The Labor enquirer., 1884-02-23
REcoLLECTIONs
OF the Greatest Of American
Citizens, Wendell Phil
lips.
/" "Honorious' Adds His Personal
Remembrances to the
Praise

Which an AppreclatlVe People De-
lights to Render to Truths
| Apostle,
| HWhy mourn for him? For him
| The welcome angel came
Ere yet his eye with age was dim,
Or bent his stately frame;
His weapon still was bright,
| His shield was lifted high
To slay the wrong, to save the right
What happier hour to die?"
And yet I confess to a feeling of pc
culiar sorrow at the loss of this, the
grandest and choicest figure in America.
1t is not the sorrow that one feels at the
loss of dear gem of the family or a
choice household pet. 1t is more that
sitting and lonely feeling of bereave-
ment which the isolated soldier of truth
experiences when towering and valiant
captain is seen no more in the scanty
camp of liberty.
We who, thinin numbers and envir-
oned by ostracism and misrepresentation,
are struggling in an unequal contest with
giant Mammon againsta world in arms,
know well and feel deeply and keenly
what the loss of such man, as Wendell
Phillips means. 1t means the silencing
of the thunders of Jupiter and the burn
ing satire of Mercury before the en-
trenchments of privilege and power.
1t means that the stoutest and bravest
Roman of us all has been called away
from his arms, and that none remains
who is able to take them up and WELD
them as did he. In this sense every re-
former in the world feels in these hours
gloomy pail of lonliness resting upon
his shoulders which only fresh resolve
to do and if need be die for truth can
tighten.
Ny first recollections> Mr.. Phillips
date back to the time when 1 was a
beardless youth in college. He had al
ready spoken in the anti-slavery cause
in my neighborhood before dared to 60
and hear him for so fierce and relent-
less was the hatred of good society to-
wards him that it was almost as fatal to
good social standing to attend an $nti-
slavery meeting as to enter brothel or
low grog shop. But being by nature
largely charged with radical blood, I
was not long deferred from going into
the meetings and judging for myself as
to whether Phillips and Garrison were
the foul demons of anarchy and frata-
eide which they had been persistently
represented to be by the popular press.
Many a reader who may read these lines
will appreciate my surprise when l
found in Mr. Phillips the par excellence
of polished, calm and iudicial-minded
scholar, and in Mr.. Garrison the quiet,
sweet, and God-fearing New England
parson of the old school. The impress
sion which my utter disappointment as
to the bearing and nature of these two
men made upon me will never be oblit-
Grated. One night my heart was 30
wounded at the atrocious calumny and
Misrepresentation heaped upon them
that went away alone after the meet
ing to distant rivers bank, and there
with one hand upon my breast and the
other lifted towards the stars, vowed
my sympathy, and fealty to their cause
How often since, when have hesitated
to enter unpopular meetings, has the
recollection of the shameful persecution
of Phillips and Garrison neryed me to
be a man and give every well-motived
reformer at least hearing, no matter
how much l might personally disagree
with him or his methods. Truly is the
blood of the martyrs the seed of the
church, and should probably not have
been labor reformer to-day but for the
heart that twenty-five years ago was
stung into pity and sympathy by the
shameless persecution heaped by re-
spectability and position upon Wendell
Phillips.
In the summer of 1879 I spent few
days at Princeton, Massachusetts, where
for many years Mr.. Phillips was accus
toned to take up his humble abode dur
ing the warm months. From ethe lofty
hills of Princeton, which is situated al
most in the center of the commonwealth
one sees below the winding valleys anG
vast plains dotted with factory villagee
and the abodes of toiling yeomen, whils
on clear day one can discern the smoke
of Boston forges and the summit o
l Bunker Hill monument, forty mile
away, Every pleasant day, mounted
upon homely country horse, Mr.. Phil
lips would wend his way alone to loft!
hill, two or three miles from the village
and with one arm thrown over hi
horses neck, would gaze upon the seem
of toll and struggle and domestic blis
below and around as if lost in a dream
A lady friend of mine who lived not fal
from the spot once ventured to ask hin
upon meeting him in the road, why b!
took so much delight in visiting tina
lonely retreat every day. "Oh," replies
Mr.. Phillips kindly, 81 suppose it nigh
: not be immodest in me to say that low
humanity and love to gaze off upon il