The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1911-12-16
GENEROUS APPRECIATION
FOR WENDELL PHILLIPS.
Country Wide Eneomiun For Fearless
Champion Of Human Liberty.
Bv N. BARNETT DoDsoN


The large number Of meetings held
by Afro. Americans throughout the
country In honor Of the centenary Of
the birth Of Wendell Phillips clearly
indicates the appreciation Of the race
for those who paved the wary for its
freedom from the curse Of slavery.
Some of the organizations which con-
Quoted meetings were the American
Negro academy in Washington. the
National Independent Political league
and the New England Suffrage league
in Boston and the National Associa-
ton For the Advancement Of Colored
People, New York. which held its
meeting at Plymouth church in Brook
Ign.
DR.. Newell Dwight Hills presided at
the Brooklyn meeting. which was en-
thusiastic and largely attended. The
speakers were Mr.. Charles Edward
Russell. the Rev. Reverdy @. Ransom
and the Rev. DR.. John Haynes Holmes.
Each Of the speakers paid glowing
tribute to the work. manhood. zeal and
personal sacrifices Of the great anti
slavery hero and champion Of the cause
Of the oppressed and unjustly afflicted
slaves.
Significant and timely was the ad-
dress Of the Rev. DR.. r. @. Ransom.
which was in part as follows.
One hundred years ago Nov. % Wendell
Phillips was born. His unselfish devotion
fn ha ~ nj IN
only black men. but liberty loving men
and women everywhere. his debtors. The
surroundings amid which these comment
orative exercises here tonight are set are
significant. while lending added inspiration
to the hour. We are within the walls OF
Plymouth church. whose pulpit Henry
Ward Beecher made famous throughout
the English speaking world. At time
when the American pulpit was for tho
most part either dumb upon the evils Of
slavery or threw about that Ubiquitous in
stitution the sanctions of religion Henry
Ward Beecher stood there, a mighty Jove.
hurting the hot thunderbolts Of his wrath
against It.
He was one Of the best friends the cause
Of freedom ever had. He has demonstrate
ed the power and influence Of the unmuZ-
zled pulpit. He was much more concerned
with the acts Of the supporters Of slavery
tnan ne was ABOUT the acts OF inc apos-
ties. He had the courage to do that for
lack Of which the church and the I'M
churched masses are perishing today. He
stood on the banks Of the Hudson instead
Of the banks Of the Jordan and applied
the gospel to the moral. political and So
cial problems Of his time Wendell Phil
lips labored to make the constitution con-
form to the Declaration Of Independence
Lincoln's proclamation Of. emancipation.
the victories Of Sheridan and Sherman.
Meade and Grant. put Jefferson Davis to
flight and completely subdued the south's
power of armed resistance.
The south sued for peace not because II
had changed its attitude. not because its
baptism of fire through four years Of
bloody war had converted 1t to Summers
view Of the barbarism Of slavery. but be-
cause God had made II helpless by press
ing the bitter cup Of It's iniQuities to Its
lips until II had been drained to the dregs
As Wendell Phillips took his stand out
side the constitution while II sanctioned
slavery. so today the only impregnable
position we can take In to plant our feet
upon the constitution as amended and
stand there without compromise.