Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-01-26

st FREDERICK DOUGLAS LECTUKE-The lee
. ture Friday evening, as predicted, drew tn
Il largest audience of the season. The Hall
q which had been provided with large rum
' Der Of extra seats in anticipation of & crowd
# was crsmmed, floor and galleries. Mr.
/, Douglass is a good looking bright mulatto, y
= with long hair, thickly streaked with white,
caucasian mouth and features, bright black
, eye, white teeth, and well kept black nous
I tache. He has clear deep and pleasant
: voice, of good power when e1erted; speaks
9 with remarkable command Of language and
with great clcarness and ease quite slowly
as general rule, bat rising at times into
animated bursts Of eloquen, denuncistion or
warning. His lecture was not written
one, and his subject, ''the Assassination and
Its Lessons was used merely thread on
which to string bis views Of the character
of Abraham Lincoln of the Southern people,
Of President johnson, and of the dangers
and demands Of the presCn. cIisIs. lie prais-
ed Mr.. Lincoln as pure, good, true, wise
Snd honest mar, one Of the best that ever
ruled any nation. He said more History
had been made in connection with his name,
than Of any other American, and that
thousand years hence, when our war has
dwindled to a speck, his fame Will be
known and his example commended.
His murder was the Inauguration Of a
new crime in our annals, but it was an illustTA-
ton OF and in keeping with tie character
Of the Southern Shareholders, and in accord
with the other crimes committed in the
cause or slavery, OF which lie rccited with |
bitter uuction a long and black catalogue. |
lie said that now magnanimity was our /
greatest weakness and danger that our .
Iccrle seemed when the war ended TO he l
about as much Obliged TO Lee for surrender
ins as to Grant for making him 10 it that
now greater crime was imTerding than the
assassination. viz the wanton abandonment
Of our only allies in the South. to the tender
the loyalty and devotion Of tie blacks, say
ing that they were more disiDtGested and
noble in going into the war. th IN even the
brave and devoted white defenders Of the
Union, for the blacks fought lor a country
not their own. In which th,y were aliens, an
unfneudly country, and did it for less pay,
and with haltcrs about their necks lie
spoke of President Johusgns speech to
colorcd regiment. advising them to 60 home
and prove their right to liberty by work, as
au insult to the cologcd soldiers. lie
thought the exhortation to work was most
needed by the whites of the South, and de-
clared that If work .s virtue and il.cncss a
sin, the negroes are the saints and tie whites
the sinners Of the South. lie .ail the new
gosTel preached from Brooklyn heights and
from the White House was in advance Of the
{ hristian religion, which only roquircs for
giy,uess upon ToYoutaucc. whereas We are
now told that We must forgive and luternize
with the unIcpOtsnt rebcls. lie praised
Mr. Bcocher for many good qualities hut
said his course in this matter was
entirely characteristic Of him; that
fifteen years 40 he heard him say that
slavery better remain p years and then lie
ended by the church than to be ended at once
without the church. - That" said Mr..
Dougls, "is Mr.. Bsecher; but if he had
been nv slave and had stood over him with :
only a moderate sized cowhIde, could have (
brought him to a different conviction in FIVE t
lie, the speaker, did not wish q
10 forget" Ii be were a preacher he would t
preach for year from the text remember f
Lots wife, urging the duty Of remembrance 7
If the crimes and wrongs Of slavery.
He expressed considerable distrust Of
President johnson, and grea. faith in Con a
,ress In closing he said that in spite of b
he tone Of apprehension in which be had a
clG it to be his duty to speak, he recognized f,
ground for the brightest hopes in the acton
shing PROCESS toward universal freedom t
made by tie Nation in five years, illustrat- q
d by the passage OF the free suffrage bill in a
he House. iol which he thanked God and I,
le had full faith in the ultimate triumph Of o
be right. t
Mr.. Douglas spoke over an hour and i,
lalf and held his audience without weari- II
Ices to the end. Many doubtless were Tn
pleasantly reminded y his denunciations Of ii
President johnson, Of Wendell Philips de- "
lunciations Of Mr.. Lincoln; but other por- f
ions Of hls lecture were abundantlY and
ioartiy applauded. L
lie goes next to Toy, thence to Brooklyn, h
where he speaks in tie Academy Of Music Is
lext Monday evening, and thence to Wash n
nston.