Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1884-04-19
News by Telegraph
FROM ALL QUARTERS.
'HONORS TO THB dead.
"A Grand Tribute to Wen
dell Phillips.
Gordon i'm a Tight Place.
Osman Bigna Getting an
Army together.
The Primaries in New York.
Most of the Delegates For
Arthur.
NEW ENGLAND.
The Primaries in New York.
Most of the Delegates For
Arthur.
NEW ENGLAND.
Massachusetts.

The Dead OratOr-An Eloquent Trib-
ufe To Wendell PhIIl1ps-The Grand
Grafton Delivered BY George William
Curtis.
BOSTON, April 18.-Probably the most dis
tinguished audience ever assembled in Tre-
mont Temple gathered this evening to lis
ten to the Grafton of George William Curtis
on Wendell PhiIlips-the tribute of Americas
greatest living orator to the greater one now
dead. The auditorium could not hold one
quarter of those desiring admission. Among
those present were: The city council, the
heads of city departments, the school COM
mittee, several ex-mayors of Boston, Gov
ernor Robinson and staff, the governors
council, justices of the Supreme and Supe-
rior courts with the standing justices of the
Postmaster Tobey, United States Marshal
Banks and United States Circuit
Court Judges Gray, Lowell and Nelson.
The old abolition party was represented
by Elizur Wright, Louise M. Alcott, Rev. G.
A. Barbour, Rev. A. A. Miner, Rev. Samuel
E. Sewell, Theodore D. Weld, Rev. Samuel
May, Rev. w. G. Bowditch, John M. Forbes,
Samuel LongfelIow, It. W. Higginson, Abbey
W. May, Ednah D. Cheney, Rev. James
Freeman Clark, Julia Ward Howe, Wills
liam Lloyd Garrison, II. B. Black
well, John e. Whittier, Mrs j. T. Fields
and Others Other representative personages
were Rev. Edward Everett Hale, Rev.
Brooks Herford, Rev. Phillips Brooks, T. B.
Aldrich, w. D. Howells, Henry Cabot Lodge
President Elliot, William Endicott, jr., r.
b. Dana and Robert G. Winthrop. Mayor
Morgan occupied the chair. Howard M. Dow
was organist and was assisted in the rendi-
ton of music by T. NJ. Carter, cornetist, the
Temple quartette and a selected choir.
The exercises began with an organ
voluntary, followed by the singing of
"Loyal to the end" adapted for the occasion.
prayer by Rev. NJ. j. Savage, singing of an
original ode, q poem by Miss Belle Cushman
Eaton, composed by Mrs. Mary E. Blake,
singing and eulogy by George William Curtis,
the exercises concluding with America and
the benediction. Mr.. Curtis referred to the
Massachusetts, custom of eulogizing her
dead heroe and statesmen, but this occasion
was unique in that private citizen who held
no Office, belonged to no party, who swayed
votes but seldom voted, and who the greater
part of his life spurned the constitution as a
bond of iniquity and the Union as
q yoke of oppression is eulogized by
great assemblies, official authority, the press
from sea to sea and the orators of to day, all
Of whom are loyal to party, revere the con-
stltution, maintain the Union and hold the
ballot to be the most sacred trust and voting
the citizens highest duty. The spectacle of
to day is therefore the most significant in our
history. It is the solemn public declaration
that a life of transcendent purity of purpose,
blended with commanding powers, devoted
with absolute unselfshness and with amazing
results to the welfare of the country and of
humanity is in the American republic, an
example SO inspiring, patriotism so lofty
and public service so benefcent that, in
contemplating them, discarded opinions, diff
fering judgments and the sharp sting of con-
troversial speech vanish like frost in flood
of sunshine. Then in matchless periods Mr..
Curtis reviewed the life and times
of Wendell Phillips, bringing out in
full force the remuneration he made the great
conservation of his life and the grand results
of the sacrifice. His first speech to the mob
in Faneuil Hall was characterized as the great
est scene in the annals of American speech
since Patrick Henry's electrical warning to
George III. The third great oratorical tri
umph of our history was Lincolu's effort at
Gettysburg. Phillips was the orator and the
greatest orator of the anti-slavery epoch.
His great work was to arouse the public
mind and conscience. His judgments,
though profoundly sincere were sometimes
mistaken. So with ALL great men. But this
is forgotten where moral integrity remains
unsoiled. In conclusion Me-. Curtis said
am not here to eulogize the mortal but the
immortal. He, too, was great American
patriot and no American life-no
not one-offers to future genera
tons of his countrymen a more priceless
example of inhexible fidelity to conscience
and to public duty, and as years roll on the
eloquence like the song of Orpheus will fade
from living memory. That great scene of
his youth in Faneuil Hall-the surrender of
ambition-the mighty agitation and tbs
mighty triumph with which his name
is forever blended will live among
immortal traditions, heroic in heroic history.
The wide republic will confess the benedic-
ton of life like this and gladly own that if
with perfect faith and hope assured America
would still stand and Ibid the distant gene
rstions hail. the inspiration of his national
life must be the sublime moral courage, the
all-embracing humanity, the spotless in
tegrity, the absolutely unselfish devotion of
great powers to great public ends which were
the glory of Wendell Philips.