New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-19
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
WENDELL PHILLIPS.
WENDELL PHILLIPS; by Carlos Martyn' l2mo'

was that of Wendell Phillips. and his life lends Itself
I'm special ways TO the art of the skful bographer
Yet nothing can be difficult than to present with
the necessary vividness, at short remove. a full
likeness of one who was In many respects unique
Mr. MARTIN has fulfilled this embarrassing task with
considerable success The life he has written i rel
atvey full lie has studied his subject under various
aspects with sympathetic appreciation, and his one
,crjous fault /, disposition speak with needless
bitterness Of those who opposed Phillips during a
perod which, though not distant in point Of years closed
a phase Of Natiorsl life from which the present time
Is separated in sentiment BY virtually unreasonable
space. Perhaps. too. Mr.. Martyr has been led in
,ensibly 10 aserbe to Wendell Phillips central
md dominant position in the little phalanX OF
Abolitionists than is altogether Just to some of his
colleagues. Let hasten to add to the expression
of this doubt full acknowledgment Of the strength
OF the temptation 10 glOrify such a man. For We
think there can be no serious that the character
and career OF Phillips must grow steadily in estlma
ton and that Tie next generation will recognize u
him one Of the most distinguished men the republic
has produced.
What he did other did, but hardly In the same
degree. and certainly not with the same results. smile
as one NAV at the professions of Boston BrahminS,
il can never be lost sight Of that the spirit OF 'ms
Boston pride is closely akin to the spirit winch
mao. Athens. and Rome. and Florence ana venice
illustrious And if. when Wendell Phillips. born TO
The purple as he was, held far more Loyalty ana Truly
10 the line Of real patriotism and municipal sell
respect than did the men who ostrdcsed MN ne
cause he broke their conventions. it remains none
the less certain that this ostracsm was gazing anu
that il approached the condition of martydom IN us
consequences. Philips when he devoted his life 10 the
Anti slavery cause made great sacrifice. lie de-
lbeately gave up all hope OF wealth, social posiuon
and political honor which his birth and his splendid
Intellectual gifts justified him in looking forward 10.
The most effective the greatest orator of his day
he might have won the highest forensic prizes ana
have aspircd TO the most important public poSltloh>'
But in consecrtng himself TO Abolitionism he re-
nounccd all these hopes. and he moreover maze HIS
account with life of contumeN, persecution an"
Insult II is true that he had means TO i've WITHOUT
practising the law, but these means were restricted anu
no consented among the rest to remain poor man
when he Joined himself To the most unpopular cause
that ever challenged the adhesion OF good ana Just e
IT must always be painful to look back upon that
time and study the moral debasemcnt which slavery
had brought in its train Never before perhaps
o. the decreasing and revolving aspects Of National
life so glaTingly exposed
Greed cowardice spurious ariStocratlsm Wlhi-
ming opportunsm seemed 10 have stited ana cefa'nN
had subiugated, the whole majority throughout ''c
Nortb Nor was IL only in the places where greed and
,inidtv are naturally looked fortha is, in the ranks
os nolitios and trade-that these manifestations APP
peared They rankest where by every tFdoluo''
doctrine and principle through which men aspire ana
rise they shOnld have been least IN evidence ii -
easier TO pardon the counting house and the pOhci
arena than the churches for their conduct at tlat
.imc II Is easier to understand the former than inc
,at.nr That ministers of the Gospel should have bceh
found in the North to Justify and defend slavery Is
fact calculated 10 excuse the most cynical scepucS
as 10 the value of the religion Represented by snch
nreachers and such congregations. But so II was, ana
the logical reaction against this monstrous phenomenon
was the renunciaon by portion of the AbolonlstS,
Of the Christianity misrepTesented ara so depra'o
Vet IL was reserved for Wendell Phillips TO show that
lowever backward the Northern spirit might be- II was
committed more by apathy than by deliberate purpose
of
NJ bcnc moved by reason ont of the rut into which
II had fallen For the crusade upon when fhli"p'
entered AZ the darkest point of the National existence
was essentially of appeal to the popular reason
even more than TO the popular conscience IL was
moreover the most magnificent tribute to the genus
NJ American liberty that the history Of the Republic
furnishes Here was a so mbued with the spirit
of Anglo-SaXon freedom, firm in his benet tat t'e
most radical reforms were to be gained Only thi"us"
persuasion that he cooy undertook 10 talk down an
obuSe wide as the continent and rooted deep In all the
hasest and strongest animal instincts of the people
and he succeeded in his apparently hopeless enterprise
II may indeed be asserted that no man could have
been more happily equipped for such an UNDERMINING
than Wendell Phillips Physically and mentally ALIKE
ne was perfectly endowed for his work a command
,n and distinguished presence secured the OF his
audience: voice Of singular sweetness ana peheud-
ton fixed their attention; an eoquence wmch EN-
bodied the most incorporating statements IN the
most calm and impetubable style. fascinated even the
most bgoted foes Of Abolition. Perhaps there never
was a sneaker who. having complete n command OF
himself and his organ, could rain down upon MS
hearers words burning that they seemed to be inc
product of ovcrmasering passion lie has been COM
psred to Il volcano covered by snow. and the figure
is not infellcitous. The effect Of ms oratory was
Of course enhanced greatly by his quiet and almost
colOluial manner; and when In his conversational
tones he emitted Of those blasting pnhppics
which used 10 wither the objects of them the I'M
preston produced amazing. Never was there
aIxx call ed made "A
IJe always spoke right out" lie non !
resistant; had the least idea Of submitting
himself 10 mob brutality As rule he could with ms
wonderful voice quell any mob but lad he failed TO
do so he would have folded his hands and taken
punishment meeky. When his house was threatened |
once he loaded his pistols carefully and prepared to
receive his assaants fifty; and aterward he frankly
declared that he would have shot them with more
conjunction than many dogs. Happily he was /
never nut TO this test. lie guarded bv Ormda /
bic body guard young athletes fully armed, in the
most perilos crisis Of his and these young men
would have given good account of any mob had |
violence been attempted
But il is significant Of Wendell PhTps's breadth Of
view that. while other Abolitionists advocated the |
employment Of force and open revolution, he, up
10 the beginning OF the Rebellion, relied upon moral
sIIasion. He believed that the only way 10 secure
form was by educating public opinion. and lie con
trbuted largely to the accOmpls hment Of that pur
pose and to the preparation of the North for the ap
preaching crisis. 4 marked Characteristic in the |
great agitatOr his freedom from all tendency to
intellectual crystalzaton lie a Iefonner not
only as regarded slavery, but regarded all other
social evils and abuses. When slavery had been |
abolished and the negroes rights secured az far a
possible by constitutional amendments. he did not
sidcr that his work done. lie Immediately ad
dressed himself to problems. such a. those Of
finance and labor and woman's rights. In the posi-
tons taken by him the two last Of these questions
lie has been charged with Deresy and eXtrava-
gancc. In finance hc certainly unSoind;
but TO the other problems ii is too soon 10
express confident opinion. When he became an