Oakland sunshine., 1915-07-31

BOSTON HONORS
PHILLIPS MEMORY
Citizens UnVeiI Fine Statue
Of Noted AbOIiliOnist.
PATRIOTIC EXERCISES HELD

With Music and Speeches by Eminent
Men, Public Turns Out En- Masse to
Witness Event of National Interest.
w. Monroe Trotter Speaks For Our
Race.
Boston. A few minutes before 9
O'clock on the afternoon Of July the
veil fell from the $4,000 bronze statue
of Wendell Phillips in the Public Gar
den, and a crowd Of from 5000 to
5000 acclaimed with cheers and patrf-
otic song Daniel Chester French's al
most speaking memorial of BOston's
famous orator and abOlitionist.
AS the sun was sinking behind rain
clouds in the west little John @. Phil
lips, Jr., the great-grandnephew Of
Wendell Phillips, the man who de-
clared that if he lived long enough he
would make Boston streets too pure to
bear the footsteps Of a slave, pulled
the cord releasing the mantle which
for several weeks had yelled the statue.
As the folds fell away from the figure
of the great abolitionist GLORY, Glory,
Hallelujahr' burst from a chorus of
colored singers
Feryent was the prayer Of Rev.
historic Charles Street church and also
chairman of the executive committee
of the local Equal Rights league
branch; sterling and practical the trib-
ute of the acting mayor, George w.
Coleman, a man of Wendell Phillips
principles, as was every speaker.
Illuminating and forceful was the
life story by Secretary William d.
Brigham. Sweet and inspiring were the
singing by the colored singers, led by
DR.. Walter o. Taylor and ]. Therman
Jones. and the music of the brass band
of Company l., Sixth regiment Of Mas
sachusetts' militia. Picturesque and
touching was the encomium by the only
survivor of the New England abolition
lists, Frank B. Sanborn, now eighty-three
years old. still active, coworker with
Phillips. Earnest and unqualified was
lhC DihAoC ny thO oPOhCcAAah Ia NcA-
ored Americans, W. NJ. Trotter.
Fired with eloquence born Of love
was the eulogy of Ireland's friend and
friend of all oppressed by Michael ].
Jordan, son of O'ConnelPs island home;
tuneful and noble the paean of the poet
of the occasion, grandson of Phillips
party leader, bearing his name, William
Lloyd Garrison. Every participant was
an emulator of the Prophet of Liberty,
Champion of the Slave" while the
colored women of the Woman's Relief
corps held the colors.
The monument, masterpiece by
Daniel Chester French, the sculptor,
represents the great abolitionist stand
ing at reading desk, his right hand
resting upon the desk, his left out
stretched and holding a bit of broken
fetter Upon the marble background,
above the head of the statue, are the
words, "Whether In Chains Or IL Iaau
rels. Liberty Knows Nothing but Vic
tory" On the pedestal. in front, are
the words in raised bronze letters:
WENDELL PHILLIPS.
1s11-1SS4
PROPHET OF LIBERTY,
CHAMPION OF THE SLAVE.
On the reverse side Of the back
ground is this quotation from Phillips:
II love inexpressibly these streets Of
Boston, over whose pavements my
mother held up tenderly my baby feet,
and if God grants me time enough 1
will make them too pure to bear the
footsteps of a slave"
The exercises were opened by Mr..
William D. Brigham, secretary Of the
Wendell Phillips Memorial association,
who introduced the acting mayor,
George W. Coleman. president of the
city council.
Mr.. Coleman then introduced, in
turn, four speakers, who presented
verbal panorama of Wendell Phillips
life. William D. Brigham spoke on
/ Morning Youth and Vision;" Frank
lin Benjamin Sanborn on ''Noon-the
Abolitionist PERIOD William Monroe
Trotter on Citizenship For
the Colored American" and Michael j.
Jordan "Evening-What Mr.. Phillips
Did For Ireland" Mr. Coleman, In
introducing William Monroe Trotter,
said that nothing was SO appropriate
as for the eolored race to have
spokesman in dedicating monument
to Wendell Phillips and that there
could be no more fit representative
than William Monroe Trotter.
Mr.. Trotter said that Wendell Phil
lips was the originator of the north's
policy of reconstruction and a pioneer
advocate of the ballot for colored
Americans No man had done more for
the cause of human rights. perhaps,
than Wendell Phillips, save Charles
Sumner. Wendell Phillips was among
the first to announce emancipation as
the purpose of the war and to urge
that the people Of color should be used
as soldiers to help to save the Union.
He was a pioneer In the movement
| for suffrage. He saw to 1t that slav-
cry should be torn up by the roots and
, that as far as federal law was con-
| cerned every man, white and black,
should haze citizenship and suffrage
Wendell Phillips believed, as we do,
| that the greatest thing is human free
dom, said Mr.. Trotter. and it cannot
be maintained without equality, and