The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-02-11

Presbyterian Church, last night to an unusu
ally large audience attracted by the subject Of
his discourse, which was Wendell Phillips. He
spoke as follows
talk tonight on Wendell Phillips; my text is
Romans XVIII chapter, LIST vefse-''We, then,
that are strong, ought to bear the inti1mities OF
the weak, and not to please ourselves" Wendell
Phillips was strong in his lineage; for all Ameri-
can he was remarkably far descended, and his
blood had not 'crept through scoundrels since
the flood Five generations before his, Rev.
George Phillips, the first minister of the Puritan
Church of Watertown, Mass, was his ancestor.
One of his kinsmen founded Exeter Academy"
another Phillipss Academy" was senator
of the United States directly after the States
had been united. His father was the first mayor
of Boston. 1t is a race of gentlemen and schol-
ars. 1t is one of the first families
That means good deal in New England and
elsewhere. The child so descended does not need
to achieve position, and added to this, Wendell
Phiszps had plenty of money; had no need to
earn fortune and that is an advantage to any
that money cannot spoil. He entered the
district school and graduated at the best college.
He read law and was ready for life when he
saw something that gave his life impulse and
direction. He saw a mob leading Garrison
through the streets by rope. 1t was a mob
dressed in broadcloth made up of men of
wealth and standing. He saw that and he did
not enter on the practice of law could not well
take the oath TO maintain and support laws that
recognized slavery as an institution of the
country.
In 1887 Rev, f. P. Loveioy was shot by a mob
at Alton, ILL.,, while attempting to defend his
printing-press. A meeting was called in Boston
by William f. Claiming and others to consider
the case. The Hon. James I. Austin, Attorney
general Of the Commonwealth, made bitter
speech, styled by the Boston Atlas as most able
and triumphant. He called slaves "a menagerie
of wild BEASTS" said that Lovejoy was 'pre-
sumptous and died as the fool dieth;' said also,
in reference to Dr. Channing's speech, that "a
clergyman with gun in his hand, ming
ling in the debates of popular assembly, was
maTvelously out of place"
He had the somewhat old-fashioned notion
that minister is not citizen; that his bust
ness is, on Sunday, to preach on the sins of the
Jews and on week days to get ready to preach
the sins of the Jews-varied, by going from
house to house, making stiff little formal calls
inquiring here and there, it may be, after the
health of the canary.
Wendell Phillips, twenty four years old heard
the able and triumphant speech of the Attorney
general. He at once walked to the platform and
said: Mr.. Chairman, when l heard the gentle
man lay down principles which place the muir
derers of Alton side by side with Otis and
Hancock, with Quincy and Adams
ing to the portraits on the wall) would
have broken into voice to rebuke the recreant
American, the slanderer of the dead. Sir, for
the sentiments he has uttered on soil conse-
Grated by the prayers of Puritans and the blood
of patriots, the earth should have yawned and
swallowed him up
Here there was applause and hisses and
great cry of take that back" make him take
back recreant.' Finally Mr.. Phillips resumed:
Il cannot take back my words, and went on to
issue some more of the same quality, only hotter
He notes the saying of q reverend clergymen
of the city mo citizen has a right to publish
opinions disagreahle to the community"
That is all we know of the Rev. Hubbard Wins
low, successor to Isaiah and ST. Paul and other
--.tcphets and saints, distHrbers of the peace of
Che wicked And that is all we wish to know of
fhA Rev HubbarA Wincloyy I do ot I'm
whether ought to beg your pardon for rehears-
ing at such length what ought to be familiar
history to us ALL
The fact that we have Just found out that our
children not taught modern history in our
schools, and have not been for some years
makes it painfully probable that we are not too
familiar with modern history ourselves. l be
tieVe | will not beg pardon. Unless we know
the beginning and direction of things we cannot
have sound Judgment as to the outcome
man ignorant of the past of his nation is not
qualified to have anything to do with its present
or future. To work UNDERSTANDABLE we must
know what this nation of ours is for-what is the
plan and purpose.
If the master is dead, having left designs
drawn upon his trestle-board, and will not
study them. how can we go on to work and
build rightly the templel A nation ought not
20 be built. like our Higllschool, with pieces
patched together like crazy quilt, each genera
hon working Independently of each other. Of
such a nation all architects viii declare that it is
only reasonably safe" which is way of saying
that it may fall down any day. If history is
necessary, it is better taught by grouping it
about For information of the times of
Cromwell, | Will read the life of Cromwell.
Henry Wilson has written the Rise and Fall of
the Slave Power" But it is not SO interesting
as the life of John Quincy Adams, of CARR
son, or of Sumner, or of Lovejoy, or of Phillips.
1t is history, but it is dry--no succulence in it.
We have marked the beginning of Phillips;
his initiation into the society of Abolition It is
an enlistment into forlorn hope, for in the
New England of 1887 it is not respectable to be
an Abelitionist it is not ''good form, one loses
the lecture of Matthew Arnold in Boston Mr.
Winthrop and Mr.. Phillips met and shook
hands Tor the first time hi many years.
An opinion as to the freedom of a slave divided
neighbors like sea.
I'VE that are strong ought to bear the IN
fr1nities Of the weak" Wendell Phillips felt
and assumed the obligation, and it cost him
great deal. We here, in the unconventional
man to be an Abolitionist in 1887 He injured
the trade of Boston, aienated Southern Gus
toners of Boston merchants.
Eighteen hundred and thirty-seven was a timid
ime-serving mercenary time. 1t could hardly
be called year of Our Lord Theodore Parker
describes the christening of a negro: ''Thy
name is slave, baptise thee in the name of the
gold eagle, the silver dollar, and the copper cent"
Wendell Philips held the Southern interpreta-
zion that slavery was recognized in the Censtitu-
ton. He said the highest crime may be written
in the highest law of the land. For
this reason he was not admitted as
attorney at law and held no Office
He did not like the arrangement Of the words
IN Daniel Webster's famous sentence, beginning,
The Union and Liberty"-he put liberty first.
abraham Lincoln said, IT will save the Union
without slavery or L will save the Union with
slavery; l will save the Union" Wendell
Phillips could not assent to that. He saw the
expediency of the Union of these St2tes but he
felt the necessity of justice-let that be done
though the heavens fall" Therefore In the
minds of many most respectable men, Wendell
Phillips was amutineer, rebel, a very son of an
arehy.
1t is not pleasant to put to sea in such weather
the winds were all head winds
But there seems to have been no hesitation in
khis case. He eomnted the cost and hnna. hi1nself