New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-10-16
wendell PhiIllps.
A New Esttmate.-Prstsea ana n lame ecu
DtslFtbuted.
STILL, A READABLE SKETCH.

II is an interesting fact that Wilberforce,
Al the age Of twenty-five, and Wendell Phil
ligs. at the same age, were the two persons
who seemed least likely Of all their respec.
five contemporaries to become world-re.
novucd as advocates of the cause of anti
slavery. Wilberiorce was returned TO Parlia-
neut at twenty one, when. according to his
lilrraIhcr, "he became the idol Of the fash
ionallc world, dancing at Almack's, and
>lpc.n. before the Prince Of Wales" At
tvrni, five he abandoned his gayeties, en-.
tered upon new lie. and took up the great
cause which he advocated during the remain.
der of his long career. Wendell Phillips at
the are of twenty-five was n young Boston
LAWYER, aristrocratic, wealthy, handsome,
u,li,hcd. and sought after; captain of CITY
militia company, and lover of blooded
horses. Of fencing and boxing. He was born
on E,arun street. and his father was one of
IN, ni,~. popular mayors Boston ever had
k,U,r,sri 'nIvcrsIiv, where be graduated,
L.. va. President "t the Exclusive Society"
t,svu a, the "Gcntlcinan's Club" and, in
fat he was the leader of the aristocratic
,arfy amung the students. At twenty-iy
he abandoned his practice of law, gave up the
fashionable world, and espoused the cause of
the slave.
In The case OF WIlbcriorce, the change in
a., r!.uriu!es of action was due TO religious
.cryor kindled in his own mind by certain re-
lf,inu- a,lyiscrs-a icrvOr which. though it
led him To- the championship of the lowly,
ended in higo,ry. So that when, in lS22, Will
Lam Ellcry Claiming paid him visit, he
treated him with Coldness because ofhis being
a Unitarian instead 81 being an Evangelical.
Mr. Phillips conversion was the result of
other influences. He AYERS that his wife
made him an anti slavery man, and there is an
ancclole on record couiirmatory CT this the
ory, which is, that at the famous Faneuil
mcetn! where he uttered his first electric
word, he wa, for a moment reluctant To enter
the lit. lni va, disposed to suppress his ris-
IN. Indignation, until his wife whispered to
h.n, No shllly--hallying, Wendell" and
from tina! time t. this shilly- shallyiug has
not ceItaiulN been one of his ofienses.
Bar not one mlu in a million would, or
could, have responded as he did, even though
the provocation came from the lips of a noble
woman. Mr. Phillips possesses three char
acteTi.tic,, which, added To his silver voice,
and his marvellous diction, have made him
what he is. lie is one of the most chival-
rous of men. coartly, gallant, true rs steel.
lie is Il born advocate, and he is fond of a
fight. lie is 4 Sir Philip Sydney, Cicero,
and Lea Butler in one. Notwithstanding
his Beacon street ancestry and wealth, he
mingles with the humbiest and the poorest
on the best of terms he lives in an unfash-
ionable part Of the city, in a small brick
house which is surrounded by cheap shoe
stores, restaurants, and tenement-houses,
and, IN place Of a door plate, he has his
name painted on the door with black paint,
in large letters, lit probably cost him fully
seventy-fyc cents to have it dOne,) which
he who runs may read; and doubtless many
a runaway slave has read il. He dresses in
perfect taste, with elegance and care and
IN dress and general personal appearance, as
the American public knows, there is no hint
OF sign OF h4 being IA rcformer, or Of his be-
longing 10 the long -haircd, rn-down-col-
Jared, hncn-dustcrcd fraternity. In fact,
when he joined Garrison in his cause, one
Of the first things he did was TO persuade him
to trim his hair and wear a standing collar.
In private conversation with his friends, in
his house, on the street, or on the horse-car
platform, Mr.. Phillips is one of the most
genial and affabe of men.
II Mr.. Phillips had been born in England
in the last century, and had sat in Parlia-
ment, he would have been the Peer. as an
orator, Of either OF the Pitts, of Fox, Graf
tan, Canning, or Sheridan; or, if he had pur-
sued the practice OF the law in Boston, as he
originally intended, he would have been a
worthy rival, as an advocate, Of Choate and
Webster, if not their superior. He could
never have been a great iurist like Webster,
nor a distinguished judge but, as an attor-
ney, az an advocate at the bar, where adroit.
hess, NigOr, and eloquence are required, he
would have been unsurpassed. Charles Sum.
ner, though called upon by events TO be a
lifelong advocate Of a cause, has always dis
played a judicial quality of mind; but not
"A Nj. 10 ts alx tn nrti
san, vehement, critical passionate. His abil
ity AS an orator, and his qualifications as an
attorney, are admitted by lawyers; but nc
one regards him as having the qualities of 8
great statesman or a successful politician
although il is thought that he has no little
aspiration in both of those directions. lie
assured a friend not long ago that he would
give fifty thousand dollars to be honestly il
the United States Senate, and no doubt j
would have suited him if he had been sem
as minister TO England in place of Motley
lie believes in politics as one of the hes
appliances and instruments of reform, an'
he forces every cause into the political arena
but, notwithstanding his honesty and hi
ideal aims, his influence in politics is no
clevating.
Three years ago, when he was candidate
for governor, he made his canvass one of tn
most personal and bitter the State has eve
known. But this is explained by that thir
Characteristic ofhis nature, aforementioned
viz, his fondness for contention. He claim
that he has never criticised men from persO
nal feeling, but only from moral stand
point but this assertion is hardly supporte
by the facts. There are dozens of his assC
ciatss, both in the anti-slavery and labo
cause, who will testify that he has not onl
taken them TO task, but has grievously in
suited them, for no other reason than tina
they have differed with him in regard I
society or bureau management; and no on
knows better than he how to give an insult
| suppose that Senator Sumner has be,l. a
severely ccnsured by Mr.. Phillips as by an
of his political opponents. Years ago b
charged the senator with serious Gcrelictio
of daty, and though the act ofwhich he com
planned was afterwards disproved, he Above
the charge and censure TO stand and TO g
INTO the printed volumes of his speeches. II
ava!ls himself of every word in the vocabl
larry OF war. Two addresses given of lat
years before the Free Religious Associate
were entitled, respectively, Christianity
Battle, not a Dream" and sin Christianit
no Substitutes and no Mastering out - an
IN the first lecture he struck out right an
leit-at Emerson, the Radical Club, the Ra,
scal magazine, and at the Free Religions
generally. Another time he accepted an il
N!tation 10 attend a Radical club, and,
usual though not upon his native heath,
soon became belligerent. But this tin
Achilles met his better. He asserted, amer