Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-11-09
URIC WEDNESDAY MORNING. NOVEMBER 8. 1859.
FRED DOUGLASS FAREWELL TO
AMERICA.
Ho explains his Journey to England He
Pleads not Guilty to tho Charge of Troa-
son--His Opinion of tho Colored Insur-
gents at Harpers Ferry.

| rents at Haruer's Ferry
In NJ. n.a.r az hi. ,v.os ,h. r,o;,;vo .,,yo
| 81
p'"g'as "soeS 'he 'ol'ow'ns auoreSs'
| To my Readers and Friends:
Dear Readers ahd Friends About to leave my
! post as editor Tor long contemplated slsit and
lc;turng tour in Great Britain, which may de-
tain me many months from my editorial dutes,t tho
| peculiar circumstances of the occasion seem to
Justify me in saying to you few parting words.
In ordinary conditions, considering the rapidity.
! safety MD certainty with which journey is now
made to Europe-almost converting tho two con
| tinents into one-a simple voyage from America
to Great Britain would not seem To warrant II ve'
ry cerem,nions and formal parting. or to require
apology or explanation.
| Tho Shareholders Of Virginia and tho South
generally, are endcavoring tnmakc the impression
that the negroes summoned to tho standard OF Tree
| dom by John Brown, viewed the effort to emanci
| pate them with indifference An eye wltness.nnd
prominent actor in the TRANSACTIONS ut llarpci's
| Ferry. now at my side, tells me this is grossly
aside from the truth But even il the contrary
| were shown. it would afford small comfort to the
Shareholders. Tho slaves were sensible enough
| not to shout before thoy gained tho prize, aud
| their conduct WAS eredablo to their wisdom
The brief space allowed them in freedom, was not
Sufficient to bring home To them in tiloir fulncss
the real significance of the occasion, An the Of
forts to dsparnrc the valor OF the colorcd nsur-
gcuts are grounded in the fears Of the slavchold
| cIs not in the fact. Of the action They report
! mauy dead insurgents mud few killed among
! thure who opposed them. have ut lcust seen
one mau among the insurgents reported
knled,is who still nlyr and bids fnir to
live yet may wears. On many accounts.
| wee tLc hing possible should be
ulad to u.c i,p event ut llarpor's Ferry and the
state of i,clue it has Produced before tho Amor
ltn peo pie Bat th y, is work abroad ns we'll us
ut home Efforts Nl!l be made in America to
turn thr llarpcr's Ferry instruction to the
count f slavery. | may. for II time, bc useful
there, in resisting aud cuunteractng these efforts.
will probably lie CHARGED by those who delight
in any prctext Tor nspcrsing me, that 20 to Eng
land to escape the demands Of Justice Tor my ul-
lcgcd completely with the flarpers Ferry insur-
rcction am not ashamed uf cndcn voring to
cane from such Justice MS might he nationally OK
pcctea hv man Of color ut the hands of II slave
holding court sitting in the state Of Nirgnn. |
nu, not r,voritc in that state, aud even if arquit-
ted ly the court with my knowledge or slayehod
iug inaruauimity nnd civilization | could scarcely
h ipc to re cross the s!avcholng border with my
! life There ~ No moro dshonor IN trying to keep
out of the way of such II court, than thcro would
| bo ia keeping ut Of the way Of IL company Of hun
| cry wolves Nevertheless, il is only due t, truth
to sAtc, that for more than year past haze been
mating arrangements not To 60 to llarpcr's Ferry
but % England. This has hccn known alike to
| both friends and f,c-. My gong, too, has been
de yed rather than haslcuel, by lhc Occurrences
Of r'Iar DuttIral Tin fNct If my known intention
to visit England in \ vcr,ber. and my published
! lrju ing en- ,ngemcnt1 in different parts oi the
| S,ate Of New York, plainly show that man had
any right to expect nay personal cooperation else.
! where | am, however, tree to confess that | deem
| + Gland II safer ASYLUM for mr than any afforded
| By the President ut the United States. ! have
One, before found shelter and protection in mon
/ urclv from the slnyc.hnutprs Of this republic aud
am indebted no. To democratic humanity or JUS
,icc for the liberty have enjoyed duriEs tho last
dozen years, and nmd all the atrocities under the
! Fu.itive Slave bill in America--but to humane
| British men aud women who bought my bo ly and
| bones with British g1G md made me present
| to myself n free and unsolicited rift In other
words, thcv gave me back the body originally riv
en- me uudcr the singularly inst and generous laws
| of "A republican slave Stntei thank God that
| there ia at least one Christian country on this
| Globe where "A colorcd man ns well as n white nun
! may rest secure from tho fury and vengeance of
| alarmed and terrified sav, holders tho mcnnest
tyrnnts that ever cursed tho earth 10y their cruel
ty, or insuted Heaven by their blasphcmous ar
| rupance
| Almost ever since tho ITarpcrs Forty disturb
| ance have been assured tl,at United States
marshals, in stron. force have been in search OF
| me at different points, but chiefly Mt Rochester
government which refused 10 acknow lejgc--nay
! denies that can be citizen, or to bring n suit
into it- courts of Justice in n word, brands mo
| an outlaw in virtue Of my blood, now prof.sses n
wish to try me for being traitor and an outlaw
To bea iraitortwo conditions are necessary: First
ono mus, have a government; Secondly-he
must bs found in armed rebellion against that
government | am guilty ol neither element of
treason. The American government refuses to
shelter the negro under it's protecting wing. and
makes him an outlaw. The government is there
fore quiet unreasonable and inconsistent. Alleg-
auce and prncction are aid to 90 together and