The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-07-17
AN IDBALIsTIC IDEAL.

AN IDEALIsTlC IDEAL.
That Wendell Phillips Of Massachusetts, is
man of brilliant intellect, Of great erud1
ton and of liberal ways of thinking no one
will pretend to gsinsay. He by nature is
combative and destructive. Ho abhors re.
strsint of any kind. The requr monts of
law and of sJciety are irksomo to him, ard
hence it Is that we SEQ him always opposir &
something, always raising his voice against
whatever even has the suspicion of oppress-
lon and wrong, Had helved few centuries
earlier, he would have been an Attils, q
Bal zet. Even in this ago had no been
brought up on some frontier amid wild and
rough scenes. without tho refining and re-
straining influences of education and of the
gentler dictatiops of Boston society,
he would have doubtless been
Wild Bill or a Texas Jack.
He 'livered an address before the Phi Bata
Kappa society the other day, in which he
used the following characteristic language:
"Nihism is the righteous and honorable re-
sistance of n people crushed under an iron
rule. NIhilism is evidence of life. When
order reigns In Warsaw it is spiritual death.
Nihilism is the las! weapon of victims choked
and msngled beyond all other resistance. 1t
is crushed humanity's only means of making
the oppressors tremble. God means that un.
Just powers shall be insecure, and every move
OF the giant, PROSTATE in chains, whether it
DO to lit single dagger or stir city's revolt
is lesson In justice. One might we'll tremble
for the future Of the race II such despotism
did exist without provoking the bloodiest re-
sistsnce. l honor nihilism, since it redeems
human nature from the suspicion of ben;
utterly vile, made up only Of heartless op.
pressors and contented slaves. Every line in
our history, every interest Of oiviliza-
ton bids US rejoice when the tyran, grows
pale and the slave rebellous. We can not
but pity the suffering Of any human being,
however richly deserved. But such pity
must not confuse our moral sense. Human
ity gains. Chatham rejoiced when our
fathers rebelled. For every single reason
they alleged, Russia counts hundred, each
one ton times bitterer than any Hancock or
Adams could give. Sam Johnson's standing
toast In Oxford port WAS Success to the fret
instruction of slaves in Jsmacia, q sen,i-
ment Southey echoed. 'Eschew cant, said
that old moralist But of all tho cants that
are canted in this canting world, though the
cant of piety may be the worst, the cant of
Americans bewailing Russisn nihilism is the
most disgusting" In his intense love of
freedom and hatred Of restraint of any kind,
no ignores the murderous deeds of nihilism
and e1alts them into lessons Of justice.
In his heart Wendell Phillip, neither en-
d,rses murder nor sympsthises with outrage.
but his combstivenes, gives coloring to
bis ideas::and biases his thoughts. He, no
doubt, has read the speech .,f the founder
Of niailism in Il ls,ia, when at q gathering of
the first few Of tho order, which have since
90 industriously and successfully dissent,
mated i.s doctrines throughout that country,
and with such deadly energy carried some of
its teachings into effect, no said; Brethren,
l come to announce a new gospel; ore
which will penetrate to the ends of the earth.
The old world must b, destroyed to the
last vestige. Tear out of your hearts . /
belief 10 the existence Of God, for, until
you rid yourselves Of this silly superstition,
you will never know what freedom lie. God
Is lie-right Is lie-might DOLLY should
prevail. Lot your own happiness be
your only law, and let US make wsr
to destruction upon marriage upon property,
upon society, upon the church, and all
human governments. Our first principle
must DO one of destruction and tho annih,la.
hilsson Of all existing things. Every religion
Is useless and every law oppressive. There.
fore let u' hsvo no lsw-no religion-nihil-
nothing" "Oar mission" says the nihilis.
constitution. put forth in 1866, "is one ,f
universal and relentless destruction" Yet
Wendell PHILIPPE will not Say "God Il a lie
right isA lie-might only should prevail"
he will not endorse "war 10 destruction upon
marriage, upon society, upon the church and
all human governments" The nihihsm thai,
no endorses Is an ideal sort, born OF his own
brain, and. like all localities, II is As imprsc.
sicsblo Tho himself Is, as intangible as bis
philosophy, mesh Of words and rounded
periods Is unsatisfactory.