Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-10-26
WcndcII Phillips.

A sagacious and amusing critic, writing for
the Springfield Republican, discusses some of
Wendell Philipss pecularities in this quaint
fashion:
Mr.. Phillips treatment of capital of which
an instance will be found in the Salisbury
speech lately published in the National Stand
ard, reminds me of a ludicrous incident that
| once came under my observation. ] remember
| to have seen an intoxicated youth divertng
| himself by making football of handsome
| beaver he had lately bought. Suddenly, while
| he was kicking it to and fro, the thought oc-
| CURED to him that the hat was property of
| some value. He accordingly picked it up with
an air of the tenderest socitude, restored it to
| shape, brushed it With anxious aSsiduitv. and
| put it carefully aside Scarcely had he done so
| when he was at il again, kicking it about with
| greater glee and luster action than ever: and
| the process was several times repeated Mr.
| Phillips flies at capital, boxes and bethwacks if.
and seems to think it the bette NOR of modern
civilization. Suddenly he reflects, apparent-
ly, that ii is very nice thing after all. There
upon be hastenS TO pat and pet, to vindicate
and praise IT. with an affection quite touchlngi
The moment after he is at it again with foot
aud fist Thus in the Salisbury speech he saws
Remember, there is no antagonism Gu
man and money, between labor and capital
they are friends, not foes; partners, not com
petitors; they are two parts OF one scissors -
each useless without the other. Whatever
harms or helps one, must. on any Just system
harm or help the other" What could be better
than that? just five lines further on he is
promising his hearers the "new era, in which we
will cut the hdn'StrihgS of c0padlP' That, |
say, reminds me Of the eXhiarated youth and
his hat.
At this point am moved to a meditation on
grasshOppers. The style of locomotion peculiar
TO that saltatorv insect is curiouSly suggestive
of certain types of character and certain
modes Of mental Ya,t sI,,,,,
per, TO begin with, is a right brave fellow
brave TO q marvel. He takes no counsel of
flesh and blood, but lets out his legs and shoots
himself with reckless intrepidity into an un-
known future, hit or miss. Incapable of tore
though as OF fear, he takes the risks at each leap
with an admirable nonchalence, assured. we
may suppose, of coming down somewhere, and
quite content of being assured of nothing fur
ther. His action, meanwhile, is inimitably salt
ent and spirited He puts his whole soul into
il, and has genius for his business; but he e,i
IDENTIFY dcvotes his mind exclusively to the mere
act of gong, wasting no thought in speculations
about alightng. Even an orderly progression
is quite out of his line; but ne makes up forth
want Of it by surprising sallies. His direction
is mostly fortuitous, and seldom or never the
same in two successive leaps; he goes as he
heads, he heads as it happens; but ifhis leans
are incaculable, they are utterly nncOmpromis-
ing; when he goes, he goes, no doubt oft, AT
any rate he is equal to the event of his own en-
cipilStSJ ana WOULD quit INTO the face of fine
archangel Gabriel, could that be, or land upon
4 cushion which Juno, or Minerva, or some
kindly COW, had provided" VITA the same spir-
lted unconcern. Sometimes he comes down
plump upon the head; it does not signify. some
times the good creature lands in a reversed posi-
ton; what does he do but let out his legs and
launch himself back 10 the spot he had starred
from, with the same air OF interest, and the same
apparent sense Of plunging into an unknown
future, as before. Now, in all this one NAV see
a type of qualities that are supremely effective
on the platform. Considerable thought, scrupu.
lousy exact, is a severe pruneT Of periods.
Avoid it, my young friend, and be brilliant The
grasshopper mind jumps 10 find its opinions,
and knows what they are when ii has ,me
down. Once down, it is there, no doubt of it
perfectly positive and assured until the time
shall come to jump again. Even in taking a
new leap for an opinion, to aight where the
iatcs will, it has no air of dubitation proper
only to "weak mind" anything but that. All
this is very striking engaging, impressive.
And 50 endeth the meditation upon grasshop-
pers.