The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-06-05
Boston stock List,


Wendell Phillips ON the French struggle
At the meeting of the Eight-Hou League
in Boston this week, Wendell Phillips made
short speech in which occur the following
rather sensible remarks about the late struggle
in Paris:
l, in common with every thoughtful man at
all acquainted with French history, and cog
INFANT OF the present state of affairs there
know that in this struggle between Paris and
versailles, Paris represents what every Amer
can ought to love, the struggles of the French
people 10 govern themselves. Paris, as a W heel
IN the movement, represents the resistance of
the republicans of France and two tn ngs: the
efforts of Theirs and the Versaillists to bring
back the BourbOus, and other sections to bring
back the Bonapartes. Paris has been defeat
ed, and the result will be that either the Or
leanists or the Bonapa will take possess.
ion OF France. with the consent OF the other
Kingdoms OF Europe. The effort Of the sober,
moderate leaders of Paris has been to secure a
Republic, ana so far it has been an honor able
and to be hOnOred, effort.
And no man should forget in the hon, of,;ts
eclipse that no other people in Europe have
zone nall the service for scieuce that the
rrehcn nave done 10 the last 100 years, and u O
otner people 10 the 200 years for art. Italy has
had no claim for the last cen,u v and a J. alI
TO stand anywhere near to France In science
and in ant, then, France leads Eurone: and
more than Il is, in the progress OF civil liberty
no other nation, except England, can be named
in the same category. While Germany was
crus he'd in the dust, in abject submission to
the absolute of despOtisms, Franco was in
spring the mind of Jefferson and half saving
the. experimental liberty in the American col
onies. that We were saved from the narrow,
timid fears of the Federaiists, who formed our
government, we owe to France, and we should
hot forget it.
The lesson to be learned from fthe defeat of
Parls IS OF great importance to us American
people, While the leaders IN the Republic of
France, such as Louis Blanc, were men of in
telligence, such men as We can honor, the
masses Bof France, Ignorant ill-paid 4 ignored
by the government mentally and physically
| starved, and stunted by a despo.ism of long
| years-the moment these men flung off the
reins of power, destruction and terrible deyas
tatIon followed. These men, in their mad ca
| reer have showed US what q neglected, ipnOr-
ant aboring class can de when alone for a
century. Our great cities are growing create
every year, and in them is rapidly forming q
perpetually poor class, out of which come in
sanity and crime. The danger that will beset
this Republic exists in just such masses Of
men as made Paris terrible to law
and order. If we would guard against
Just such scenes iu the city of New
York as have been seen in Paris, We
must meet this question: How to make oul
Dor; work less and enjoy more This is thu
| great question of the hour. Every thirt,
| years 81 nce Christ died there has been an adj
vance toward that, and every thirty years O
the last two hundred there has been such al
advance that every man can mark it.
In England, though still five million work
ing people do not zee meat but once a week
the workman gets more for less labor than b,
did hundred years ago. The most prudent
editor OF the New York Journals, and tn
most timid editor of the Boston Advertiser
cant but admit this All Europe is constant
ly treading forward to the day when the mass
es will be bettered. Our work is TO haste
that time, for our own as well as the workn
mans good.