Wendell Phillips
More Evidence of Dis-united North
A month after South Carolina officially seceded from the Union Wendell Phillips, a well-known abolitionist, gave a speech in Boston. The main idea: if a state wants to secede, let it.
From The New-York Times January 21, 1861:
THE ABOLITIONISTS IN BOSTON. ADDRESS BY WENDELL PHILLIPS AT MUSIC HALL.
BOSTON, Saturday, Jan. 19.
WENDELL PHILLIPS is announced to speak here to-morrow evening. The Anti-Slavery Society asked the protection of Mayor WIGHTMAN, who refused to protect PHILLIPS, but assured the Society that the peace of the city should be maintained.
The society then sought the protection of Gov. ANDREW, who sent his aids to see what the Mayor proposed to do. The Mayor replied to them that he would maintain the peace of the city; that if a disturbance took place in the hall it would be cleared, and that if there were indications of a row before the hall doors were opened he would have the hall closed. Protection has been asked for the annual Anti Slavery meeting to be held next week, but it was refused.
BOSTON, Sunday, Jan. 20.
WENDELL PHILLIPS addressed the Twenty-eighth Congressional Society in Music Hall this afternoon on the state of the crisis. He declared himself to be a disunion man, and was glad to see South Carolina and other Southern Slave States had practically initiated a disunion movement. He hoped that all the Slave States would leave the Union and not stand upon the order of their going, but go at once. He denounced the compromise spirit manifested by Mr. SEWARD and CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS with much seventy of language, and there was an occasional stamping of feet and hissing, but no outbreak.
Mr. PHILLIPS was escorted home by a few policemen and a great crowd pushing about him. The audience in the Hall was composed mainly of those regularly attending services there.
Governor John A. Andrew
John Albion Andrew became governor of Massachusetts on January 2, 1861. According to Wikipedia he immediately started preparing the state militia for
war.
Seven Score and Ten reported on Seward’s speech in the senate. I’m pretty sure Seward’s more moderate speech is what Phillips finds objective.
Phillips’ January 20 speech was published together with a speech on February 17, 1861. You can read the resulting book at Google Books.
Andrew Campaign Poster: And Mr. Phillips would be a Disunion Republican
The article I copied is at The New York Times Archive
