Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1884-02-14
Sketch of Wendell Phillips.

Ou NOhSmutl ~, lo11, anu IlNeu tlole Z
all his life. His father, John Phillips,
was the first Mayor of Boston, and of
course sent him to Harvard, whence he
was graduated in 1881. He was admit
ted to the practice of law in 1884, but
as neither his tastes nor necessities re-
quired MIN to remain in the profession,
lie soon left it, and for many years de-
voted his main energies to the anti
slavery cause, with which he was prom
inently identified from the time of the
murder of Lovejoy, which aroused his
first eloquent speech in Faneull Hall in
1887, to the close of the late war and the
enfranchisement of black men. He WAS
an unflinching, outspoken abolitionist,
and never hesitated to advocate disunion
as the most expeditions means of free
ing the slaves. In the height of the
ANTI-sLAvERY MOVEMENT
when its advocates were often treated
with obloquy aud brutality, his eloquent
voice commanded attention and respect
from many who went only to scoff and
jeer. His oratory was peculiar to him
self. He had the art of blending history,
statistics, aDecdOtee, denunciation and
argument in the most captivariHg way,
so that from the time he began to speak
to the close the interest never tagged.
He spiced his addresses with pointed
and bitter personalities, and never tired
of eXcoriating the slave holders and
their friends.
TireleSs in his work, he went wherever
free speech was permitted, advocating
his cause on lecture platforms, at con-
ventiens, meetings of Abolitionists, and
everywhere that word could be said
in favor of humanity. His polished
speeches were prepared with great care,
and his appearance as speaker became
a surety for crowded audience. As he
stood before the audience in scrupulous-
ly neat and tasteful dress, with easy
grace and bright, intellectual face, he
was a good picture of a gentleman of the
old school.
He lived forty yeaes in the old home
stead in Essex street, Boston. 1t was
here that he used to receive old John
Brown, of Ossawattomie, and his fugi-
tive slaves, and many chip of the old
house has been taken away by relic
hunters.
Some of Mr.. Phillips bitterest speech
es were made during the war. From
the first be saw that the war was the
opportunity for the slave, and he kept
urging tie North to more active meas
ures. He was impatient with Mr.. Lin
coin, and in one of his speechts in Cooper
Institute declared that Mr.. Lincoln was
an "old turtle" He made thrilling
speeches in favor of arming, educating
and entranchisng the blacks, and was
always predicting that they would seize
the opportunity to free themselves at
the sacrifice of their masters. He was
IL warm advocate of the Emancipation
prOclamations of both Fremont and
Lincoln, and the fruition of his hopes
was found in the adoption of the Fif-
teenth Amendment. Mr.. Phillips found
time all his life for urging other reforms
also. He was always an advocate for
temperance and for the enfranchisement
of women, and he was prominent
speaker on those topics
At the close of the war Mr.. Phillips
came prominently to the front as an ad-
vocate of the principles of the Green
back-LabOr party, and SuOn became
celebrated for as marked utterances on
the labor question, as had characterized
his anti slavery speeches.
OF the Chinese question Mr.. Phillips
dAered from some of the old abolition
orators, and favored the restriction OF
Chinese immigration as means of es.
sentlal protection of American working.
men. He said: They who seek to flood
us artlticially with barbarous labor are
dragging down the American home tc
the level of the houseless street herds
OF China. If the workingmen have moi
combined to prevent this, it is time tina,
they should. When rich men conspir,
poor men should combine
Mr.. Phillips was of medium height
compactly built, erect and of "A pracefn
carriage. His eyes were blue. He nsu
= ally wore short side whiskers.