New-York tribune., 1884-02-25
WENDELL PHILLIPS d BORN FIGHTER.
ROBERT COLLYER COMPARES HIM WITH CROM-
WILLS TRONSIDES.

ROBERT COLLYER COMPARES HIM WITH GROIN
WILLS RoNsIDEs.
Robert COllyer last evening delivered n dis
course on Wendell Phillips the Church of the Messiah
at Thirty ourth-st. and Parl-ave. He said Few men
in our time by their DEATH have touched the
American heart as he who my friend for than
q quarter of q century. Wendell Phillips only re-
memember two who dld-Abraham Lincoln and James
Garfield Yet with these, we must pause and ask
whether our sorrow them would have been painful
and so poignant if their lives had been ended by what
called in old times, the stroke of God. They
remind OF something which saw In Rome,
in the CatacOmbs where, amid the everecurring mOnot
ony Of the images OF death and the orrOwfu inscriptions
and again upon some tomb, or some vase
which the attention and suuses the eyes with
tears IL holds the ashes OF martyr You ask no ques
tions when you TO these graves You read within
the lines Of the inscription aud by the symbols of
swerving loyalty to God and to Christ They
rounded by the never-fading aureOe of the martyrs
crown. And such glory has settled upon the Ombs
Of these good Presidents, and will rest forever
upon their and memories. Nor can l
imagine the day when their graves Will fail to touch the
hearts and the eyes all who live ia this land
With Wendell Phillips it is different | cannot con-
ceive OF painful sorrow in connection with his death.
died at sunset, the New-England Sabbath steal
ing noelessly the land. surrounded by his friends
after having accomplished the great work Of his life He
was as content to die could be who loved the
light OF the sun, which he dd nOldnatey Tor when no
went his summerng he would always choose house
without any around it, batbed. he called It, in
vyifyng floods of light We mourn his loss the loss
Of the companion and the friend. But the complete
ness Of his life and the exceeding triumph Of his peaceful
death prev ent real painful His work DONE
and some have thought and said that it OyerdOne
To me he seemed like one Of CTOmwers Ironsdes, so
eager unsheath the sword TO be unable to wait until
he had examined all the causes Of the quarrel and the
circumstances of his opponent This his trouble after
the battle Of his life had been fought and the victory wOn
He could rest upon the laurels gained He born
fighter and he had to combat something. Those who
knew him in his college days say that he always
in opposition, champonng what seemed to him the
unpopular sde the under man. without asking what
sort of q man he might be. We must remember this
when wonder at his later years.
He born a social arstocrat, and It was great do
light his nmOst soul that he owned white house in
Beacon-st. But he would walk arm in arm witha
colored Boston Common, and in his later years
with Ben Butler In his youthful days when he assooi
tied with those grand old merchant princes nObemen of
Boston, he invited TO his house TO meet the grandest
and the proudest OF them ALL three friends whose color
was let us say abnormal The merchant prince
introduced to the first who exactly white.
he certainly not black and he fine hand.
some fellow with the air and bearing OF q gentleman
The merchant prince held out his hand TO him frankly
The second also gentleman, but he cOnsd-
held fingers. The third coal black negro,
but genemanly as his fellows The merchant put his
hands behind his back. No. Mr.. Phillips said he Il
draw the line here But Wendell would have that
eye of nyecye against It. He vowed that could
be gentleman In spite OF his color"