The Rock Island daily Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1872-1873, 1873-01-09
Wendell Phillips on FrOude
A SPLENDID LECTURE.

On lueHuay tNtuHiF 81.
Phillips lectured on differences from
Froude" 70 a full house in fremont Tenn
nle BOSTON On the stage where William
Llovd Garrison and other distinguished
gentlemen. The audience was one Of the
most cultured that has assembled in the
Boston Lyceum courses this season. Mr..
Phillips, on being introduced, said
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN--l am to offer
TO you one or two suggestions touching
Mr. Froude's lecture on the relations OF
Great Britain and Ireland. lie SAID he
came here to argue his ease before the
American people as jury. and in my mar,
row way | wish to use the hour you lend
me tonight in rendering verdict 1t was
great privilege TO hear an English
scholars view Of these critical relations
between England and Ireland; 1t was a
theme deeply interesting to every student
OF England literature and politics and the
interest was deepened into gratitude when
with generous purpose he gave the receipts
Of these lectures 10 the sufferers of our
great conflagration. ! was gratihed, also.
at the channel which he chose for his at
dress tn the American peoplc-the lyceum.
Ii was a marked recognition OF thus new
form for the public discussion ot great
national questions; it was compliment,
well deserved, 20 the impartiality and in
tcllgence Of the audiences which make up
the great American lyceum. or course,
being Frdude, it was brilliant aud pictur-
CsQue in narrative, graphic, Instructive.
and If he did not brinrus many new facts,
az least in the manner IN which he told Old
ones he revealed the mood, the temper ut
mind with which England looks at the
question to-day, and that OF itsclfis a great
revelation Horne Tooke said once, when
t,ibbou wrote his autobiography, that a
man who had anything to conceal ought u
Ito anything rather than write his own life,
that he should beg his worst enemy O.
write il before he trusted the unconscious
betrayal of what hc would have been hut
too willing tn conceal 50 ! think in the
mode, IN the standpoint, in the whole in
spration of these fine testimonies tn the
relation Of Great Britain and ireland We
have the latest, and the most authentic
and the most trustworthy declaration 81
the mode in which the leading Euglishmer
OF to-day regard the Irish question W,
all had reason Tn expect
4 SCHOLAR TREATMENT.
To- expect that he would bring order out ii
chaos. that the tangled web of this lrisl
history which had confused all student
and puzzled the most patient inquirer
would be Strengthened ont and cleared mp
For one ! never expected the exact state
mcut the close narrative, the logical ST.
Qucncc or the iastinct of the historian. in
j think il cannot be said that Mr. Proud,
has ever written ANYTHING thar deserve,
the name Of history. Fairly judged he l.
tcryid brilliant aud earnest writer %
party pamphlets, and grouping togcthc
these whole tine presentations Of the lrisl
question. after all they are 81 discurdauJ
50 partisan, So traameutary IS, oue-sided
that it only runs in the line with the char
artrr of hi, whole literary work II b
had not had occasion ~ name Frequent
the OCunuclls the O'NcillS. the l'itzrel
aids the Geraldimes. the Glars and th
Dcsmnnds, should hardly have know
rs ! listened, that it was an Irish story
I'm nv hasty way ! have had occasion
study somewhat at length the history ,
Ireland in it, relation o. the British Gn,
crumeut and ] confess with the eNcepti1
uI the dates and the names, ! should M
have recognized the picture which th
brilliant cssayist drew. ! remember one
Mrs Butler read for us Il striking extra.
from Marmion | have deelaimel il. Ii
tened to il, sung it and crooned it over
hundred times, and when ! heard il al
nnunced il seemed tn me il would be but
tame piece tp listen to; but when Il
deep-studed and unequalled voice. IN
that soul that premeatcs all her publ
readings. gave me the piece anew.
thought ] had never seen it at all :
when ! listened 10 this history of Frnude'
taking out the names and dates, / did u
recognize the story No doubt. il was ia
enough To England With rare iustic
he painted her as black as she deserve
That j. honestly t. be said But haYil
given one broad. liberal black pigment
the whole canvas, he took it all of N
frightened up the lines As 1t was sa
OF Sir Joshua Reynolds that he won
proclaim an artist the first OF painters, IN
thcn in detail deny him every quality
the artist so Froude having told rs in
sentence Of marvellous lrankuess tn
Elizabeth was chargcable with every fau
that n ruler could commit that she lack,
every quality OF Il worthy ruler. went
piece by piece a. say that in no other pc
sible way but the one she did could 81
have met the eXigencies of her reig
Then when you turn u ireland. eve
statement ! think, Of
TIE ENGLIsINIAN Is FALSE:
false in this sense that it cmtched at G
cry idle tale which reflected upon Irelan
while it subjected to just and mercilc
scrutiny every story that told against En-
land He painted the poverty, the ana
chy, the decentralization the dccrcgati
Of Ireland for the last three centuries.
fit stood out exceptional in Europe, "a,
every other kingdom was bright and ii
was the only dark and disgusting spot
the continent whereas he knew, N
would not il questioned have denied ia
the same poverty the same reckless il
morality the same incredible ignoran
which he attributed In the population
ireland was true Of France mt that da
true OF England at the same period. tru
still of Scotland nc every date that hc MAJ
ed. And then when he came 10 the pub
men Of Ireland, he painted them monst,
OF corruption stepped in the utmost su
servienCy, IN the most entire readiness
traffic for votes and principle when
knew that all that being granted, the
men were only toillng and painting in tn,
narrow capacity 10 lit themselves up
the level OF the corruption of their Engli
brothers applause He painted eve
leading freshman but Grattau either as