The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1884-03-01

Review of his Lifn and characteristics.
With the death of Wendell Phillips ths
last OF the great pioneers and origina
apostles of Abolitionism in the United
States is gathered to his reward. He wa.
born in Boston on the 29ah of November
1911. At the age of nineteen he graduated
from Harvard College. began at once the
study OF law, and was admitted to the bal
in 1884.
HIS sympathies were strongly aroused b5
the persecution of the early Abolitionists
more particularly during the Boston mol
IN October, 1885, when Garrison, the leader
of the Abolitionists narrowly escaped with
his life. The following year Phillips gave
up the practice of law because he was un.
willing to act under an oath of allegiance
| to the Constitution of the United States.
| and publicly joined the AboIitionists. In
1865 ne succeeded William Lloyd Garrison
as President of the anti-Slavery Society,
| which position he held until the dissolution
of the organization in 1870.
In his time Wendell Phillips espoused
many causes such as prohibition, abolition
OF interest on money, Communism, agra
rianism, greenbaek fat money, the election
OF Gen. Butler to the Presidency, woman s
rights, the abolition of government and all
penal laws, the restriction of rufTians and
criminals by the power of love only, the
abolition of slavery and of the American
Constitution as "a covenant with death
and league with hell" He opposed bit
terly the formation Of the anti-siavery DO
litical party. He'was candidate for Gov
ernor of Massachusetts at one time but he
received only a small vote. During the
war he dropped all his views of no govern
ment and non-politieal action against slay-
cry, and became an advocate of the most
extreme measures for its suppression.
Thus twenty-five Of the bsst years of his
life devoted to ths asitatioaeof an anti
slavery sentiment, eliminated il success
with the issue of the Emancipation proc
lamation and amidst mighty shock of
arms.
With the extinguishment of slavery the
activities of Mr.. Phillips mind sought new
directions, and Whatever subject he dis
cussed, the magnetic eloquence, the never
failing courage, the splendid intellectual
powers, the fierce defiance Of public senti-
ment, If against him, are fresh in the coun-
try's recollection. His syinpathies with
humanity were unbounded, his hatred of
oppression in all it's forms, and of shams
in all their phases, intense, his grasp of the
future possibilities of American civiliza-
ton far-reaching, and the world, in spite
of any mistakes that he may have made
was the better for his living.
In personal appearance Mr.. Phillips was
a man Of fine and commanding presence,
He was no doubt the most complete and
polished orator on the American platform.
Although the associate of the cultured and
aristocratlc, he was man Of the simplest
habits and the least ostentation. He lived
for forty years in a modest two-story brick
house built by himself in Boston and which
he vacated most unwillingiy in 1882, the
property hav1ng beon :" condemned" for
street improvement. In the death Of Mr..
Phillips the little band of surviving orig
iaal aboiitlonists loses its most heroic and
striking figure. Doctor Furness and
Robert Puryes, of Washington and the
veteran poet Whittier of Massachusetts,
and few others of less note still survive
to mourn the death of thsir silyer-tong ngued
leader, but the ranks of the heroic men
and women who faced obloquy and psrss-
cution for the sake of the friendless black
man are growing thinner each year.