St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1859-11-24
Letter from Frederick Douglas

1@aI no ice that the TELEGRAPH 'makes Mr..
Cook Zone OF the unfortunate insurgents
TAT Harper's Ferry, and now prisoncr. in
the hands Of the thing calling itself The
Governu1cnt Of Virginia. hut which, in
fact, is but an orga 'ized c,nsrir4cy by
one party of the people, against the other
and weaker) d"nounce me asa coward
and to assert that promised to be present
in person at the Harper's Ferry insurrec-
ton This is certainly a very grave inn
peach uent whether viewed iii its BEARINGS
upon friends Or upon foes, and you will
not think it strange that I should take u
somewhat serious notice of it,. Having
no acquaintance whatever with MI. Cook,
and never having exchanged word with
him about the i1arper's Ferry insurrec-
ton, am disposed IT, doubt that he could
have used the language concerning me
which the wires attri utcd to him. he
Lightning, when speakin-: for itself, is
among the most direct, reliable and truth.
tul of things !; but when speaking for tho
terror stricken SHAREHOLDERS at Harper
Ferry, it has been made the swittest of
liars. Under their, nia bic and trembling
fingers it ,na:ni6ctf seventeen men into
seven hnudred-and has since filed The
y y Nemhf for days with interminable
contradictions But assuming that it has
tol1 only the simple truth as to tho say.
ines Of Mr. Cook in this instance, have
this answer to make to my accuser: Mr..
Cook may he perfectly right in denoun-
cling me as cowar!. lhavc not on'.
word to say N ''ct"nsc OF vindica'ion #
my character 'or COURAGE have always
tcell A4ore distinguished for running than
fghtinS--and tried E,y the Harrers Ferry
ii,snirecsion test, am most miscrably de-
fc;ent in courage even more So than
Cm,k, when he dcscr:td his brave old
Captain and f:d to the mou,,ta us. Trj
this extent, Mr. Cook is entirely right,
and will n.cct no contradiction from ,nc or
FROM ;uytocy else. I>ut wholly. gr;eyous-
II AID Ill It unaccou:.sabIy wr','.~ is Mr.
Cook, 'whe5: ''e'; asserts that I Promised to
lie present in l'cEt,,'e. 1T the irpers Ferry
insurrection. Of whatever other impru-
'lence and inaiscretinn may have been
guilty, navc never made il promise so
ra.!! @n>j wild rs this The taking Of
sIasi,o3':, Ferry v;.* Il measure ucvcr ca
'a=c'i " my word or by my vote, at
any tiuc "r place NY wisdom, o: NY
co".ir1ic', Las r"t only kept nss, from
Harper. Ferry, hut has equally kept me
from making any l'ros";>e to s' there. /
desire To be quite e"lhatic herc-~for OF
ali guilty men, he is hc .ui t!est WHO
lures lis fcl.w-,ncn to an undertaking Of
this e.n> u':t!u' promise nj .cs1'ls<.uce.
which he aftc'wnrI f.i!s to render. /
therefore dec ave that there is no ,,,sn liv-
l"S ANA no nan dead, who, it living, could
trutltuliy say that ever promised him #
anybody else, either cord;tionaIly or 9th.
erw's", that / would be prescn, in person
at the l|arpcrs Ferry ji,surrec,ion. My
field Of labor far the abolition Vi Slavery
has not extrnde: to an attack upon the
United States Arsenal IL the teeth ci
the documents already published, and ct
thoee which may hereafter be published,
| affirm that no man connected with that
insurrection, from its noble and heroic
leader down, can conn ct my name with a
single broke" promise of any sort whatever.
So ,ruch deem it proper to say mega
lively. 1'.'.'
The time far a full statement Of ,o1..,
1 %n"sc. and Of "N I kn>.c. Of this espe-
rte hut subj mcly ",sinterested c6ou 10
eas'"cip"te TIE sk'ves OF. M"ryz,nd md
Virginia from their cruel s:-nsas,ers
has not vt '>,n,e, and mu,y meuer cun,e -
In the ,lenial which I have now ma le. |
my notive IS N ''re a respectful consi.lera-
tion TO- the opinions Of the slave friends |
than from MY fear Of being made an ac-
complice in the general CONSPIRACY
against Slavery. I AMI ever ready to write,
speak, publish. organize, co,nbine, and
even to c''''*pire against Slavery, when
there is q reasonable hope for succe:s:-
M:n who I've by r6Lbing their fellow. men
OF their labor and liberty, have forfeited
thoughts !. feelings or. purposes Of those
who whom I'll they rob aud rlundcr They have,
by the single act e. slavehollling. yolunta
rily placed themselves beyond the laws Of
Justice md honor, aud have become only
fitted for con. panionship with thieves and
co,nu,on enemies Of God and
Of al mankind. While it shall b ,c,ottnsid-
cred right to protect ones self against
thieves, burglars, robbers, and a,xsassins,
and to slay a! wild beast in the act Of d..
vouring his human prey, It can never eve, be
wrong tor t!'c i',truteda and whip-scarred
slaves Or their friends; to hunt, 1harrass
and even strike down the traffickers in
human flesh: If .anybody is disposed to
think*less OF: me on account of this senti-
men', or because may have had a knowl-
esge OF what,,Eas aboutcto occur, and did
not assume the base eand detestable charac-
ter OF an informer, he is "a man whose
good or bad opinion of me may be equally
repugnant and despioable. Entertaining