Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-02-04
Wendell Phillips, Death.

BUSY LIFE SPENT IN BEHALF OF FREEDOM AND RE-
FoRA-REV1EW OF HIS WORK AND PUBLIC SER
VICES.
Wendell Phillips, the silver-tongued orator, and
the last great leader OF the anti-savery movement
died at his home In Boston on Saturday evening at
6:15 O'Clock, after most painful illness OF weeks
duration His death resulted from heart disease
He suffered terribly, the pain being intermittent
death he told his physicians that he should never
recover. but everything was done to encourage
him. Not until almost the last did the physicians
give up al! hope OF his ralytng. Conscious to the
very last he recognized his wife and other members
or his family at the bedside. and spoke to them.
I HIS ADDRESS month ago at the unwilling of the
harriet Mart1neau statue proved a severe tax upon
ms pnyslcal and mental powers, and he told his
friends that his platform days were over.
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
Wendell Phillips was born In Boston on Nov. o.
1911, and lived there all his life His father, John
Phillips, was the first mayor OF Boston. and OF
course sent him to Harvard, whence he was gradu-
ated ID 1851. He was admitted to practice law in
1894, but as neither his tastes nor necessities re-
CURED him to remain in the profession, he soon left
IT, and for many years devoted his main energies to
the antl-slavery cause, with which he was proIn1-
nently Identified from the time OF the murder Of
LovejOy which aroused his first eloquent speech in
Faneuil Hall In 1897, to the close OF the late war
and the enfranchisement OF black men. He was an
uN11nchlng, outspoken aboitiontst and never hest
means of freeing the slave.
IN the height OF the ant1-slavery movement,
Wutu ltS advocates were OIIpn treated With oh
loquy and brutality, his eloquent voice com
manded attention and respect from many who
went only to scon and Jeer. His orator. was pecu-
liar to himself He had the art OF blending his
tory, statistics, anecdotes denunciation and argu-
ment In the most captivating way so chat from
the time he began to speak 10 the close the interest
never tagged He Spced his addresses with
pointed and bitter personalities and never tired OF
excoriatlng the shareholders and their friends and
n3 was 1he tellng blow which he dealt TO the
alles OF the south among northern churches and
soclai and business Institutions He struck at the
10 roe OF the slave wherever he found him, and was
In the van always to help the slave.
T1releSs In his work, he went wherever free
speech was permitted, advocating his cause on
lecture platforms, at conventions meetings OF abo
utlon1StS, and everywhere that q word could be
said In favor OF humanity. His polished speeches
were prepared with great care memortzed and de-
style that was at once original and Charming. He
had none OF the obtruSive mannerismS of the pro
fessional elocutionsts AS he stood before an audi
ence In scrupulously neat and tasteful dress with
easy grace and bright Intellectual face, he was a
good picture OF
GENTLEMAN OF THR OLD SCHOOL.
He lived forty yearsin the old homestead in Essex
street, Boston, and was finally compelled to leave it
by the opening OF a new street In 1882
Some Of Mr.. Phillips bitterest speeches were
made during The war. From the first he saw that
the war was the opportunity for the slave and he
kept urging the north to more active measures. He
was impatient with Mr.. Lincoln, and in one OF h1s
speeches in Cooper Institute declared that Mr. Lin
coin was an "old turtle" He made thrilling
SPSOIuCS ldNoi VI educating ana enfran-
chising the blacks and was always predicting that
they would seize the opportunity to free Themselves
at the sacrifice OF their masters He was warm
advocate OF the emancipation prOclamations OF
both Fremont and Lincoln, and the fllitiOn of his
hopes was found In the adoption OF the fifteenth
amendment. Mr.. Phillips found time all his life for
urging other reforms Also He was always an adyo.
cate for temperance and for the enfranchsement OF
women, and he was prominent speaker on those
topics.
At the close Of the war Mr.. Phillips came promt
nenty tothe front as an advocate of the principles
OF the greenback-labor party. He got 10000 votes
as laborer and temperance candidate for gov
eEnor OF Massachusetts in 1870, and soon became
celebrated for as marked utterances on the labor
question as had characterized his antLslayerv
speeches.
When the lecture system in this country was
most In favor, and other forms of amusement for
small cities and towns were not so common as now
MI. Phillips was In great demand as q lecturer
Among his most celebrated lectures were those on
"The Lost Arts eulogieS OF Theodore Parker and
John Brown and "TOuSSalnt LOuverturen "The
Lost Arts was charming literary production fulJ
Of curious data, going to show that the anc1ents
were In many respects ahead OF the moderns in
works OF art.
On the Chinese question Mr. Phillips differed
from some OF the old abolition orators and favored
the restriction OF Chinese immigration as a means
OF essential protection OF American workmen He
barbarous labor are dragging down the American
home to the level OF the houseless street herds of
China II the WOrk1ngmen have not Combined IN
prevent this 1t Is time that they should When
rich men cOnsp1re poor men should combine
. Mr.. Phillips was OF medium height. comnactlv
quilt, erect and OF graceful carriage His ewes Were
blue. lie usually wore sh ort side whiskers