The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-09-07
RADICAL ACCOUNTS.
FRED DOUGLASS

FRED DVlbLA.S.
| This delegate, whose misfortune in re-
gard to color renders him Objectionable to
some of his brother delegates, is producing
quite a sensation. His speech this morn
ing at the Union League rooms is pro-
nounccd the speech par excellence thus far.
All acknowledge his great ability, but
many regret that he was elected as dele
gate. This blending of colors is deemed
inartistc as well as inexpedient at the pre-
sent time. AS one good staunch Radical
said this morning, his advent is year or
two too soon the country is not quite pre-
pared to see the negro, no matter how ta-
| Tented, seated on terms Of equality beside
the white man in delibcrative bodies. Sim
gularly enough, Mr.. Douglass is in better
favor with the southern delegates than
with the northern. These latter say that
DouglaSs's being in this Convention will
cost them ten thousand votes.
SPEECH OF FREDERICK DOUGLASS.
Mr.. President and Gentlcmen,-Th to
me is certainly an unexpected call, and
feel myself almost entirely inadequate to
respond to it. have made many speeches,
on different occasions and before large as
scmblages, in this country and in other
countries, but | never appeared before an
audience under circumstances that so en-
| tircly unfit me for uttcrancc as do to-
| day. | came here to this Convention for
no display, for no exhibition Of myself, for
! no attempts at oratory. 1t would have
been enough for me, enough for those who
sent me, and enough for the race to which
! belong, il, | could be permitted to walk in
| Gil in n -
! in silence in the grand presence of the
Convention now assembled in this city.
! i should have been entirely content
! with this-to be man among men. ZAP
plauSc.l But since you have called upon
me, ] may try to say something concern
| ing what | conceive to be the great issue
about to be tried at the ballot-box by the
American people. 1t is well that all sides
should be heard in great crisis like this.
| One man may tell good deal of truth /;
one race, perhaps, may tell large amount
of truth, but it takes men of all classes, of
all colors, and all conditions in life, to tell
the whole truth. read the address re-
Gently adopted by convention in this
city, not of us, not with us, not for us; but
| found many things in that address to
which | could heartily assent, and to no.
thing in that address could | assent more
heartily than the powerful argument there
made against taxation without representa-
ton. Laughter and applause.l
If that address had cmanated from a
colored convention think | should have
gone every word Of it. 1t was only a
knowledge of the motives that inspired it,
and the limited construction which was to
be given it, that led me at all to reject it.
One of the great evils Of our country in
times Of peace, in times Of war, and all
the time of our history, has been dispo-
Sition on the part of some mndS-cXcel-
| lent men many of them-to limit eternal
and universal principles. That has been
the great error of the American people, to
limit what in its very nature is illimitable,
to circumscribe principles intended by the
great Creator of the universe for the har-
mony of the universe, and to be equally
applicable to all the people of the country.
For instance, that glorious document which
cannot be referred to too often on occa-
sons like this-the Declaration of indie
pendence-to which we are all pledged
our lives, our sacred honor, and all
that we have and are, declares the
doctrine that all men; not a part
of men, but all men; not all
white men, all men; not all English
men; not all men of Tcutonic blood; not
all men of the Caucasian race, but all
men-all men are created equal. (Cheers.
| That great doctrine, so long limited and
circumscribed, applied to particular race
and particular class. regard this Con.
vention as intending to make practica!
~ -. l.. Ill,
applause.] But perhaps am getting toe
broad, too comprehensive. voice, mot
a bt."l But heard at the Southern Con-
vention few moments ago, and take my
license to speak from, the able speech
there made by the late Attorney General
Speed. Three cheers for General Speed
He gave us to understand that we were to
find out what was the truth; what We felt
to be the truth, and in that Convention
proclaim it, and at the ballot-boX make 1t
law of the land. We are not one inch
higher in this gathering than they are
in that gathering, and that platform, as
| Just heard it before came here.
You will pardon me if I shall, in coming
to this platform, bring with me an indi.
yidual that has been associated with me
for the last twenty-five or fifty years-the
negro. [Laughter.l 1t would not be ex.
actly fair for me to come here and not re.
member him or to bring him with me. may
say appear here under some disadvan.
tages, but at the same time ! appear under
greater advantages and responsibilities
Than most other men attending this Con-
yention. am here as q representative Of
a multifarious constituency, such as per
haps no other man in the Convention can
be said to represent. In the nrst place,
represent the black race. There Is nc
mistakinp that by the curl of my hair ant
the aatness of my nose. In the next
place. / represent the white race, and there
is no mistaking that either, in so much s.
that in the State of Maine the Copperheaf
journals deny the negro of oil credit an ne
praise for whatever talent may exhoil
and ascribe II entirely to the white race