Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1846-05-29
SPEECH OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS
BEFORE THE GLASGOW EN- ANCI
PATTON SOCIETY.

Mr.. FREDERICK DOUGLASS said it afforded
him great pleasure to meet so many as had
presented themselves this evening to hear the
wrongs of his fellow-countrymen discoursed
upon. He always enjoyed a meeting when
il was gathered for any benevolent enterprise
whatever, but such meetings as the present
he regarded as his own, because their aim
was the destruction of the enSlavement of his
race. Whenever he saw any considerable
nnmber-indeed, no matter how Inconsistent
BILE the number gathered for such an object,
his Heart throbbed with gratitude to God that
there were any to sympathize with those who
had been so long neglected.
He was glad at being here, where no blood
hound could be set upon his track. He was
proud of being amongst them, and Of %perceiv-
ing none of those contemplate, hateful mani
festations with which the people of color were
looked upon in the United States. In that
country, termed the land of the free, and home
Of The brave, there was no spot of earth where
he could stand free. If he went 10 the far
West, he was liable to be enslaved if he
went to the far East he was liable to be en-
shaved and if he went to the far North, he
was liable to be enslaved. Wherever the
twenty-six stars shone on the blue ground of
the American flag, there he was liable to be
made a slave. In that vast country, stretch
ing from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean,
there was no spot of earth secure for his per-
son-no spot of earth where he could be Sc
cure from the attacks of his pursuers, the
shareholders. There was no mountain so
high, no valley so deep, no spot so sacred as
10 give security to the slave. If he were to
90 to Bunker's Hill, where was fought the
battle of American freedom, and to clasp the
granite shaft which COMMUNICATED the achiev-
ment of a Nations independence, there he
might be secured and dragged back to the
man who claimed to hold him as property
But this was all about himself, and he had
felt it necessary, as a means of introducing
himself to the audience, 10 say tins much re-
specting his own position. (Applause.)
In advocating this cause on this side OF the
Atlantic, he had been met by this objection
Why do you come to England for the purpose
of speaking on the subject Of American slave.
nv! We have slavery here, says one. Now
he wished to be distinctly understood that, il
replying to this argument, or statement rather
he did not pretend to dispute the existence o
much misery and suffering in this country
but he denied that they had slavery. Wha
was slavery! Let the slave answer the ques
ton to them. Let one who had felt in his
own person the evils Of slavery-let the mari
OF the SlaVe-utlVeI ) ldSu vi HhS wv udth lcl
them what it was. (Applause.) Let ont
who had experienced it in his person tell then
the difference between American slavery, ant
what, by the misuse of the term, was callet
slavery in this country. (Applause.) 1t was
not to work hard. That was not slavery
Indeed, he had worked harder since he be
came a freeman, than he ever did before wheI
he was a slave. When he got his freedom
he went to work on the wharves in New Bed
ford, and he worked in a manner which h
had never done when he was a slave. Gap
plause.) He had a wife and a little one I
take care of and provide for, and this was tn
handspring OF his actions. Before he ha
been moved to action by the lash; now i
was operated upon by the hope Of reward, an
of beneftting those he loved, his wife an
child: Much applause-9 In these circun
stances, there was no work too low, too dill
Nv. too menlal for him. He was ready
clean the chimney or sweep the cellar-h
was ready for anything-he had a wife an
child to take care of. Slavery is not lrorhin
hard. He did it with delight, and the haI
piest moments he ever spent in his life WI
working on the wharyes in New Bedford fl
his wife and child. S2aeeyy is not 10 be d
priped of any political privilege. 1t is not
he deprived Of the right of suffrage, otherwi;
all women were slaves, because they we.
universally deprived of this right. They we
wrong when they applied this term to any
lations of life in this country. IL trdS not 4
relation af master and seruaRt-it was not Il
relation OF master and apprentice-lt was n
the relation of ruler and ruled but it was Il
relation in which man is made the proper