Morning journal and courier., 1884-02-15
COMMUNICATIONS.
Wendell Phillips as a Speaker.


 Tthe Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER
 Twenty-nve years ago it was nay privilege to hear Wendell Phillips a number of times during the anti-slavery discussions. Tn anniversary week "the Anti Slavery society met in Association Hall on Broadway, New York. The room was crowded. The meet. ing proceeded with little disturbance until Phillips was introduced. Then one or two hundred roughs, stationed in the gallery, evidently for that purpose, began to hiss, stamp, howl and roar. Phillips stood calmly waiting. The noise went on for ten minutes As soon as it subsided, as it did apparently from weariness of those making it, the ora tor spoke one or two sentences But the confusion broke out again, increased by counter demonstrations of those who did wish to hear. Then came little quiet. Phillips was ready with his sharp, incisive burning words. Even many of the brutal disturbers seemed checked and held in by the clear silvery tones of the speaker. But there were few unimpressibles, who, at ths statement, shouted, ''That's liel'' and stamped and roared anew. Phillips waited Soon there was pause in the disturbance. when, turning his eyes to the place from which the interruption came, he deliberately repeated the same statement. It was not questioned second time. The orator now went on with few other hindrances rousinR his hearers to intense interest through the whole hour. Occasionally the rough ele- ment, as if mad at it's own defeat, would break out for an instant, but some stinging rebuke, flash of wit or pert illustration would quickly subdue the wild beast.
 After repeated hearings in similar circum- stances we became assured that Phillips would be heard. Outwsrdly calm, perfectly self possessed himself and with few gestures, moving but little on the platform, his word, language cut right home. His sentences came like forked lightning. Every hearel felt they were the burning convictions of the mans soul. There could not be the slightest suspicion of anything done for oratorical effect. The man had something to say and said it. He had a message to deliver and he gave it forth.
 Once in the great hall of Cooper Union he turned his scorn upon those who had started out well in reform, but gave up because of difficulties, or lulled asleep by the Delilah of worldly fsver. Among others he scorned the Rev. Dr. Cox who was once mobbed Tn his church and home for brave anti-slavery utterances. The windows of the meeting house were broken in and things demolish- ed generally. For years, however, he had rather sided with pro-slavery sympathizers Said Phillips: 'When a Romish priest for any cause is degraded from office, his robes, his authority, his privileges are taken away. He is put out of all the priestly franchises. And to end all, his head is scraped with glass to remove even the oil with which he was consecrated. It must be that when Dr. Cox's church windows were broken in some of the glass fell on the min ister's head" We did not fully understand why such long-continued applause greeted these words until we learned that Dr. Cox was then sitting in front of that very plat form not ten feet away.
 It was at this same meeting that Nathaniel Hawthorne was treated with sharp rebuke. His well-known story Marble Farm" had not long before been "going the rounds In the introduction of that work he gives reasons for laying the scenes of it in Italy instead of his own country. These were, that no long continued wrong, no dark shadow of evil, no gigantic oppression, furnished the occasions for such tragedies here, etc. Phillips referred to the book and read from a paper in his hands the sentences of the preface. Deliberately and with wonder ful expression was the language re- pested. Then came a pause, during which pin-drop might have been heard in that vast assemblage, and the words came again, No long continued wrong, no dark Then another pause, while over his face spread look of infinite disgust; then fling Ing the paper hercely from him, he cried: 'sOut upon i.!" and continued with scathing rebukes upon the famous author and all others who were so blinded by interest, self ishness, pride or something else that they could not see the terrible wrongs, oppresaions and crimes at their very doors.
 E. 0. BALDWIN.