In several states, this trade is a chief source of wealth. You could instruct me in regard to them. It saps the foundation of religion; it makes your name a hissing, and a bye-word to a mocking earth. The charter of our liberties, which every citizen has a personal interest in understanding thoroughly. It is admitted in the fact that Southern statute books are covered with enactments forbidding, under severe fines and penalties, the teaching of the slave to read or to write. Frederick Douglass July Fourth Speech Full Text: Read There is not time now to argue the constitutional question at length nor have I the ability to discuss it as it ought to be discussed. There is blasphemy in the thought. Who can reason on such a proposition? welcome atheism! In a case like that, the dumb might eloquently speak, and the lame man leap as an hart.. Let it be thundered around the world, that, in tyrant-killing, king-hating, people-loving, democratic, Christian America, the seats of justice are filled with judges, who hold their offices under an open and palpablebribe, and are bound, in deciding in the case of a mans liberty,hear only his accusers! But now is the time, the important time. It does not often happen to a nation to raise, at one time, such a number of truly great men. What, then, remains to be argued? Should I seem at ease, my appearance would much misrepresent me. The manhood of the slave is conceded. On the other hand it will be found to contain principles and purposes, entirely hostile to the existence of slavery. They were statesmen, patriots and heroes, and for the good they did, and the principles they contended for, I will unite with you to honor their memory. Citizens, your fathers made good that resolution. That people contented themselves under the shadow of Abrahams great name, while they repudiated the deeds which made his name great. I scarcely need say, fellow-citizens, that my opinion of those measures fully accords with that of your fathers. The timid and the prudent (as has been intimated) of that day, were, of course, shocked and alarmed by it. Even Mammon seems to have quitted his grasp on this day. It is not the gentle shower, but thunder. WebOn January 9, 1894, at Washington, D.C.'s, Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church, Frederick Douglass delivered his "The Lessons of the Hour" speech, which addressed the There is not a man beneath the canopy of heaven, that does not know that slavery is wrong for him. Frederick Douglass: (01:08) For my part, I would say, welcome infidelity! The subject has been handled with masterly power by Lysander Spooner, Esq., by William Goodell, by Samuel E. Sewall, Esq., and last, though not least, by Gerritt Smith, Esq. These wretched people are to be sold singly, or in lots, to suit purchasers. What is this but the acknowledgement that the slave is a moral, intellectual and responsible being? Translated on-screen subtitles for videos. Yea! It is, however, a notable fact that, while so much execration is poured out by Americans upon those engaged in the foreign slave-trade, the men engaged in the slave-trade between the states pass without condemnation, and their business is deemed honorable. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. The signers of the Declaration of Independence were brave men. be warned! I shall see this day and its popular characteristics from the slaves point of view. For the present, it is enough to affirm the equal manhood of the Negro race. If so, there is a parallel to your conduct. The feeling of the nation must be quickened. Roam through all the monarchies and despotisms of the old world. speaking of it relatively, and positively, negatively, and affirmatively. In that instrument I hold there is neither warrant, license, nor sanction of the hateful thing; but, interpreted as it ought to be interpreted, the Constitution is a GLORIOUS LIBERTY DOCUMENT. From police shootings to the wage gap to crippling stereotypes (and everything in between), there are too many parallels today with what Douglass described in his speech to white America, including this relevant line. When you can point to any such laws in reference to the beasts of the field, then I may consent to argue the manhood of the slave. Is it to be settled by the rules of logic and argumentation, as a matter beset with great difficulty, involving a doubtful application of the principle of justice, hard to be understood? I will not enlarge further on your national inconsistencies. It destroys your moral power abroad; it corrupts your politicians at home. They who did so were accounted in their day, plotters of mischief, agitators and rebels, dangerous men. Then, I dare to affirm, notwithstanding all I have said before, your fathers stooped, basely stooped. But a change has now come over the affairs of mankind. Great streams are not easily turned from channels, worn deep in the course of ages. The flesh-mongers gather up their victims by dozens, and drive them, chained, to the general depot at Baltimore. Would to God, both for your sakes and ours, that an affirmative answer could be truthfully returned to these questions! Read the full text below of the sage words from one of the greatest orators of all time. From the slave prison to the ship, they are usually driven in the darkness of night; for since the antislavery agitation, a certain caution is observed. Frederick Douglass: (10:31) If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth.. Wind, steam, and lightning are its chartered agents. Banners and pennants wave exultingly on the breeze. For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. O! They petitioned and remonstrated; they did so in a decorous, respectful, and loyal manner. there is no matter in respect to which, the people of the North have allowed themselves to be so ruinously imposed upon, as that of the pro-slavery character of the Constitution. Nations do not now stand in the same relation to each other that they did ages ago. Our eyes are met with demonstrations of joyous enthusiasm. But, I submit, where all is plain there is nothing to be argued. Without this right, the liberty of an American citizen would be as insecure as that of a Frenchman. This is esteemed by some as a national trait perhaps a national weakness. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody, than are the people of these United States, at this very hour. President John F. Kennedy On July 4, 1962 President John F. Kennedy delivered this speech at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Do you mean, citizens, to mock me, by asking me to speak to-day? What was possible for him, he sincerely believed was possible for any man who was willing to work hard. The crack you heard, was the sound of the slave-whip; the scream you heard, was from the woman you saw with the babe. Copyright 2023 Interactive One, LLC. Everywhere, in this country, it is safe to speak of this foreign slave-trade, as a most inhuman traffic, opposed alike to the laws of God and of man. You have no right to wear out and waste the hard-earned fame of your fathers to cover your indolence. There I see the tenderest ties ruthlessly broken, to gratify the lust, caprice and rapacity of the buyers and sellers of men. That year will come, and freedoms reign. The most accurate AI-powered transcription on the market. I doubt if there be another nation on the globe, having the brass and the baseness to put such a law on the statute-book. For the present, it is enough to affirm the equal manhood of the Negro race. Discover why Rev is the #1 speech-to-text service in the world. The population was weak and scattered, and the country a wilderness unsubdued. "The Lessons of the Hour" Speech by Frederick Douglass It has been denounced with burning words, from the high places of the nation, as an execrable traffic. Such a declaration of agreement on my part would not be worth much to anybody. Walled cities and empires have become unfashionable. There is not a nation of the earth, guilty of practices, more shocking and bloody than are the people of these United States at this very hour. But I fancy, I hear some of my audience say it is just in this circumstance that you and your brother abolitionists fail to make a favorable impression upon the public mind. A Plea for Free Speech in Boston (1860) | Constitution Center From the round top of your ship of state, dark and threatening clouds may be seen. Cast one glance, if you please, upon that young mother, whose shoulders are bare to the scorching sun, her briny tears falling on the brow of the babe in her arms. Long established customs of hurtful character could formerly fence themselves in, and do their evil work with social impunity. I am glad, fellow-citizens, that your nation is so young. While drawing encouragement from the Declaration of Independence, the great principles it contains, and the genius of American Institutions, my spirit is also cheered by the obvious tendencies of the age. Hear his savage yells and his blood-chilling oaths, as he hurries on his affrighted captives! You declare, before the world, and are understood by the world to declare, that you hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal; and are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; and that, among these are, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; and yet, you hold securely, in a bondage which, according to your own Thomas Jefferson, is worse than ages of that which your fathers rose in rebellion to oppose, aseventh partof the inhabitants of your country. He further says, the Constitution, in its words, is plain and intelligible, and is meant for the home-bred, unsophisticated understandings of our fellow-citizens. WebCelebrating 200 years of Frederick Douglass. It is neither. Must I undertake to prove that the slave is a man? Three score years and ten is the allotted time for individual men; but nations number their years by thousands. Speech How circumspect, exact and proportionate were all their movements! YOUR HANDS ARE FULL OF BLOOD; cease to do evil, learn to do well; seek judgment; relieve the oppressed; judge for the fatherless; plead for the widow., The American church is guilty, when viewed in connection with what it is doing to uphold slavery; but it is superlatively guilty when viewed in connection with its ability to abolish slavery. Stand by those principles, be true to them on all occasions, in all places, against all foes, and at whatever cost. WebIn this speech, Frederick Douglass reflected on how the outpouring of joy at the conclusion of the Civil War turned to mourning with Lincolns assassination. But, besides general considerations, there were peculiar circumstances which make the advent of this republic an event of special attractiveness. But, your fathers, who had not adopted the fashionable idea of this day, of the infallibility of government, and the absolute character of its acts, presumed to differ from the home government in respect to the wisdom and the justice of some of those burdens and restraints. It has made itself the bulwark of American slavery, and the shield of American slave-hunters. Is it at the gateway? Frederick Douglass: (02:57) And yet not one word shall escape me that any man whose judgment is not blinded by prejudice or who is not at heart, a slaveholder shall not confess to be right and just. WebOn December 3, 1860, Frederick Douglass and a group of fellow abolitionists met at the Tremont Temple Baptist Church in Boston for a discussion centered around the following A general shout would go up from the church, demanding repeal, repeal, instant repeal! your republican politics, not less than your republican religion, are flagrantly inconsistent. When a sufficient number have been collected here, a ship is chartered, for the purpose of conveying the forlorn crew to Mobile, or to New Orleans. No nation can now shut itself up from the surrounding world, and trot round in the same old path of its fathers without interference. As the sheet anchor takes a firmer hold, when the ship is tossed by the storm, so did the cause of your fathers grow stronger, as it breasted the chilling blasts of kingly displeasure. Frederick Douglass speech - PBS The Fugitive SlaveLawmakes mercy to them a crime; and bribes the judge who tries them. If so, there is a parallel to your conduct. A speech given at Rochester, New York, July 5, 1852 . Section 107, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. speech was delivered on July 5, 1852 as an address to the Rochester Ladies' Anti-Slavery Society in Rochester, New York. Before you read the speech you can follow these links to learn more about Douglasss life and the evolution of his thought in this period. Short bio of Frederick Douglass The Frederick Douglass Papers Library of Congress In speaking of the American church, however, let it be distinctly understood that I mean the great mass of the religious organizations of our land. He rose from the shackles of slavery to become an author, newspaper publisher, and respected abolitionist. The point from which I am compelled to view them is not, certainly, the most favorable; and yet I cannot contemplate their great deeds with less than admiration. My subject then, fellow citizens, is American slavery. It was demanded, in the name of humanity, and according to the law of the living God. Thoughts expressed on one side of the Atlantic, are distinctly heard on the other. Frederick Douglass Read the full transcript here. Is it not astonishing that, while we are ploughing, planting and reaping, using all kinds of mechanical tools, erecting houses, constructing bridges, building ships, working in metals of brass, iron, copper, silver and gold; that, while we are reading, writing and cyphering, acting as clerks, merchants and secretaries, having among us lawyers, doctors, ministers, poets, authors, editors, orators and teachers; that, while we are engaged in all manner of enterprises common to other men, digging gold in California, capturing the whale in the Pacific, feeding sheep and cattle on the hill-side, living, moving, acting, thinking, planning, living in families as husbands, wives and children, and, above all, confessing and worshipping the Christians God, and looking hopefully for life and immortality beyond the grave, we are called upon to prove that we are men! At a time like this, scorching irony not convincing argument is needed. And the lame man leap as an heart, but such is not the case. To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of Liberty and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems were inhuman mockery in sacrilegious irony. Fellow citizens, this murderous traffic is, today, in active operation in this boasted republic. They were not the men to look back. What then remains to be argued? Fellow-citizens, I shall not presume to dwell at length on the associations that cluster about this day. They seized upon eternal principles, and set a glorious example in their defense. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth. For 186 years this doctrine of national independence has shaken the globeand it remains the most powerful force anywhere in the world today. They acknowledge it when they punish disobedience on the part of the slave. They form the staple of your national poetry and eloquence. That point is conceded already. You glory in your refinement and your universal education yet you maintain a system as barbarous and dreadful as ever stained the character of a nation a system begun in avarice, supported in pride, and perpetuated in cruelty. Of this sort of change they are always strongly in favor. As noted here, that banquet was attended by prominent African-American professional men in celebration of the twenty-first anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.After the toast provided by former Senator Blanche K. Bruce, Fair use is permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. That point is conceded already. Oceans no longer divide, but link nations together. Racist Ex-University Of Kentucky 'Karen' Sophia Rosing Is Charged For Assaulting Black Student. Become a freelancer and work on your own terms. "What to the Slave is the 4th of July?" Speech Transcript we wept when we remembered Zion. They saw themselves treated with sovereign indifference, coldness and scorn. I will not equivocate; I will not excuse; I will use the severest language I can command; and yet not one word shall escape me that any man, whose judgment is not blinded by prejudice, or who is not at heart a slaveholder, shall not confess to be right and just. For black men there are neither law, justice, humanity, not religion. They, that can, may. Suicide Note Revealed After Shocking Death, Mississippi Cops Beat, Waterboarded Handcuffed Black Men, Shot 1 For Dating White Women': Lawyers, Indicted! You invite to your shores fugitives of oppression from abroad, honor them with banquets, greet them with ovations, cheer them, toast them, salute them, protect them, and pour out your money to them like water; but the fugitives from your own land you advertise, hunt, arrest, shoot and kill. Calculate how much it costs to transcribe, caption, or subtitle your content. May of Syracuse, and my esteemed friend (Rev. had I the ability, and could I reach the nations ear, I would, to-day, pour out a fiery stream of biting ridicule, blasting reproach, There are 72 crimes in the state of Virginia, which if committed by a black man, no matter how ignorant he be, subject him to the punishment of death, while only two of these same crimes will subject a white man to like punishment. Try Rev and save time transcribing, captioning, and subtitling. One of the parts of the speech that resonates with me the most is when Douglass says: What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? Born to an enslaved family in 1818, Frederick Douglass never knew his actual birthday, a fact not uncommon for those enslaved. Your fathers staked their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor, on the cause of their country. These people were called Tories in the days of your fathers; and the appellation, probably, conveyed the same idea that is meant by a more modern, though a somewhat less euphonious term, which we often find in our papers, applied to some of our old politicians. VIDEO: Frederick Douglass' descendants deliver his 'Fourth of July' Towards the end of Is that a question for Republicans? Frederick Douglass All this we affirm to be true of the popular church, and the popular worship of our land and nation a religion, a church, and a worship which, on the authority of inspired wisdom, we pronounce to be an abomination in the sight of God. We need the storm. You hurl your anathemas at the crowned headed tyrants of Russia and Austria, and pride yourselves on your Democratic institutions, while you yourselves consent to be the meretoolsand body-guardsof the tyrants of Virginia and Carolina. And it would go hard with that politician who presumed to solicit the votes of the people without inscribing this motto on his banner. The oath of any two villains is sufficient, under this hell-black enactment, to send the most pious and exemplary black man into the remorseless jaws of slavery! Frederick Douglass As with rivers so with nations. WebFrederick Douglass speech What to a Slave is the Fourth of July effectively argues against slavery. Douglass views the monument and the day's ceremonies as reflecting honor upon African From police shootings to the wage gap to crippling stereotypes (and everything in between), there are too many parallels today with what Douglass described in his speech to white America, including this relevant line: This Fourth of July is yours, not mine. What is this but the acknowledgement that the slave is a moral, intellectual and responsible being? You were under the British Crown. Frederick Douglass thought that such rationalizations were crap, and he had the right to think so. He can bring no witnesses for himself. Where these are, man is not sacred. How unlike the politicians of an hour! To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony. What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? There was, at that time, a grand slave mart kept at the head of Pratt Street, by Austin Woldfolk. The slaveholders themselves acknowledge it in the enactment of laws for their government. Frederick Douglass that it should be so; yet so it is. I am not that man. There is consolation in the thought that America is young. WebBoth anniversaries remind us that the fight for independence and equality did not end in the 18th century - a theme highlighted in Douglass speech. here lies the merit, and the one which, of all others, seems unfashionable in our day. And let me warn you that it is dangerous to copy the example of a nation Babylon, whose crimes towering up to heaven with thrown down by the breadth of the almighty, burying that nation in irrecoverable ruin. The minister of American justice is bound by the law to hear butoneside; andthatside, is the side of the oppressor. Frederick Douglass The accepted time with God and his cause is the ever-living now. By that most foul and fiendish of all human decrees, the liberty and person of every man are put in peril. Ever ready to drink, to treat, and to gamble. Extend your content reach and maximize your engagement rates. For there, they that carried us away captive, required of us a song; and they who wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. As noted here, that banquet was attended by prominent You have already declared it. Industry-leading accurate legal transcription to ensure you dont miss a statement. The country was poor in the munitions of war. We are met on the threshold of our efforts for the redemption of the slave, by the church and ministry of the country, in battle arrayed against us; and we are compelled to fight or flee. The hypocrisy of the nation must be exposed and its crimes against God and man must be denounced. I cannot. They did so in the form of a resolution; and as we seldom hit upon resolutions, drawn up in our day whose transparency is at all equal to this, it may refresh your minds and help my story if I read it. With them, justice, liberty and humanity were final; not slavery and oppression. Am I to argue that it is wrong to make men brutes, to Rob them of their Liberty, to work them without wages, to keep them ignorant of their relations to their fellow men, to beat them with sticks, to flay their flesh with the lash, to load their limbs with ions, to hunt them with dogs, to sell them at auction, to sunder their families, to knock out their teeth, to burn their flesh, to starve them into obedience and submission to their masters? How should I look today, in the presence of Americans, dividing, and subdividing a discourse, to show that men have a natural right to freedom? On the 2d of July, 1776, the old Continental Congress, to the dismay of the lovers of ease, and the worshipers of property, clothed that dreadful idea with all the authority of national sanction. Standing with God and the crushed and bleeding slave on this occasion, I will, in the name of humanity which is outraged, in the name of liberty which is fettered, in the name of the constitution and the Bible, which are disregarded and trampled upon, dare to call in question and to denounce, with all the emphasis I can command, everything that serves to perpetuate slavery the great sin and shame of America! I will not equivocate. Its deeply moving to hear Douglass defend the honor of Black soldiers in his 1863 speech, The Proclamation And a Negro Army, read by Colman Domingo, while his final speech, 1894s Lessons of the Hour, lays out the crucial steps toward achieving equality that have yet to be followed today.The actor selected to read these words is
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