What to slave is the Fourth of July 反奴隶制 道格拉斯.docx

What to slave is the Fourth of July 反奴隶制 道格拉斯.docx

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WhattoslaveistheFourthofJuly反奴隶制道格拉斯

WhattotheSlaveistheFourthofJuly?

FrederickDouglass

July5,1852

Mr.President,FriendsandFellowCitizens:

Hewhocouldaddressthisaudiencewithoutaquailingsensation,hasstrongernervesthanIhave.Idonotrememberevertohaveappearedasaspeakerbeforeanyassemblymoreshrinkingly,norwithgreaterdistrustofmyability,thanIdothisday.Afeelinghascreptoverme,quiteunfavorabletotheexerciseofmylimitedpowersofspeech.Thetaskbeforemeisonewhichrequiresmuchpreviousthoughtandstudyforitsproperperformance.Iknowthatapologiesofthissortaregenerallyconsideredflatandunmeaning.Itrust,however,thatminewillnotbesoconsidered.ShouldIseematease,myappearancewouldmuchmisrepresentme.ThelittleexperienceIhavehadinaddressingpublicmeetings,incountryschoolhouses,availsmenothingonthepresentoccasion.

Thepapersandplacardssay,thatIamtodelivera4th[of]Julyoration.Thiscertainlysoundslarge,andoutofthecommonway,foritistruethatIhaveoftenhadtheprivilegetospeakinthisbeautifulHall,andtoaddressmanywhonowhonormewiththeirpresence.Butneithertheirfamiliarfaces,northeperfectgageIthinkIhaveofCorinthianHall,seemstofreemefromembarrassment.

Thefactis,ladiesandgentlemen,thedistancebetweenthisplatformandtheslaveplantation,fromwhichIescaped,isconsiderable—andthedifficultiestobeovercomeingettingfromthelattertotheformer,arebynomeansslight.ThatIamhereto-dayis,tome,amatterofastonishmentaswellasofgratitude.Youwillnot,therefore,besurprised,ifinwhatIhavetosay.Ievincenoelaboratepreparation,norgracemyspeechwithanyhighsoundingexordium.Withlittleexperienceandwithlesslearning,Ihavebeenabletothrowmythoughtshastilyandimperfectlytogether;andtrustingtoyourpatientandgenerousindulgence,Iwillproceedtolaythembeforeyou.

This,forthepurposeofthiscelebration,isthe4thofJuly.ItisthebirthdayofyourNationalIndependence,andofyourpoliticalfreedom.This,toyou,iswhatthePassoverwastotheemancipatedpeopleofGod.Itcarriesyourmindsbacktotheday,andtotheactofyourgreatdeliverance;andtothesigns,andtothewonders,associatedwiththatact,andthatday.Thiscelebrationalsomarksthebeginningofanotheryearofyournationallife;andremindsyouthattheRepublicofAmericaisnow76yearsold.Iamglad,fellow-citizens,thatyournationissoyoung.Seventy-sixyears,thoughagoodoldageforaman,isbutamerespeckinthelifeofanation.Threescoreyearsandtenistheallottedtimeforindividualmen;butnationsnumbertheiryearsbythousands.Accordingtothisfact,youare,evennow,onlyinthebeginningofyournationalcareer,stilllingeringintheperiodofchildhood.Irepeat,Iamgladthisisso.Thereishopeinthethought,andhopeismuchneeded,underthedarkcloudswhichlowerabovethehorizon.Theeyeofthereformerismetwithangryflashes,portendingdisastroustimes;buthisheartmaywellbeatlighteratthethoughtthatAmericaisyoung,andthatsheisstillintheimpressiblestageofherexistence.Mayhenothopethathighlessonsofwisdom,ofjusticeandoftruth,willyetgivedirectiontoherdestiny?

Werethenationolder,thepatriot’sheartmightbesadder,andthereformer’sbrowheavier.Itsfuturemightbeshroudedingloom,andthehopeofitsprophetsgooutinsorrow.ThereisconsolationinthethoughtthatAmericaisyoung.Greatstreamsarenoteasilyturnedfromchannels,worndeepinthecourseofages.Theymaysometimesriseinquietandstatelymajesty,andinundatetheland,refreshingandfertilizingtheearthwiththeirmysteriousproperties.Theymayalsoriseinwrathandfury,andbearaway,ontheirangrywaves,theaccumulatedwealthofyearsoftoilandhardship.They,however,graduallyflowbacktothesameoldchannel,andflowonasserenelyasever.But,whiletherivermaynotbeturnedaside,itmaydryup,andleavenothingbehindbutthewitheredbranch,andtheunsightlyrock,tohowlintheabyss-sweepingwind,thesadtaleofdepartedglory.Aswithriverssowithnations.

Fellow-citizens,Ishallnotpresumetodwellatlengthontheassociationsthatclusteraboutthisday.Thesimplestoryofitisthat,76yearsago,thepeopleofthiscountrywereBritishsubjects.Thestyleandtitleofyour"sovereignpeople"（inwhichyounowglory）wasnotthenborn.YouwereundertheBritishCrown.YourfathersesteemedtheEnglishGovernmentasthehomegovernment;andEnglandasthefatherland.Thishomegovernment,youknow,althoughaconsiderabledistancefromyourhome,did,intheexerciseofitsparentalprerogatives,imposeuponitscolonialchildren,suchrestraints,burdensandlimitations,as,initsmaturejudgment,itdeemedwise,rightandproper.

But,yourfathers,whohadnotadoptedthefashionableideaofthisday,oftheinfallibilityofgovernment,andtheabsolutecharacterofitsacts,presumedtodifferfromthehomegovernmentinrespecttothewisdomandthejusticeofsomeofthoseburdensandrestraints.Theywentsofarintheirexcitementastopronouncethemeasuresofgovernmentunjust,unreasonable,andoppressive,andaltogethersuchasoughtnottobequietlysubmittedto.Iscarcelyneedsay,fellow-citizens,thatmyopinionofthosemeasuresfullyaccordswiththatofyourfathers.Suchadeclarationofagreementonmypartwouldnotbeworthmuchtoanybody.Itwould,certainly,provenothing,astowhatpartImighthavetaken,hadIlivedduringthegreatcontroversyof1776.TosaynowthatAmericawasright,andEnglandwrong,isexceedinglyeasy.Everybodycansayit;thedastard,notlessthanthenoblebrave,canflippantlydiscantonthetyrannyofEnglandtowardstheAmericanColonies.Itisfashionabletodoso;buttherewasatimewhentopronounceagainstEngland,andinfavorofthecauseofthecolonies,triedmen’ssouls.Theywhodidsowereaccountedintheirday,plottersofmischief,agitatorsandrebels,dangerousmen.Tosidewiththeright,againstthewrong,withtheweakagainstthestrong,andwiththeoppressedagainsttheoppressor!

hereliesthemerit,andtheonewhich,ofallothers,seemsunfashionableinourday.Thecauseoflibertymaybestabbedbythemenwhogloryinthedeedsofyourfathers.But,toproceed.

Feelingthemselvesharshlyandunjustlytreatedbythehomegovernment,yourfathers,likemenofhonesty,andmenofspirit,earnestlysoughtredress.Theypetitionedandremonstrated;theydidsoinadecorous,respectful,andloyalmanner.Theirconductwaswhollyunexceptionable.This,however,didnotanswerthepurpose.Theysawthemselvestreatedwithsovereignindifference,coldnessandscorn.Yettheypersevered.Theywerenotthementolookback.

Asthesheetanchortakesafirmerhold,whentheshipistossedbythestorm,sodidthecauseofyourfathersgrowstronger,asitbreastedthechillingblastsofkinglydispleasure.ThegreatestandbestofBritishstatesmenadmitteditsjustice,andtheloftiesteloquenceoftheBritishSenatecametoitssupport.But,withthatblindnesswhichseemstobetheunvaryingcharacteristicoftyrants,sincePharaohandhishostsweredrownedintheRedSea,theBritishGovernmentpersistedintheexactionscomplainedof.

Themadnessofthiscourse,webelieve,isadmittednow,evenbyEngland;butwefearthelessoniswhollylostonourpresentruler.

Oppressionmakesawisemanmad.Yourfatherswerewisemen,andiftheydidnotgomad,theybecamerestiveunderthistreatment.Theyfeltthemselvesthevictimsofgrievouswrongs,whollyincurableintheircolonialcapacity.Withbravementhereisalwaysaremedyforoppression.Justhere,theideaofatotalseparationofthecoloniesfromthecrownwasborn!

Itwasastartlingidea,muchmoreso,thanwe,atthisdistanceoftime,regardit.Thetimidandtheprudent（ashasbeenintimated）ofthatday,were,ofcourse,shockedandalarmedbyit.

Suchpeoplelivedthen,hadlivedbefore,andwill,probably,everhaveaplaceonthisplanet;andtheircourse,inrespecttoanygreatchange,（nomatterhowgreatthegoodtobeattained,orthewrongtoberedressedbyit）,maybecalculatedwithasmuchprecisionascanbethecourseofthestars.Theyhateallchanges,butsilver,goldandcopperchange!

Ofthissortofchangetheyarealwaysstronglyinfavor.

ThesepeoplewerecalledToriesinthedaysofyourfathers;andtheappellation,probably,conveyedthesameideathatismeantbyamoremodern,thoughasomewhatlesseuphoniousterm,whichweoftenfindinourpapers,appliedtosomeofouroldpoliticians.

Theiroppositiontothethendangerousthoughtwasearnestandpowerful;but,amidalltheirterrorandaffrightedvociferationsagainstit,thealarmingandrevolutionaryideamovedon,andthecountrywithit.

Onthe2dofJuly,1776,theoldContinentalCongress,tothedismayoftheloversofease,andtheworshipersofproperty,clothedthatdreadfulideawithalltheauthorityofnationalsanction.Theydidsointheformofaresolution;andasweseldomhituponresolutions,drawnupinourdaywhosetransparencyisatallequaltothis,itmayrefreshyourmindsandhelpmystoryifIreadit."Resolved,Thattheseunitedcoloniesare,andofright,oughttobefreeandIndependentStates;thattheyareabsolvedfromallallegiancetotheBritishCrown;andthatallpoliticalconnectionbetweenthemandtheStateofGreatBritainis,andoughttobe,dissolved."

Citizens,yourfathersmadegoodthatresolution.Theysucceeded;andto-dayyoureapthefruitsoftheirsuccess.Thefre