The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-04
Principles for which He Contended.

The first of Mr.. P%hillips's great abolition
speeches" was made toward the close of 1887, at
a meeting held at Faneuil Hall, Boston, for the
purpose of giving expression to the sentiment of
the people in regard to the anti-slavery riot in
Illinois, which resulted in the death of Rev.
Elijah P. Loyejoy. The meeting was held on
the 9th of December, and the Encouragement
of Massachusetts appeared as the advocate of
the rioters. He compared the slaves to amenage-
RE of wild beasts, and the Alton rioters to the
orderly mob who threw the tea overheard in
Boston harbor in I773-talked of the conflict of
laws" between Missouri and Illinois, declared
that Lovejoy was p~resumptious and imprudent,
and died as the fool dieth. This speech pro
d ced a sensation in Faneuil Hall, and Phillips,
who had come without expecting to speak, rose
Immediately to his feet, and amid the boisterous
efforts of the mobocratic party in the house to
drown his voice, made his first public speech.
In the course of his remarks he said:
'When | heard the gentleman lay down prin-
cipleS which place the murderers of Alton side
by side with Otis and Hancock, with Quincy and
Adams, ! thought those precious lips pointing
to the portraits in the hall) would have broken
into voices to rebuke the recreant American, the
slanderer of the dead. Sir, for the sentiments
that he has uttered, on soil consecrated by the
IA0l - VI bAAQ III lNQlO anu lllO DiOOoO VI DdltlOlS.
the earth should have yawned and swallowed
him up"
A storm of mingled applause and Kisses inter
rupte6 the bold young orator, with cries of
''Take that back! take that back" The
uproar became so great for a time
that he could not be heard. One
or two gentlemen came to Mr.. Phillips's
side while the crowd still continued to shout
SMake him take that back-he shan't go on till
he takes that back" Mr.. Phillips came to the
edge of the platform, and looking calmly Town
upon his excited hearers, said: "Fellow-citizens,
l cannot take back my words. Surely the At
torney-general, so long and well known here,
needs not the aid of your Kisses against one so
young as l am-my voice never before heard in
your walls" After this he was heard to the end
OF his speech without interruption. In this first
speech. which was wholly unprecedented he
showed all that clearness, elegance of diction,
logical compactness, and, above all, that moral
conviction which characterized all his subse-
quent oratory. Below is an extended extract
from this speech. In abiding to the speech of
the Attorney general. he said:
'Imprudent to defend the liberty of the press!
Whyl Because the defense was unsuccessful
Does success gild crime into patriotism, and the
want of it change heroic self-devotion into i'm
prudence2 Was Hampden imprudent when he
drew the sword and threw away the scabbardl
Yet he, judged by that single hour, was unsuc-
cessful. After a short exile, the race he hated
sat again upon the throne. Imagine yourselves
present when the first news of Bunker Hill bat
tle reached a New England town. The tale
would have run thus: The patriots are routed.
the redcoats victorious; Warren lies dead upon
the field With what scorn would that
Tory have been received who should have
charged Warren with imprudence, or who should
have said that, bred "a physician, he was out of
place, and died as the fool dieth.' How would
the intimation have been received that Warren
and his successors should have waited a better
times
'-Presumptuous! to assert the freedom of the
press on American ground Is the assertion of
such freedom before the agel so much before the
age as 10 leave no one a right to make it because
it displeases the community Who invented this
libel on his countryY 1t is this very thing which
entitled Lovejoy to greater praise. The disputed
right which provoked the revolution was far be-
meath that for which he died. AS much as
thought is better than money. so much is the
cause in which Lovejoy died nobler than a
mere question of taxes. James Otis thundered
in this hall when the King did but touch
his pockets. Imagine, if you can, his indignant
eloquence if England had offered to put a gag on
his lips. Mr.. Chairman, from the bottom of my
heart | thank that brave little band at Alton for
resisting. We must remember that Lovejoy had
fed from city to city, suffering the destruction
of three printing presses patiently. At length
he took counsel with friends, men of character,
Of tried integrity, of wide views of Christian
principle. They thought the crisis had come