Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1849-09-22


sincerely, that you have been able, againstall
the suggestions of selfinterest, of pride, and
of love of power, to perform this act of pure
justice and humanity. 1t has greatly i%ncfeas-
ed my faith in man, and in the talent rirfue
even Of SHAREHOLDERS. | say ictent u%iriue, not
because | think Shareholders are worse than
all other men, but because, such are the pow-
er and influence of education and habit upon
even the best constituted minds, that they par
alyze and disorder, If not destroy their moral
energy and OF all persons in the world,
Shareholders are in The most unfavorable po-
sition for retaining their power. 1t would be
easy for me 10 give you the reason of this,
but you may be presumed to know 1t al
ready.
Born and brought up in the presence and
under the influence Of a system which at
once strikes at the very foundation of morals,
by denying-if not the existence of Cod
the equal brotherhood of mankind, by degra-
ding one part of the human family TO the con-
dition of brutes, and by reversing all right
ideas of justice and of brotherly kindness, it
is almost impossible that one so environed
can greatly grow in ~virluous rectitude.
You, however, sir, have risen superior to
these unhallowed influences, and have added
another striking proof to those already exist
ihst hhdh WV hSoit ~ tuS oldNeuOluCI VI ohili
within the reach Of the truth, and that TO
preach to him the duty of letting "the o2-
pressed go Free" is not in vain.
| shall no longer regard you as an enemy
to freedom, nor TO myself-but shall hail you
as a friend TO both. Before doing so, howev-
er, | have one reasonable request TO make of
you, with which you will, | hope, comply.
1t is this: That you make your conversion TO
antt.slavery known 10 the world, by precept
as well as by example. A publication of the
facts relating TO the emancipation of your
slaves, with the reasons that have led you to
this humane act, would doubtless prove high
~ beneficial TO the cause of freedom general.
ly-at the same time that it would place your
self in that high estimation of the public
mind to which your generous conduct Justly
entities you. | think you have no right to
put your candle under a bushel. Your case
Is different in many respects from that OF
most repentant Shareholders. You have been
publicly and peculiarly exposed before the
world for being a stakeholder; and, since
you have ceased to be such, a just regard for
your own standing among men, as well as a
desire to promote the happiness of a deeply
injured people, require you TO make known
your sentiments on this important subject
II would be truly an Interesting and -giori-
Gus spectacie 70 see ndstet ana sfdv6, land n
hand. laboring togethe: for the overthrow of
American slavery. | am sure that such an
example would tell with thrilling effect upon
the public mind Of this section. We have
already had the example of slaves and slave
holders, side by side, battling for freedom I;
but we yet lack a master working by the side
Of his former slave on the anti-slayeTy plat
form. You have it in your power to supply
this deficiency, and if you can bring yourself
10 do so, you will attain a larger degree of
happiness for yourself, and will confer a
greater blessing on the cause Of freedom than
you have already done by the generous act of
emancipating your own slaves. With the ex-
ample before me, | shall not despair of yet
having the pleasure of giving you the right
hand of fellowship on the anti-slavery plat
form.
Before closing the present letter, | wish to
set you right about a matter which is, per
haps, of small importance to yourself bat is
of considerable consequence TO me.
In your letter, written three years ago, 10
Mr.. A. G. G. Thompson, Of " i~lminGton, re.
speeding the validity of my narrative, you
complained that | failed to mention your in.
tenliou to emancipate me at the age of 25.-
The reason of this failure is as follows: You
will remember that your promise to enamel
pate me preceded my first attempt 10 escape
and that you then told me that you would
have emancipated me, had ! not made the at
tempt in question. If you ask me why | dis
trusted your promise in the FIRST instance,
could give you many reasons; bat the one
that weighed most with me was the passag,
of a law in Maryland, throwing obslruction'
in the way of emancipation and | had hear
you refer 10 that law as an excuse for contin
uing your slaves in bondage and, supposin!
the distractions alluded 10 might prove insu
perable barriers TO my freedom, ! resolved up
on flight, as the only alternative left me shor
Of a life Of slavery. ! hope that this explana
! ton win be satisfactory. | do not regre
what | have done-but rather rejoice in it, a
= well for your sake as mine. Nevertheless,
wish 10 be fairly understood, and have, there
fore, made the explanation.
shall here conclude this letter by agai
] expressing my sincere gratitude at the mag
unanimous deed with which your name is nov
t associated-and by repeating the ardent hop
I, that you will publicly identify yourself vii
the holy cause of freedom, TO which, since
left your service, | have been most unremi
: tingly devoting myself.
am, Dear Sir,
Very respectfully yours,
FREDERICK DOUGLASS.