The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1884-02-21
The Late Wendell Phillips.
The Great AgitatOr and sRef0rmeF.
Brief Sketch of sEiS Life
and CharacteriSticS.

with the death of Wendell Phillips,
the last of the great pioneers and orig
inal apostles of Abolitionism in the
United States is gathered to his re-
ward. He was born in Boston on the
10Th of November, 1911, At the age
of nineteen he graduated from Har-
ward College, began at once the study
of law, and was admitted to the bar
in 1884
His sympathies were strongly arous-
ed by the persecution of the early Ab
Olitionists, more particularly during
the Boston mob in October 1885, when
Garrison, the leader of the Abolition
lists, 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>allegi |
ance to the Constitution of the United
States, and publicly joined the aboli-
tionists. In 1865 he succeeded William
Lloyd Garrison as President of the
Anti-Slavery Society, which position
he held until the dissolution of the Or
ganization in 1870.
In his time Wendell Phillips espous-
ed many causes, such as prohibition,
abolition of Interest on money, Com
munism, agrarianism, green back fiat
money, the election of Gen. Butler to
the Presidency, wOman's rights, the
abolition of government and all penal
laws, the restriction of ruffians and
criminals by the power of love only,
the abolition of slavery and of the
American Constitution as g a covenant
with death and league with hell "
He opposed bitterly the formation of
the anti Slavery political party. He
was candidate for Governor of Massa-
chusetts at one time, but be received
only small vote. During the war he
dropped all his views of no govern
ment and nOn-political action against
slavery, and became an advocate of the
most extreme measures for it's sup
preston. Thus twenty five of the
best years of his life devoted TO the
agitation of an anti-slavery sentiment
eliminated in success with the issue
of the Emancipation PROCLAMATION and
amidst mighty shock of arms.
With the eXtinguishment of slavery
the activities of Mr.. Phillips mind
sought new directions, and whatever
subjects he discussed, the magnetic ell
oquence, the never failing courage, the
splendid intellectual powers, the fierce
defiance of public sentiment. ifagainst
him, are fresh in the c0untry's recol-
lection. His sympaGhies with human
| ity were unbOunded, his hatred of Op-
preston in all it's forms and of shams
in all their phases, intense, his grasp
of the future possibilities of American
civilization 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 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 aristo-
cratic, he was a 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
unwillingly in 1882, the property hav-
ing been condemned for street i'm
provement. In the death of Mr..
Phillips the little band of surviving
original abolitionists looses its most
heroic and striking figure. Doctor
Furness and Robert Purves, of Wash
ington and the veteran poet Whittier
of Massachusetts, and few others of
less note still survive to mourn the
death of their silver-tongued leader,
but the ranks of the heroic men and
women who faced obloquy and perse-
cution for the sake of the friendless
black man are growing thinner each
| wear