New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-03-04
THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN THE
SOUTH.

JufoEy EpuAo ldhb evening 10 Is me an Hu-
dience rs has ever been az sembled in Mo
C0rmick Hall The occasion was one of
rare interest. 1t is some time-since Chicago
has had the privilege of receiving the vet
eran New England orator, and the welcome
accorded him last evening was royal one.
The hall was crowded to its utmost limit.
A feature observable was that long before
the usual hour for the conventional audi.
ence to appear the hall was we'll filed. The
lecturer was prompt. AS he made his way
through the crowded plattorIn-crOwded
with number OF leading oitizeus-he was
greeted heartily, and the Rev. Robert Col
lyer was radiant with fraternity when a
moment Or two later he introduced Mr.
Phillips to the vast audience. The lecturer,
now over sixty years of age, is white
haired, and is just a trih9 bent with the
weight of the busy life be has seen. His
fine, rugged face, illuminated occasionally
by the bright fash from his keen eye, at
tracts ana hOlus the attention of the OBJ
server, while the finished, clearly devel-
Oped points which are discussed hold the
nearer until they have been driven home,
and conviction follows, Mr.. Phillips was
dressed in a plain black snit, free from all
the sensational lecturers fash costume
even severe in its simplicity.
He spoke calmly on the great problems
of the day, the vital questions which agi.
tate the leading minds of the country at
lying causes which brought about the COM
plicatiOns in national matters of to-day
was clear, fOTcible and convincing. When
he spoke of the dangers threatening the re-
public he was listened to with the utmost
attention, and when he said that in five
years, as the heat of party strife subsidized
and gave place TO cooler judgment, the
name Of Grant would stand side by side
with Washington aud Lincoln, the out.
burst of enthusiasm firm the audience was
general and instantaneous. A hiss from one
part of the hall renewed and redOubled the
applause, and when this was repeated the
popular patriotism which slumbered a mo-
msnt before had touched as with an electric
shock the great audience, and for some
time the speaker was unable to proceed
When he continued the fang of the hiss had
been taken out, and the same calm spirit
which faced more turbulent crowds in the
anti.slavery struggle years ago was mani
tested in the person of the veteran lecturer.
In introducing Mr.. Phillips, the Rsv.
Robert Collyer remarked that he could not
better introduce the lecturer than by say
ing there was in his opinion no man in
America better known, and he came from q
place that was good deal bigger than
Boston.
Mr.. Phillips advanced to the front of the
platform and was received heartily. He
said: This was the centennial year. A ma.
| blUn d 6ApbElu6uI VI u ndu 0du inc
seal of these hundred years placed upon it.,
and the world had been called to witness
/ the achievement. This eountry's history
WAS that it had done what no other land or
people had ever undertaken to accomplish,
to make government for the men of the
natisn. In looking over the worlds
| histories it was seen that Greece had her
republics, but all who we're not Greeks
were called bsrbarisns. Rome had
| her republic, but it was founded on
| slavery; Switzerland and Holland had had
| their republics, but none conceived and
carried out the same idea with reference to
| their members and the world as the United
| States. They were not quite sure that
| theirs were the men and theirs the hour for
such an experiment. England had prOphe
sled many times and Oft, when her states
men looked toward America, that the ex-
| pertinent would give way, would never last.
| But here America stood, State without a
bishop, an empire without king, every
man his own sovereign, and the nations of
| the world watched and waited. When the
people, as Americans, remembered what the
| fathers who founded the republic did, they
were not to be too lavish in their express
| sions, but they were to examine all the ele-
| ments and conditions, and from them learn
| what the wisdom of experience and expert
| menC taught. Humboldt once said that the
| finest fruit earth holds up to God was man,
| huu mo ulRhbsb Bthisb lnbJ COulu JO-udA
| render the fathers of the republic was to
make good the gift which had been given
| them, and to show themselves worthy the
trust that had been handed to them to keep
and care for. The good book said that the
| glory of children was their father, and it
was certainly equally true that the glory of
the fathers was their children.
Look at the fathers of the republic, See
their courage, their sagacity, their integ-
| rity, the way they cleared away the Obsta-
Giles which faced them OF colonial birth,
they came into the field of &C ion with
those elements of character which best
fitted them for their lsbOrs. Jefferson sa "
what wealth had done for the Old World,
for England; he saw that it had raised the
barriers OF class and had fOstered arstOcra-
cy, and he also saw that for this new re.
public to succeed the ballot-bOx must be
lree from this money power The idea Oi
tntailmept was dissected, cut up: meu
must be provoked, speared into opposition,
that he muet carve tho the statue OF rsli
gious ideas in order that the minds which
followed might be free to move forward
He might illustrate in dozen different ways
the one thought which gave the republics
experiment the best conditions of success
but that was sufficient. And to-day this
nation stood on the verge of another
epoch, where the people must go forward
outing loose from all which kept it back
This people was grand example of wha'
people may be, and may show what PEG
pie can do. At this moment after dOinl
away with the system which prevailed unit
ten years ago, the nation advanced to thu
next conflict of civilization. This struggle
was not a cloud which had come over thu
nation; it was trial through which it haC
to pass before it moved to higher achieve
ment. The heat of party feeling ObscureC
much; ii would be cleared away by and by
and when 1t was they would see their chic
magistrate standing before the nation as
light in history. Five years from now, sid,
by side with Washington and Lincoln
would stand Ulysses S. Grant. [Great ap
plause and hiss
Mr.. Phillips attempted to proceed. bat
as the hiss WAS heard, the applause Was re
peated and was redOubled the third time
and continued for several minutes, maxim,
the great hall ring with this mRgnihcen
Outburst of patriotism.
Mr.. Phillips continued: That hiss wa
better than the plaudits of the great audi
enee, for it showed the grandeur of hi
claim to public attention. There stool
President Grant He had been slandereC
by his own party; he had been fOrsaken b,
many of HIS friends; he had borne all il
calmness and without fear or favor; Blu
through it all hs had shown the integrit
of Abraham Lincoln and the decision 0
Andrew Jackson. The country owes it
existence to no man more than to Ulysse
S. Grant. In the line of heroes of this an,
the old and new world the name of U.
Grant will stand side by side with that 0
Wellington, the hero Of Great Britain.
I