Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-12-03
Phillips
Great
Grafton
on TOUssAINr L'oUvERTURE.

The following extracts from the
great Grafton of Wendell Phillips on
Toussaint L'Ouverture will prove Of
interest TO those who have not had
the opportunity 20 read the great
deliverance:
II I stood here 20 night TO tell the
story of Napoleon. ! should take lt
from the lips OF Frenchmen who find
no language rich enough 20 paint the
great captain Of the 18th century.
Were 7 here TO tell YOU the story of
Washington. i should take it from
your hearts.-you. who think no mar
BILE white enough on which 20 carve
the name of the Father OF his Coun-
try. 7 am about 10 tell YOU the story
OF a negro who has hardly left one
written line. I am 20 CLEAN it from
the reluctant testimony of Britons.
FreuChmen. Spauiards-men. who de
spised him as negro and a slave.
and hated him because ne had beaten
them in many a battle. All the ma
terials for his biography are from
the lips of his enemies.
Let ms pause "a moment. and find
something 20 measure him by You
remember Nacaulay says. COMPARING
Cromwell with Napoleon. that Crom-
we'll shows the greater military gem
ius. IF we consider that he never saw
an army tin he was forty. while Ma
poleon was educated from a boy in
the best military schools iu Europe
Cromwell manufactured his own
army; Napoleon at the age Of twenty
seven was placed at the head of the
best troops Europe ever saw. They
were both successful. but. says Ma
caulav. with such disadvantages. the
Englishman showed the greater gen
ius. Whether You allow the infer
ence or not. YOU will 40 least grant
that 10 is a fair mode OF measurement.
ApHy IL 90 Toussaint Cromwell
never saw an army tin ne was forty
this man never saw a soldier tin Dc
was fifty. Cromwell manufactured
his own army-out of what? En-
glishmen-the best blood In Europe
Out OF the middle class of English
men-the best blood En- the island
And with IL he conquered what.
Englishmen-thoir equals.
This man manufactured his army
out of what2 Out of what You cal
the despicoble race OF negroes. de.
based. demoralized by two hundred
years OF slavery. one hundred thOus
and of them imported into the island
within four years. unable 90 speak
a dialect intelligible 20 each other
Yet out OF this mixed. and. as you
say. despicahle race. he forged q
thuuderbolt. and hurled 10 at what
E.a D I'D u
Spaniard, and sent him home con
Quered. at the most warlike blood 30
Europe. the French. and put then
under his feet: at the pluckiest BLOOD
in Europe. the English. and they
skulked home 90 jamaica
Now. 81 Cromwell was general
az least this man was a soldier.
know il was a small territory: IL wa.
not as large as the continent. but ID
was as large as that Attlca which
with Athens for a capital, has filled
the earth with its fame for two
thousand years. We measure gen
ius by quality. and not by quantity
Fuyther.-Cromwe was only
soldier: his fame stops there No
one line In the statute book Of Bri
tain can be traced 20 Cromwell. no
one step in the social life of Englau.
finds its motive power in his brain
The state he founded went down Will
him 20 his grave. But this man NJ
sooner put his hand on the helm o.
state. than the ship steadied with az
upright keel. and he began 20 evinci
a statesmanship as marvellous as hi
military genius.
History says that the most states
manlike act OF Napoleon was hi
proclamation of SOC. at the peace o
Amiens when believing that the in
delible loyalty OF a native born hear
is always a sufficient basis on whic
20 found an empire, he said: "Frenci
men, come home. I pardon tn
crimes Of the last twelve years
blot out its parties; : found m
throne on the hearts Of all French
men. and twelve years OF unclouC
ed success showed how wisely b
judged. This was in 1902
In 1900 this negro made a prOcli
nation; IL runs thus: "SOns of 81
Domingo. come home. We neve
meant 10 take your houses o
your lands. The negro only ash
ed that liberty which God gave hin
Your houses wait for you: your land
are ready; come and cultivate them:
-and from Madrid and Paris, frOT
Baltimore and New Orleans, the EN-
grant planters crowded home 10 Ell
JOY their estates. under the pledge
word that was never broken OF
victorious slave. It was 1900
The world waited fifty years be-
fore, in 1876, Robert Peel dared {
venture, as matter Of practices
craftsmanship, the theory of FIRE
trade. Adam Smith tbeorized. tn
French statesmen dreamed but T.
man at the head of affairs had eve
dared to risk II as a practical mea
ure. Europe waited until 1916 b
fore the most practical intellect
the world. the English adopted n
great economic formula OF unfettere
trade. But in 1900. this black, wit
the instinct OF craftsmanship. sal
TO the committee who were draffiu