New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-04-18
WENDELL PHILLIPS.

-,.,,,,s He was the real leader OF the anu
.,.,A-,, MARTY If IL could he silenCed the voices
:, the rest mattered little During twenty
- carrisen-s influence had been declining,
- pnillins had come steadily to the front
- che last ten years he had stood alone. II
q. his voice which rang through the land
MA, ,,ere the counsels which governed the Abo-
,.,io,ist band His speeches were something
-. than eloquent: they were full Of knowl-
=. n hard thinking and the rhetorical
--,,.5orr only lighted up a closely reasoned
.,rasnt What Emerson said of speeches and
....e in general was absolutely true of Phil
-, o-atorv. the effect of II was mathemati-
1t, measurable by the depth Of thought He
,,L. all over the North The Conservatives
"a y. match for him; therefore he was to be
-. Down By other means
psss,ons ran l think, higher in Boston dur
q. .bose winter months Of 1S6061. and the
- snr.ng than before or since Thanks 10
-. ,r,.sIavery faction on one side and the
,.olJ,,onists on the other. Massachusetts was
-.si- measurable distance Of civil war within
=, on-n borders After Fort Sumter and Balti-
- these passions found an outlet elsewhere
- time the two factions merged into one
-, R1t during all the years that have
,s.sd since I have known nothing quite ike
...,a NJ feeling which prevailed that winter
-. ~ society dissoIving. and their business
= v,eaith and authority perishing with it IRE
liz vorld was to exist no more Naturali,t
-, sought for their lives and all the rest Of
!. ana fought hard. Their hatreds were savage
-...bo5s we're savage We seemed to be
-. hack 70 the primitive days when men
- s.oa 10 face and the issue of battle De
. PERSONAL combat. The LawrenCes ana
L,.- friends we're generally a little stout for
=, s,sness Of battle. hut the allies whom they
,o,-st, with them 10 fremont Temple and the
Music Hall and the streets we're good hghung
material During all this time the Aboltlonlsts
rs-, IS they had been. a minority and on the
defensive.
gut this was -he state OF things which Gov
.n.r Andrew had in mind when ne challenger
p+iffips 10 show him the statute He oid nov
.n. - make the State Of Massachusetts,
70 rbis conflict within itself. II TO keep
rider in the streets or TO keep a platform open
:, PhiIlins he were obliged to move. he meant
:. have the law with him. No rehnemehIs' ho
,5ge ma de law no congratulations. Tor the COM
-or lar after an Atlantic voyage ana a nun
s-ed wears sleep is nothing but statute
-..ss 1e-5hle neremptory binding alike upon
Governor and citizens There was no S"'i
..s,ute II anybody had happened TO think OF
II y
wss not
-t.-..o-s rho Governor sat still He was of
..b buf5 that il seemed as r. while he sat
I'm nothing could move He was, In size ana
.na mt wholly unlike Gambetta. though ne
had .xe ewes both blue. against the one
baet esrv orb OF the Genoese; and curing
Hight brown hair instead Of the black Hon name
which 6oated to Gambetta's shoulders; ana
f,oe in which sweetness counted for as Tnuch ID
Strength Like Gambetta- he was wen serFeu
bv tbose about him. He knew accurately WHAT
vas going on. and all that was going on de
mil re sftervard he did not know on what III
formation We acted. but he was astonisheo VIC
knew 81 much about what the enemy intended
When reminded him that my associations were
,ost1, Nth The other side. he reflected a mo-
mon, and ssid- Yes. that explains a gooo
deal did not think It necessary to add that
after fremont Temple. We were on sood terms
with the police also: since Phillipss appear 10
Andrew had been based on the alliance pelNee"
the police and the Lawrence mob; an aliIaiiOe
,bicb had IN t-uth existed. at that time
P,. the winter wore on, Twice after the nls-
nurse NJ, Nobs and Education, Phillips spoke
n the Music HaIl.-JenuaTy 20. 1851 op LIS
urio- and February Il. on Progress bolh
tines the mob supplied part IF his audience N
SIDE and mart Of his escort OUTSIDE NO VIZ
lenes was attempted. The police were V''
strong end the example of Deputy Chief Ham
hsd proved they were in earnest IL lhefe "o7
any violence it was in Phillipss speeches. anu
language He was never more provocative. his
forecast o. the situation WAS Influenced pS ms
wishes and theories. All his life he had peeh
preaching disuuion as the one remedy for the
slave Disunion seemed now about "i'hIh
reach and at alf costs he would DO what ie
could 10 promote H. Indeed, he thought IL al
ready ACCOMPLISHED Within six weeks after
Ltncoln-s election South Carolina had replied 10y
en- ordinance Of secession Mississippi Ala
hama, Georgia had followed, and all over the
South United States forts and arsenals had
been seized by state troops. What was Phil-
lipss comment
The Lord reigneth: let the earth rejoice.
The covenant with death is annulled; the agree
rent with he'll is broken in pieces. The cham
which has held the slave system since 1877 Is
parted
He pronounced eulogy on the Southern
Ftate which had led the way:
South Carolina, bankrupt. alone, with nun
Cred thousand more slaves than whites, four
blacks 70 three whites within her borders. filings
her gauntlet II the feet Of twenty-four millions
OF peopie.-in defence Of an idea"
month later he in the same mood IL
Sss trait Of Phillips-not Sood ohe-tilaI
ne attacked most merciessly the men VIII"
ssted slavery as much he did but could not
g as far as he did. In this February speech
mere is long lampoon on Dana: counsel Tor
NE slave in all the fugitive slave cases. but
never denying-what lawyer ever did deny
mat there Was g constitutional obligation TO re-
TIN fugitives. II il human nature, but not the
test side Of it.
such reproach came III from man who de-
n'lnced the Constitution covenant with
'ssth because Of the compromises with slavery
embedded in the great instrument Of 1871 OF