Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1875-01-28
wendell Phillips on GOyern-
mental Protection.

II
meeting held at Faneuil Hall, Bes-
ton, Wendell Phillips sat silent,
hough frequently called for, and lis
tened patiently to near the close o!
the meeting to speeches and resolu-
tions expressive of Democratic indig-
nation against President Grant in
consequence of his course i'm employ
ing government troops in louisiana.
When 1t at last became evident that
the audience were determined to
hear him, the chairman reluctantly
said:
"This is FaAeuil Hall, and sacred
to free speech. Ifany gentleman de-
sires to speak, he shall be heard"
Mr.. Phillips had already risen to
speak from the place where he had
sat during the whole meeting, on a
gallery railing, against a pillar at the
upper eud of the hall. He WAS called
to the platform, and began, being in
terrupted every minute by cheers,
and Kisses, and frequent appeals OF
the chairman for order. He said:
/ GENTLEMEN, FELIUw-CITfZENs :
l came here this morning because
saw in the journals that the voice OF
Boston WAS to be uttered through
Faneuil Hall on topics of great ma
tionai interest. The citizens OF Bos-
ton were summoned to record their
verdict, mark you, on the conduct oi
the executive of the United States. ]
looked over the list Of gentlemen
who summoned you to Faneuil Hall,
and / said, If this il the voice Of Bos'
ton, who are the Boston that sum.
mons us to this expression Of Boston
opinion? Are they men who vote
and pay taxes, and bear the shame
or glory of being the citizens OF Bos-
ton that summoned this military
The first name on the list Is Charles
Francis Adams, Of Quincy, very
worth gentleman, but IA voter In
Quincy. l observe on the list ol
names, the names OF worthy citizens
OF Salem, and Plymouth, and Qnin'
cy, and Worcester, and Cambridge
md | call up In my memory the
hundred men, lawyers, merchants,
clergymen, editors, who, In any
Judgment in the world, would be un.
derstood TO represent the city Of Bos-
ton. affirm fellow. itizens, that II
you presented the paper to one hun
dred OF them, ninety of them would
refuse TO sign 1t. The inference THAT
| draw is this: In framing the reso-
lutions that are TO go forth from such
a meeting ~ this-practically they
are 10 he the impression largely oi
Boston.--it becomes gentlemen stand
ing 80 alone To be peculiarly careful
In the facts they assert, and the infer
epce they draw, because in the all.
sence OF Dana. and 3igeiow, and Ab-
bott, aud Bartlett. the legal proie--
sion IL not here. In the absence al
the merchants Of the city, with hall
n dozen exceptions, the commerce oi
Boston is not here. In the absence
every clergyman who votes In this
city, the pulpit is not here. There
fore, SAY it becomes us to exercise
extra caution, th.t the facts We slate
in such a position, and the differences
we make are carefully guarded.
To he n citizen Of the United States
Is ~ great privilege. 1t carries with
it invaluable rights, and every man
claiming that name is entitled
tc the full protection of the national
government. IL he not No man
| doubts that whenever the United
States citizen 10 in "A foreign land,
when AIgerines tranipied upon u cit
| izep OF The United States, Commo-
dofe Decatur, with guns rhottUd TO
the lips, taught the dog It's lesson,
| England taught Austria the shine
lesson. We have had something IN
| that kind of work with Cuba. Well,
gentlemen, u citizen Of the United
| states IN Massachusetts IL "a much
entitled to protection as a citizen OF
| the United States in Japan, is he not"
Very well, when negro in the
Southern Stutes is hauled from his
| horse and about to be shot; when n
white Republican, caught In some
county in Alabama, Is about to be AS
a,sinated, and he looks around on
the State government about him,
and sees no protection, none what
ever, white or black, hss he not q
right 10 call upon the national gov
ernment at Washington, To say,
Find or make way to protect me,
for am a citizen 2" Just bear the
text in mind. When, In. 1872, the
government ut Washington recog-
nized the government Of Gov. kel-
logg in Louisiana, 1t IL not for you or
nae o-day % say whether II did 1T
wisely or not. The President Of the
United States had no alternative.
Neither the Senate nor the House
would act. Your Congress was done.
They would bot take "a step IN any
direction. There stood the President
Of the United States. What should
~ do? Grant recognizes Kellogg as
Governor. He must recognize some
body. loud laughter. For two
years Congress never rebuked him.
They have tried, again aud again, to
come to some conclusion on rhs
Louisiana question, and they could
NOT: but there stood the Executive
who must net. Then, driven into
that position, shut up to it, give him
your sympathy. am not party
man. | never voted. never held
an office In my life, nor ever coveted
"a n, 4 -