Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1884-03-03
THELATE WENDELL PHILLIPS.
The Great Agitator and Reformer-A
Brief Review OF His Life and Charac.
teristicS.

The Great Agitator and Reformer-A
Brief Review OF His Life and Charac
leristics.
With the death of Wendell Phillips
the last of the great pioneers and orig
inal apostles of Abolitionism in the
United States is gathered to his re-
ward. He was born in Boston on the
29th day of November, 1911. At the
age of 10 he graduated from Har.
ward College, began at once the
study of law, and was admitted to the
bar in 1894.
His sympathies were strongly
aroused by the persecution of the earl,
Abolitionists, more particularly dur
Ing the Boston mob in October,
1888, when Garrison, the leader OF
the Abolitionists, narrowly escaped
with his life. The following year
Phillips gave up the practice of law
because he was unwilling to act under
an oath of allegiance to the Constitu.
ton Of the United States, and pub
hcly joined the Abolitionists. In
1865 he succeeded William Lloyd Gar
rison as President of the anti Slavery
Society, which position he held until
the dissolution of the organization in
1870.
In his time Wendell Phillips es
poused many causes, such as prohibi-
ZION, abolition of interest on money.
Communism, agrarianism, greenback
fiat money, the election of General
Butler to the Presidency, woman
rights, the abolition of government
and penal laws, the restriction of ruff
fans and criminals by the power of
love only, the abolition of slavery
and OF the American Constitution as
VA covenant with death and league
with hell" He opposed bitterly the
formation Of the anti. Slavery political
party He was candidate for Gov
ernor Of Massachusetts at one time.
but he received only small vote.
During the war he dropped all his
views OF no government and non 20.
l'tFoai action against slavery, and be-
came al advocate of the most extreme
measures for its suppression Thus
70 of the best years of his life de-
voted to the agitation Of an anti
Slavery sent,ment eliminated in sue
cess with the issue OF the Emancipa-
tion Proclamation, and amidst a
mighty shock OF arms.
With the extinguishment of slavery
the activities of Mr.. Phllips's mind
sought new directions, and whatever
subjects he discussed, the magnetic
eloquence. the ncver-failing courage,
the splendid intellectual powers, the
fierce defiance of public sen iment, if |
against him, are fresh in the country's
recollection. His sympathies with
humanity was unbounded, his hatred
of oppression in all its forms, and of
shams in all their phases, intense, his
grasp Of the future possibilities of
American civilization far-reaching,
and the world, in spite of any mis-.
takes that he may have made, was the
better for his living.
In personal appearance Mr.. Phillips
was man of fine and commanding
presence. In was no doubt the most
complete and polished orator on the
American platform. Although the
associate of the cultured and aristo-
cratic, he was man of the simplest
habits and tine least ostentation. He
lived for 40 years in a modest two
story brick house built by himself in
Boston, and which he vacated most
nn"1lfmgly in 1882, the property
having been 'condemned" for street
Improvement. In the death Of Mr..
Phillips the little band of surviving
original Abolitonists loses lis most
heroic and striking figure. DR.. Fur
Tess and Robert Purvcs, Of ashiny-
on, and the veteran poet Whittier, of
and few others OF less
,ote still survive 10 mourn the death
# their silver-tongued leader, but the
anks Of the heroic men and women
Who faced obloquy and persecution
or the sake OF the friendless blae1..