Wendell Phillips, Theodore C. Pease, Speeches, Lectures and Letters of Wendell Phillips: Volume 1

[296] [Renewed laughter.] We can afford to thank them. It is but fair, however, to confess that they differ from that illustrious Spaniard. His chief anxiety was about his dinner; their distress rose higher than loaves and fishes,they trembled for our glorious Union. [Laughter.] The passions of men were all on fire,--the volcano in full activity. They confessed they did not know what to do; but they determined not to do they knew not what. Theirs was the stand-still policy, the cautious status quo of the old law.

Now, Whately says there are two ways of being burned. The rash moth hurries into the flame, and is gone. The cautious, conservative horse, when his stable is on fire. stands stock-still, and is burnt up all the same. The Everett party chose the horse policy when their stable took fire. [Applause.] Don't you hear the horse's address: “In this stall my father stood in 1789. Methinks I hear his farewell neigh. How agitated the crowds seem outside there! I'll have no platform but that my father had in 1789,” --and so he dies. Yet the noble animal risked only his own harm. His mistakes drag none else to ruin. Four millions of human beings saw their fate hanging on this do-nothing, keep-silent, let-evil-alone party. Then their appeals to us to keep silent, to cease criticising chains and slave-auctions, hangings and burnings of men for free speech; their kindly assurances that, if we would only be still, no harm would come,--the whole trouble was our noise; they implored us not to cherish this dislike to these constitutional and necessary measures I! Like the viper-peddler in Spain, who exhibited his stock to the inn guests all the evening, descanting on their life and vigor, and when at night, in the utter dark, one traveller felt something cold crawling on his face, cried out: “It is only my vipers, they are all loose; but if you'll only lie perfectly still and quiet, they won't hurt you the least.” [Applause.]