
the platform, and in brief speech
which restored to Faneuil Hall it
old glory of eloquence and patriotism
and humanity, and seemed to be th,
living echo Of the fiery tongues of tn,
Revolution, recalled the audience t,
itself, and spoke for the heart ant
conscience of New England. Th
resolutions were adopted; and from
that evening until the abolition Q
slavery Wendell Phillips was th
great orator Of the cause and Of tn
country. Like Mr.. Garrison's, hi
life has been devoted to infuencin,
public opinion upon the question Q
slavery. The two have been th
representative Abolitionists. Bu
those who for so many years hear,
of Mr.. Phillips with a shudder as tn
arch agitator, could not believe, whe
they saw a tranquil, manly, graceful
, polished gentleman upon the plat
form, that it was Wendell Phillip:
"a great orator." said one; "why
it is only a man pleasantly talking.
An accomplished scholar, a gentle
man Of captivating courtesy, grace
with all the orators gifts, Mr.. Phillip
constantly speaking, has never los
his charm. His oratory is the pei
= fection of art-simp icity itself, "Hi
rhetoric is faultless, his manner 81
| Perb,' said recently the most scho
! arly and stringent of English critic
who yet thought him an advocat
) and not quite fair. But we have Z
space to say more. In 1889 NJ
Phillips renouuced his profession, b,
; cause he would not take an oath t
support the Constitution. and, a
though man of ample resources,
lives with Spartan simplicity, an
) with a boundless benevolence. e
is the severest censor Of the countl
; and time. The moral judgment
u no man among US upon public affai
1 is so powerful as his. Its enunciatiC
n is often greeted with impatience |
Il his best friends. But he could a
= swer as the sage wrote upon the wa
> in Damascus, "Time; time" {
L has been the sharpest critic of Il
u Republican party, because he belle
l ed it was the only one from viii,
. progress could be expected, while
Q sees that it is the tendency of a
IL parties to trim to the timidity of the
i weakest members. When Mr.. Gar
Il son retired from the presidency
u the American Anti-Slavery Societ
: : because its object, in his opinion, W
/ accomplished, Mr.. Phillips, thinkil
u that an outside organization was st
u necessary to hold the Republicans
u their duty, succeeded his friend
Il President. But upon the recent ado
IS tion of the Fifteenth Amendment t
IS Society was formally dissolved
u Harper's Weekty.
= DELIRIUM TREMENs.-The followi
!, vivid description is from one of Jol
d. B. Coughs lectures: